The Tennis for All programme, delivered by local charity The Access to Sports Project, was named as the winner in the ‘Connecting Communities’ category at the LTA National Awards for our work within the communities of Hackney, Haringey, and Islington. The award comes on the back of a raft of tennis delivery, designed to increase community tennis participation amongst young people and underrepresented groups in Finsbury Park and community settings across the three boroughs.

The project provides extensive schools tennis programmes, a tennis outreach on local housing estates, youth clubs and community venues, as well as free of charge weekly and holiday tennis coaching from its base at Finsbury Park. In the past year more than 1000 young people have joined Tennis for All programmes.

Other successful programmes have included weekly disability tennis programmes for people with disabilities and the introduction an LGBTQ+ social tennis programme, the North London Lob-sters, at Finsbury Park, which has attracted a membership of more than 600 people.

Tennis for All coordinator Calum Manby said ‘we are delighted with the award. It shows the value of our approach. Tennis for All is aimed at getting new people into tennis, especially those who haven’t had the chance before. And to get the award is a recognition for us and all the people who are involved in the programme. We are incredibly proud that our work is being recognised nationally.’

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