There are plenty of smiles around Cerney Lakes Tennis Club.

And they’ve got plenty to be happy about because they are a success story on and off the court.

And that’s particularly true of their ladies’ flagship team, who are competing in the Premier Division of the Gloucestershire Summer League.

They won promotion at the end of last season and they are now going toe-to-toe with two teams from renowned big-hitters East Glos.

“We do pretty well,” said ladies’ club captain Wendy Murphy with some understatement. “To have any team in the Premier Division is really important.”

The team is made up of Jane Cacchioli, Maggie Fillingham, Ann Ashcroft, captain Rowena Wakefield, Maddi Nadiotis and Jane Franklin. Wendy continued: “Three of the team play for Gloucestershire seniors.

“Jane and Ann play for the over-65s and Maggie plays for the over-70s, they go all over the country.”

Cerney Lakes Tennis Club, which is based in South Cerney, has 70-plus members and Wendy says that about 60 per cent of them play competitive tennis.

They have two men’s teams competing in divisions three and six of the summer league and two further ladies’ teams who play in divisions 3A and 3B.

“The ladies have been strong for a while,” added Wendy, who has been club captain since 2014. “But across the club as a whole, we’re really committed to playing competitive tennis.”

They also have two teams who play in the Gloucestershire Winter League, a further four who play in the county’s winter over-60s league and two more who play in the Stroud Sunday League.

Wendy, who is 71, still plays as much tennis as she can, as does her 68-year-old husband David Tonner, who has been chairman of the club for the past eight years.

The club have two macadam courts which have recently been resurfaced at a cost of more than £40,000. Both courts are floodlit and there is also a clubhouse.

“We’re a very welcoming club,” said David. “We’ve done quite a lot of work at the club over the past few years. It’s a good club with a nice atmosphere.”

And Wendy is keen to stress that although the club take a lot of pride in their league success, they are very keen to welcome players of all abilities.

“We want people to come along who just want to play social tennis as well,” she said. “The competitive tennis is important, but we want as many people as possible playing the sport.

“Having the ladies’ team in the Premier Division is the pinnacle of our achievement but the thing I’m most proud of is that we’re a welcoming club for everyone.”

Some 15 to 20 of their members are juniors and one of them – Raphael Brookes-Fischer – has just received a prestigious award.

The 17-year-old, a pupil at Pate’s Grammar School, was presented with the Mary Eyre Junior Award, something which delighted Wendy.

“It was given to him because of the commitment, skill and promise he has shown in his tennis,” she said.

“And also because of the commitment he has shown to others in the tennis club and the community.”