AWARDS
Anyone for tennis? Ackworth School in West Yorkshire has teamed up with the Tim Henman Foundation and LTA to provide children across the county with exceptional tennis and racket sports training and facilities
F
Awards, the programme has delivered teacher training to help teachers run tennis activities in their own schools, broadening the programme’s reach across thousands more children. About the programme, Tim Henman said: “Talent is spread evenly across the country, but sadly opportunity is not, which is why this Foundation initiative in association with the LTA, Ackworth School and Ackworth Tennis Club is so important.” Alice Robson, Ackworth Tennis Club Head Coach and LTA Development Coach of the Year, said: “It has been a privilege to give so many children around Yorkshire the opportunity to play tennis for the first time. Seeing them pick up a racket and learn
▲
or more than three years, Ackworth School has been running a community outreach programme aimed at getting more young people into tennis and other racket sports. The participation project, jointly funded by the Tim Henman Foundation and Ackworth School, in partnership with the LTA, the UK’s national governing body for tennis, has helped local coach Alice Robson bring tennis to nearly 2,000 pupils at 28 local primary schools, as well as to generate 200 new Ackworth Tennis Club members, a club which calls the school home. Led by Alice, who was named Development Coach of the Year at last year’s LTA Tennis
AUTUMN 2021 | independentschoolparent.com
49