Over 50 people attended a ‘come and try’ disability tennis session earlier this month at the University of Bath’s world leading Sports Training Village.
Members of the Development and Performance Team from the UK’s largest tennis charity, the Tennis Foundation, joined together with coaches from Team Bath, Writhlington Leisure’s disability tennis advocate Amanda Stonier, Bristol and Bath Disability Network Lead Helen Abbott and countless volunteers to demonstrate sessions for people with learning disabilities, visually impaired tennis and wheelchair tennis for disabled and non-disabled people.
The free session was an opportunity to demonstrate the fantastic work that is being carried out by the Bristol and Bath Disability Network to promote inclusivity and accessibility in community venues and to encourage the tennis workforce to widen the disability tennis provision across the region.
Sadie Moran, Disability Tennis Development Manager for the Tennis Foundation in the South West, said: “The session was a great chance to engage with the local community and establish productive working relationships with Bath Rugby Foundation, Team Bath Tennis and some of the clubs in the local area.
“With support from the LTA and other local partners, the Tennis Foundation can forge ahead with its vision to make Bristol and Bath a key area for inclusivity in tennis.”
As a result of the session, eight of the participants have now been signposted to local wheelchair sessions so that they can continue playing tennis.
The public event took place alongside the finals of the inaugural ITF Bath Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Championships, which welcomed Paralympic stars including Brits Alfie Hewett, Jordanne Whiley, Louise Hunt and Lucy Shuker – an eventual winner of the Women’s Doubles title with partner Diede de Groot.
