Inclusivity, charity partnerships and a strong volunteer programme – how a North Devon racket and fitness centre reached the heart of its community

With a variety of programmes for players of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, unique charity partnerships that resonate with numerous groups across the community, and a leading volunteer network, the centre lives its vision and mission to open up sport and tennis to everyone.

Find out more about Atlantic Racquet Centre

“ARC is a community racket and fitness centre where everybody can exercise, socialise and learn together,” said General Manager, Tom Vinall, as we sat down to chat about the thriving community he’s overseeing in Bideford.

“It forms a community charity that originally started out as a private members tennis club that wanted to do something much bigger.

“They sold their site and after a huge volunteer effort, raised a huge amount of money to take it from a four-court club with 120 members to now a 10-court venue with badminton, table tennis, squash and a big gym with over 1300 members.”

“Essentially, we’re all about making racket sport and fitness affordable and accessible to our local community.”

When you speak to Tom and hear about the amazing work his team are doing to help grow the sport and get more people active, there’s one common thread that underpins everything – inclusion.

“We recognise that tennis and racket sports haven’t always been for everyone – they have been elitest in the past – and the only way to make different people feel welcome is if they can see people like them openly participating on a regular basis,” Tom explained.

“Inclusivity is about making everyone feel truly welcome and they aren’t just coming here for a one-off special session, they are coming here on a daily basis and seeing people like them, whether that be people with different disabilities, refugees or the LGBTQ+ community.”