EPPING Tennis Club has been given a £500 grant to help towards the costs of all-weather playing surfaces.

The club hopes that being able to provide year-round tennis will encourage its junior members as well as attracting new members.

The club wants to resurface two shale courts to provide hard courts as well as fund the installation of floodlights on the one existing hard court.

The club is applying for grants from various organisations.

Membership of the Lower Bury Lane club has been on the up with an increase from 54 in 1996 to 95 last year.

The town council was asked for a £5,000 grant, but with an existing grants budget of £3,715, agreed the £500 sum saying it would consider giving more next year.