Australia’s only Gay and Lesbian Tennis club, is dusting off the racquets and polishing up their balls for an all new season of summer tennis and comraderie at the iconic Loton Park Tennis Club. Despite facing a few challenges last year, this Spring sees the club steaming ahead with renewed energy and enthusiasm, with new faces on the committee and a new president at the helm. ‘We’ve got some fresh, new people involved with new ideas,’ 2009/2010 Club President Doug Kirkwood said. ‘We’re all about looking forward, and building the club and making the club a great place to be, for everyone’.
The club is encouraging new members of any standard to come along and get involved this year. ‘We’re really flexible, and that’s a pretty important message for us to get out,’ Kirkwood enthused. ‘If you don’t want to play competition level, if you just want to come down and have a bit of a hit and a giggle and enjoy everyone’s company, then by all means that’s what we’re all about.’
‘It’s really just a matter of coming down and enjoying the companionship because there aren’t too many gay and lesbian groups left,’ Kirkwood said.
‘They seem to be diminishing a little bit.’
A new welcoming package is being developed to enhance Loton Park’s friendly atmosphere. New members can expect to be welcomed by the committee and introduced to other members, the grounds, before having a hit of the ball.’It’s almost like a buddy system making the whole experience far less daunting,’ Kirkwood said.
While the tennis club is not exclusively gay and lesbian, a large majority of their membership is from the GLBTI community. The club has an extremely diverse membership, with their goal being to ‘make the club appealing to a wider cross-section of the community’.
The club is planning a free Open Day on October 24. Starting at 1pm attendees can expect to sit back on the balcony, have some afternoon tea and a drink while watching some tennis and having a chance to see what the club is all about.
Kirkwood is quick to point out though that Loton Park is ‘not just about tennis. It’s a good social environment.’ The club’s upcoming social events include the annual Christmas party, a movie night heading into the warmer season and various sundowners. Also scheduled to return in the new year is the increasingly popular event Love All.
The club is also increasingly hosting events for other clubs, with Perth Bears holding regular events at the clubhouse and Pride also holding meetings there.
Grass court, hard court or verandah and bevvie at sunset, Loton Park has something for everyone. You’ll find Loton Park Tennis club at the annual Fairday this year, so feel free to stop and have a chat!
Katie MacCuish
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