More than 1,200 local residents were welcomed behind the gates of Wimbledon over the weekend as the All England Club hosted its annual Community Open Weekend.
The event took place on February 7 and 8 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s iconic SW19 grounds, giving neighbours a rare chance to step inside the home of The Championships and explore its rich tennis heritage.
Now in its fifth year, the balloted, community-focused weekend attracted more than 1,200 attendees across both days.
Deborah Jevans CBE, chair of the All England Club, said: "We are always pleased to welcome the local community to our Grounds so they can explore and enjoy all that Wimbledon has to offer.
"This year’s Community Open Weekend was particularly special as we are celebrating both the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative and the Wimbledon Learning Programme reaching 25 years of working in schools in Merton and Wandsworth."
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Guests of all ages enjoyed a variety of activities, including tours of the Grounds and visits to Centre Court, mini tennis, and afternoon tea themed story time.
Children got creative with arts and crafts inspired by the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum’s latest exhibition, A Slice of History: Food and Drink at Wimbledon, which runs until autumn 2026.
Special guests over the weekend included the Mayor of Merton Martin Whelton, Mayor of Wandsworth Jeremy Ambache, Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler, and Merton councillor Edith Macauley MBE.
One of the highlights was a visit from Rufus the Hawk, who is famous for keeping pigeons away during The Championships.
The club’s gardeners and groundstaff also engaged with visitors, answering questions about turf care and planting.
Museum visitors enjoyed rare access to the Wimbledon library, which houses the world’s finest collection of tennis books, publications and newspaper articles.
This year, the library also displayed scrapbooks documenting the career of Andy Murray, donated by his late grandparents.
Since 2021, more than 4,500 people have attended the Community Open Weekends.
Information about future community events and ticketing details for the museum and tours can be found on the All England Club’s Community and Neighbours page.
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