How Rally Allies is driving LGBTQ+ inclusion in tennis venues
• 4 MINUTE READ
As LGBTQ+ Pride Month reaches its conclusion, we spoke to representatives from clubs and venues who have taken part in the Rally Allies programme, delivered by Pride in Tennis and the LTA, to hear about the impact of the initiative as it helps them to create welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ people.
Set up in 2023, the Rally Allies programme, delivered by Pride in Tennis and the LTA through funding from the LTA Tennis Foundation, offers clubs and venues across Great Britain education to help develop more inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ people. By educating clubs and venues on issues such as the barriers to sport for LGBTQ+ people and how to be an LGBTQ+ ally, the initiative encourages more tennis venues to take positive action to be visibly LGBTQ+ inclusive, such as through hosting their own Pride Days.
“When the opportunity came to participate in some LGBTQ+ training from Rally Allies I didn't hesitate to get involved”
Throughout LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2025, tennis clubs and venues across the country have held, or put in place plans to hold, Pride Days similar to those held at LTA summer grass court events. One of those was held by The Park Tennis Club in Nottingham. Andy Bell, who attended a Rally Allies session earlier in the year, was inspired to take part after completing his level 1 coaching course.
“The experience really opened my eyes to the idea of promoting tennis to different groups of people, so when the opportunity came to participate in some LGBTQ+ training from Rally Allies I didn't hesitate to get involved. There was much for me to learn, most of all how successful tennis can be at including the LGBTQ+ community, and how beneficial this is, particularly for mental health.”
Andy helped organise the club’s first Pride in Tennis event, reaching out to local LGBTQ+ groups as well as members, resulting in more than 30 people coming down to take part. “Following the success of our Pride in Tennis social we will continue to build our relationship with the LGBTQ+ community and plan more events in the future”, says Andy.
The appearance of a ranbow capped off a great Pride event at The Park Tennis Club in Nottingham. (credit: Andy Bell)
In May, the National Tennis Centre hosted an in-person Rally Allies training day, with clubs from across the London and South East region travelling to take part in sessions led by Pride in Tennis’s Clubs and Venues Network Officer Ian Pearson-Brown.
Among them were Glenn Waterfall from West Surrey Tennis Club, and Gillian Hyman from Badshot Lea Tennis Club. For Gillian and Badshot Lea, being part of Rally Allies is all about, “providing a facility where people from the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome and safe in playing tennis.” Glenn agrees, saying, “As a venue, we believe it's important to foster a space where everyone feels welcome and supported, regardless of their identity” says Glenn. “The programme provided us with an opportunity to both learn and contribute to broader societal change.”
“The biggest learning from the training was how important it is to go beyond simply ‘tolerating’ differences to actively advocating for and supporting LGBTQ+ individuals” says Glenn. “We learned how even small, everyday actions - like language choices and how we respond to concerns - can significantly impact the atmosphere of inclusivity.
“The training really helped us understand the importance of creating policies, practices, and a culture that supports LGBTQ+ staff, customers, and guests. It was eye-opening to realise how much more work we still have to do in breaking down unconscious biases and creating a fully inclusive environment.”
We learned how even small, everyday actions… can significantly impact the atmosphere of inclusivity.
Gillian and Badshot Lea are hosting a Pride Day in early July, with the aim of introducing weekly LGBTQ+ sessions at the club, while West Surrey are looking to expand training for all staff on LGBTQ+ inclusivity, just two examples of the difference the Rally Allies programme can bring about.
It’s not just individual clubs and venues who are taking part in training, with Emma Wells Tennis, a tennis operator based in London that provides coaching in parks including Wimbledon Park, taking part in the Rally Allies programme this year. For founder Emma Wells, the motivation to get involved was clear - “to make tennis accessible to all” – and during the training it became clear “how much we still need to open up tennis globally, and the impact if every organisation goes away and starts creating safe spaces, how much faster this will grow”.
Emma and her team in London celebrated Pride Month with an LGBTQ+ tournament held in Wimbledon Park, and Emma herself also took part in Friday Pride Day at the WTA 500 event at the HSBC Championships, conducting the coin toss for Elena Rybakina versus eventual champion Tatjana Maria.
Following the Rally Allies training, Emma and her team have plans in place to not only continue weekly LGBTQ+ sessions, but to have monthly player awards celebrating people from different backgrounds, including those from LGBTQ+ communities.
Rally Allies session lead Ian Pearson-Brown said of the programme, “The engagement from attendees is high as this is a subject area in sport which is often not talked about. Every attendee received a resources pack to encourage them to do something rainbow activity during Pride month. Colourful Open days and rainbow tournaments have now taken part around the grassroots tennis scene during grass court season.
“Whether it’s playing, coaching or volunteering in tennis, queer people always perform better when they are an environment where they can exist as their authentic selves with confidence and without prejudice. The feedback from sessions is always very positive. We now have 150 Rally Allies venues across Britain, but it would be fantastic to see more. If any County or club would like to be involved please reach out to us.”
Rally Allies
The Rally Allies programme is helping to deliver positive change in British tennis clubs and venues across the country, with more venues continuing to sign up. To find out more and to sign your club or venue up for training, head to the Pride in Tennis website.
