THE efforts of inspirational Birkenhead Lawn Tennis Club volunteer Marge Dooley have been recognised with a lifetime achievement award.

One of 15 County category winners, Marge Dooley received the accolade from the Cheshire Lawn Tennis Association during its award ceremony.

The honour recognises those who have dedicated a staggering number of years to tennis.

A spokesperson for the club said: "Marge has been involved with Birkenhead as a key volunteer for over four decades, becoming Chair in 2015 and completely has the interests of the club at heart.

"She is always willing to look at fresh ideas and take support to improve the club and get more people playing from the community evidenced by our growing and committed membership.

"She is a cornerstone of Birkenhead Lawn Tennis Club being the welcoming and inclusive club that it is."

Wirral Globe:

Marge (pictured, above) has been chair of Birkenhead Lawn Tennis Club since 2015, prior to that 2002-2010 club captain running the four summer Senior Teams the club entered in the Wirral League and throughout has been committed to the running and organising of the thriving Junior Section at the club.

Even now she is involved in organisation around the winter two ladies' teams and the third and fourth summer league mixed teams - including supporting the club captain and the long-standing provider of our pot-match teas.

For more than four decades she has been actively involved in the organisation of junior club nights, squads as well as adult activities.

She is often the key liaison for welcoming new members to the club and helping them find activities and coaching to suit them at the club including integration into teams and competitive tennis.

The spokesperson continued: "Marge as chairperson is someone who is always willing to roll her sleeves up and do what is needed - leading by example and encouraging others help.

"The club's popular junior sessions on Friday evenings are organised through Marge with the coaches.

"She has taken a keen interest in the junior programme and supporting competition by hosting events and finding matches with other clubs in the area.

"Marge goes out of her way to engage with parents who are new to the club and coaching set up."

She has been the lead in re-establishing an ‘Open your doors’ inclusive tennis offer and linked with the Disability Development partner.

Previously she led on getting MENCAP players involved in activities at the club. She rallied around to get players from the club to Birkenhead Park for a ‘lockdown’ piece for North West TV.

She continues to be keen to see players from the ‘Tennis for free’ session at the park take up the opportunity to play at the club, with the club’s membership income growing by 40% through the lockdown period.

She has worked with several other key volunteers at the club to adapt the club’s approach and quickly responding to the challenges of the pandemic.

This involved Covid secure operation of the bar and clubhouse, finally implementing an online booking system for courts which is loved by membership and facilitates our growing singles ladders and all our social play.

In 2020 the club completed a clubhouse refurbishment and Marge was actively involved though out the project, including applying for LTA grants for a complete overhaul of the interior and exterior furniture.

Marge has a long history of encouraging the professional development of the coaches, now through multiple generation of club coaches both past and present.

More recently, she has encouraged a young female at the club to complete her level 3 coaching award, applying for finding through Cheshire and helping wherever needed as well as 16/17 years olds to take achieve their Level 1 assistants award.

She provides opportunities for them to support and be supported at the club.

Our current coaching team includes four to five individuals who have gained qualifications from Level one through to three.

Tom Randall, Birkenhead Lawn Tennis Club President said: "Marge is one of a kind, the epitome of dedication, ultra-competitive and fiercely family orientated, and this includes the members of the club.

"The pavilion is her second home, and it is where she holds court most club nights. Birkenhead Tennis Club would not be the same without her."

As a County LTA winner Marge will now be put forward for the regional nomination process taking place in March 2022.