At Egerton Park (L to R) Councillor Carroll, Adam Field, Stuart Ramsbottom of Active Rother, Stephanie Stockton of Kiosk in the Park, Luke Sanderson of Rother Voluntary Action, Adrian Gaylon of Active Rother

National charity serves up free tennis

With Wimbledon just around the corner and during the first weekend of the prestigious Nature Valley International Tennis Tournament in Eastbourne, national sports charity, Tennis For Free has served up an ace for Bexhill-on-Sea at Egerton Park and the surrounding area by investing in a year-long programme of free tennis sessions. Julian Fisher writes.

In an exciting partnership with Rother District Council, Tennis For Free will help provide free coach-led tennis sessions for all the family. You don’t need a racquet or a ball, as all equipment is provided free of charge. Sign up for Tennis For Free in Bexhill on Sea at Egerton Park now at Tennis For Free.

Local tennis coach and lead site organiser, Adam Field, an ex-Great Britain wheelchair tennis player said: “We are all very excited to welcome Tennis For Free to Egerton Park. It is a fantastic opportunity for all members of the local community to get into the spirit of trying tennis for either the first time or to dust off the cobwebs and try again. The courts look great, the good weather is finally here, and we look forward to welcoming local people to the free sessions. You can bring your own racquet if you wish, but don’t worry if you don’t have one, all equipment is provided and as the name suggests, everything is free!”

Tennis For Free is a registered charity founded by comedian, Tony Hawks and fashion executive, Patrick Hollwey. It aims to provide healthy, vibrant local tennis communities for free on public park tennis courts, creating new tennis players of all ages and backgrounds and showing that tennis can be enjoyed by all. Tennis For Free supporters include Judy Murray (mother of World No 1 Andy Murray), BBC tennis commentator, Andrew Castle and ex Grand Slam winner, Pat Cash.

Tennis For Free CEO, Paul Jessop said: “Egerton Park is one of many sites we are opening across the South of England in 2018 and is one of hundreds more schemes we are planning within the next five years across the whole of the UK.  All our sessions are very well suited to the whole family coming down and all playing tennis at the same time. There are no catches, all equipment is provided.

“The sessions are perfect for that first taste of tennis or for getting back into the game in a fun and relaxed manner but with all equipment provided and coaches in attendance to help out. We hope many people, of all ages and abilities, will come and join us at the Saturday sessions.”

Adam Field, tennis coach and international wheelchair tennis player

Tennis For Free

Tennis For Free has plans to bring more than 175,000 new tennis players, 2,000 coaches and 5,000 volunteers into the sport over the next five years. The charity, which runs free community tennis sessions at public parks across the UK, is working with several partners to bring the opportunity to play the game to as many hard to reach communities as possible, benefiting those with limited access to sport, enhancing physical and mental well-being and re-energising people of all ages. The new partnerships will boost the network of free tennis schemes by hundreds nationwide, launching in Wales and Northern Ireland as well as increasing its sites in England and Scotland, making it a truly national community led programme.

Tennis For Free (TFF), which works with local authorities and tennis clubs up and down the country, currently funds around 200 professional tennis coaches who are supported by volunteers to offer weekly sessions to people of all ages and backgrounds at its 50 sites.  Everything is free for participants – equipment is provided and there are no court hire costs. It will also bring more people, especially from disadvantaged communities, into physical activity and reinvigorate under-used local parks.

Cllr Jim Carroll, Rother District Council lead member for young people, sport and leisure, said: “With the weather warming up, first class tennis coming to East Sussex and Wimbledon around the corner, now is a great time to pick up your racquet.

“These free sessions offer an ideal opportunity for people in Rother to take to the courts, to enjoy expert coaching and to get fit and active, with all the health benefits that brings.”

Sign up for Tennis For Free Egerton Park. You can also follow Tennis For Free on Twitter and Facebook @tennisforfree 

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