A NEW clubhouse is set to opened at a tennis club which has been bringing the summer game to players in the Rossendale valley for nearly a century.

The finishing touches are being made to the new HQ for Parkwood Lawn Tennis Club, in Haslingden, thanks to two grants from Sport England and Biffa Award.

The Helmshore Road outfit, which first opened its doors in 1921, found out it had received £50,000 from Sport England in August 2013.

And the club partnered with Accrington-based FPW Axles Ltd to secure the handout from the Biffa Award scheme, which uses landfill tax credits to bolster community and environmental initiatives.

Before now their clubhouse was effectively a gardener's hut - its replacement will have a social area, kitchen, ladies and gents changing facilities and toilets, with disabled provisions and a shelter for their tractor and tools.

Richard Johnson, Parkwood's chairman, said: "The new clubhouse is a much-needed improvement on our existing facilities and will benefit existing members as well as attracting new members to the club."

Work has been underway by contractors Mark Smith and Julian Bailey, from Complete Construction, for some time, and the hub is set to be available to club players from December 1.

Gillian French, Biffa Award programme manager, added: "Projects like this are incredibly important for local communities, which is why we look to invest in them.

"The project to fit out the new clubhouse at Parkwood means the club is better equipped to serve the community for many more years to come."

When the next summer season starts, at the end of March, an official opening is planned. The club moved to Haslingden Leisure Centre from its original home in Mount Street, Rawtenstall, in 2000.

The club has open, mixed, ladies, junior and winter sides, which compete in the Eat Lancashire Slazenger League, as well as their own championships and ladder systems.

Parkwood is not the only valley organisation to benefit from the Biffa Award scheme - earlier this year it was confirmed that £88,000 was being provided to Western Park in Stacksteads.