It’s the time of year when people up and down the country hunt out their tennis rackets, pop on a sweatband and seek out a court.

Avenue Tennis opened in March and the centre has been attracting a flood of members since then. Those numbers are sure to rise this week with Wimbledon under way.

But you don’t need the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, or even a love of tennis, to be attracted to the Gillingham venue.

Aside from the five clay courts, four grass courts, two artificial surfaces and the three indoor acrylic courts, there is a gym, health suite, restaurant, function rooms, physiotherapy areas, bar and even a shop.

You could easily spend the day there and not even pick up a racket.

It’s a facility that cost sport fanatic owner Colin Jarvis £8million to build but he isn’t even concerned about making his money back.

The local businessman hopes to be breaking even in the not-too-distant future but insists it’s not a venture done for profit.

He is keen to give the community something to be proud of, having been born and raised in Gillingham, a town where his company, MEMS Power Generation, is based.

Natasha Munday, 18, is the first player to be selected to take part in a scholarship programme at the club, with financial help given. More are expected to follow in her footsteps soon.

“The most important thing is the young players coming through,” said Mr Jarvis.

“Players as young as three can start out at the club. Anyone can come along and try it out, there is no commitment.”

While membership has continued to grow, so have the staff numbers. Managing the team is Sam Dudgeon, known to many for his cricket exploits as captain of Frindsbury in the Kent League up until recently.

Dudgeon came with a gym management background, providing the expertise that Mr Jarvis didn’t have.

The club have teamed up with 11 schools across Medway, with pupils using the facilities and coaches heading out to the different schools to coach.

“It is about getting young people involved in sport,” said Mr Jarvis.

“If we can get people interested in a young age, then hopefully they will see what a lovely sport tennis is. I’m hooked!”