Exeter Tennis Centre awarded funding to deliver Tennis 4 Teens

Exeter Tennis Centre has been awarded £1,800 by the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) Play Tennis Fund to deliver a free tennis programme called Tennis 4 Teens.

Beginning on Wednesday 1 March, children aged 14 to 16 will learn practical tennis skills in fun and sociable sessions. These playing sessions will be complemented by the LTA’s Tennis Leaders training which provides the opportunity to gain organisational and coaching skills and gives young people an insight into the tennis environment and career pathway.

Led by coaches from the University of Exeter’s Tennis Centre, the programme will be supported by the University Tennis Coordinator and fellow university students, who will act as mentors to the younger students.

Charlotte Wallace, Tennis Programme Manager at Exeter Tennis Centre, said: “We’re so pleased to have been awarded this funding by the LTA. With the Tennis4Teens project we have a great opportunity to introduce teenagers to fun and sociable tennis while helping them to gain valuable experience and confidence through the Tennis Leaders training. I would strongly urge any coaches or venues with ideas for projects apply for this funding support.”

Georgie Loosemore, LTA South West Participation Manager, added: “We’re really pleased to have awarded this funding to the team at Exeter Tennis Centre. The coaches are fantastic, have superb facilities for young people to play tennis indoors and I’d encourage anyone locally to jump on the back of the success we’ve seen with Andy Murray and Jo Konta in 2016 and pick up a racket soon.”

Those who complete the eight week course will receive a 15% loyalty discount onto the teens coaching programme at Exeter Tennis Centre to encourage them to keep playing. They will also be advised on coaching awards and courses to keep them involved in the game.

To sign up or to find out more information about the programme, call 01392 723699 or email tenniscentre@exeter.ac.uk.

Since launching with six rounds of funding in 2016, the LTA’s Play Tennis Fund has supported 18 successful applications across the South West, investing in over £40,000-worth of projects that will see 2,000 new young players take to the court.

The Play Tennis Fund continues in 2017 and invites applications for innovative participation projects aimed at people over the age of 12. The application deadline for the second round of funding is Friday 3 March, with four more to follow throughout the year. More information can be found at www.lta.org.uk/venue-management/support-your-venue/play-tennis-fund/