MOYA Meredith recognised the name of a friend when a text alert flashed up on the screen of her phone.

The message she received said her name had been read out as the winner of an Unsung Hero award at the Cheshire Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) prize ceremony at Chester Racecourse.

“It was lovely news, so I treated myself to a glass of bubbly,” said Knutsford Tennis Club’s secretary, who was on holiday in another country.

She had been nominated by fellow committee members at Mereheath Lane, who wanted her work away from the court to be rewarded in some way.

They felt her part in a project to improve the playing surface there was pivotal.

“It wasn’t just me,” said Meredith.

“We all put everything into making it happen – it was like having a second job!

“I was shocked when I found out I’d been shortlisted, but just to find out they’d put me forward was reward enough for me.

“To receive the award in front of my friends at the club, on the same night the refurbished courts were opened, was a nice moment.”

Tennis players at Knutsford raised a five-figure sum, which they added to a grant from Sport England, to pay a bill to repair subsidence below three courts.

They have been able to practice on them again the past few weeks.

Meredith said: “It’s been great to see people’s reaction since work was finished.

“It’s like having a new carpet at home – everybody wants to keep it pristine.

“That wasn’t how it felt when builders arrived [in August] and their machinery trundled onto the car park!”

A member at Knutsford Tennis Club for the past eight years, she has spent half that time on the committee.

As secretary, she worked on a proposal to persuade funding bodies the project at Mereheath Lane was a worthy one.

“I felt a responsibility to get it right,” she said.

“We knew it was a big challenge, but that didn’t put us off.

“A 24-hour Tennis-A-Thon to raise money captured the imagination of our members, and from that moment on they were as excited as us to make it happen.”

Lynne Whitford, administrator for Cheshire LTA, told the Guardian officials were impressed by Meredith’s dedication.

She said: “Moya is modest, and always plays down her contribution.

“Her painstaking co-ordination of Knutsford’s application for a grant from the Inspired Facilities fund ensured they received £50,000 towards the project’s cost.

“Without that hard work, the club would not be in the position it is.”

The signs are already encouraging.

Meredith has felt a different atmosphere, and more members have been honing their game under the floodlights than would normally be the case at this time of year.

She said: “There’s a buzz around the place.

“It’s great to have improved facilities, but one of the biggest bonuses has been how everybody has come together – that’s what makes the role worthwhile.

“We hope more will be tempted to dust down a racket or perhaps become a member for the first time.”