Children from nine Primary Schools in the central Borders recently took part in a Borders Tennis Festival, organised by Borders Sport and Leisure as part of its Active Schools Programme.

The event, which took place at the Borders Tennis Centre in Galashiels, aimed to introduce young children (Primary 1) to the sport and encourage older pupils (Primary 7) to play more tennis.

Borders Sport and Leisure Active Schools Co-ordinator, Lesley Patterson said: "The tennis festival a was a great success with all the children having a great fun experiencing different activities and games. The coaches from the Borders Tennis Centre were great with the pupils and delivered a fun packed experience for all."

The schools attending the event were: Fountainhall Primary, Heriot Primary, Burgh Primary, St Margaret's RC Primary, Glendinning Primary, Stow Primary, St Peter's Primary (Galashiels), Balmoral Primary (Galashiels) and Clovenfords Primary.

Mrs Debbie Forster, Primary 1 teacher from St Peter's Primary commented: "We had an enjoyable morning at the tennis centre led by enthusiastic coaches who really motivated the children to try their best. The activities were pitched exactly right for Primary One pupils, meaning that everyone experienced success."

Ewan Jackson, Chief Executive of Borders Sport and Leisure added: "This is the first tennis festival held in Galashiels and we'd like to thank all of the schools and coaches at the Borders Tennis Centre for their support. The Tennis Centre is a great resource for the area and we hope that events like this will help to bring more children into the sport at an early age."