By Robyn Jarram

Port Douglas Tennis Club was thrilled to hear last week that they will be granted $34,500 via the Gambling Community Benefit Fund. 

Secretary of the Club, Mark Fellows said, "We have been wanting to upgrade our clubrooms and buy new equipment such as nets, a ball machine and a stringing machine for a long time.

This funding allows us to undertake these projects and enhance the services we offer our members and visitors. We will also add a safe play area for kids to enjoy while their parents are playing tennis and will add some much needed new balls and racquets."

The Port Douglas Tennis Club celebrated its 10 year anniversary this year and now has a strong membership of about 85 locals. It provides services to locals and tourists and has an estimated 2000 people using its facilities every year. "With this huge throughput, the Club's facilities have been slowly declining, the clubrooms have become too small and the equipment is deteriorating.

We are excited about getting our projects underway so that we can offer our members and visitors facilities and equipment that meet their expectations", said Mark.  "We are particularly grateful for the support we were given with our application. 

The Club regularly engages Robyn Jarram, General Manager at Symbiotic Enterprising to write our major grant applications. My philosophy has always been to leave what you can't do to the people who can. Robyn can't play tennis to save her life, but she knows her way around grant applications and her service, communication and capability is refreshing and professional."

Symbiotic Enterprising has been partnering with the Port Douglas Tennis Club since August 2010, assisting them with their long term and short term development strategies.

Ms Jarram said, "Mark's commitment to the Port Douglas Tennis Club never wavers.   From the moment I first met him he has remained constant in his plight to transform the Club into a professional sporting environment. He is constantly focussed on providing for the members and the community and always looks at new ways to develop the Club. He consistently thinks about how the Club can work in partnership with other sporting club's in the region. It has been a pleasure assisting the Club to achieve their goals by writing this grant application. I am ecstatic about this win and I don't think it will be their last."

For Port Douglas Tennis Club membership enquiries, please contact Mark Fellows on 0409 952 653.