Royal Wootton Bassett Tennis Club is a club which is all about enjoyment.

The club plays tennis every night of the week, hosting a range of matches for members.

“A big driver for me is that sport is such an enjoyable and important part of life,” said chairperson Paul Meakin.

“It makes people feel better, and if we can make people feel better through tennis that is a fantastic thing to do.”

Based at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground in Royal Wootton Bassett, the club currently has around 150 adult members and 70 junior members, ranging in age from 5 years to over 70 years.

“It’s about enjoyment, said Paul. “I would say the club is there to allow people to engage with and enjoy tennis at whatever level, and if I can achieve that then I’m happy.”

The club is open to anyone, of all abilities.

It hosts men’s, women’s and mixed teams in the Swindon and District league, with the Ladies A team, captained by Karen White, winning Division one this year.

“The competitive side of the club is very strong, and that’s great to see,” said Paul.

The club also hosts social competitions throughout the year alongside their club nights on Wednesdays and Fridays.

It also runs a mixed singles ladder currently comprising 25 players, through the winter.

“We try and enjoy our tennis all year round, weather permitting,” said Paul.

“I’m really keen to reach out to the wider community and get them involved, because the facilities are there and we want people to use them and enjoy the game,” said Paul.

The organisation runs a weekly wheelchair tennis group on Wednesday afternoons, run by head coach Alistair Ward.

One of the wheelchair players, Louise Hunt, has competed at two Paralympic Games and has Tokyo 2020 in her sights.

“One of my main aims,” said Paul, “really is just to see more people playing tennis.”

“That’s want I want to leave as a legacy when I finish my stint as chairperson.

“Sport is a big source of pleasure for people, if we can make a few more people feel that, then that’s a good job,” he said.