LTA expands SERVES programme through National Association of Boys & Girls Clubs partnership
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The LTA, the national governing body for tennis in Britain, has today announced a new partnership with the National Association of Boys & Girls Clubs (NABGC) to expand our industry leading LTA SERVES programme which takes tennis into the heart of local communities.
NABGC will become a delivery partner of LTA SERVES, helping us provide more opportunities for young people in the most deprived areas of the country to get involved in tennis. NABGC is a national organisation who work with local, grassroots youth clubs where upwards of 200,000 young people are keen to get involved in positive out of school activities, predominantly in the most disadvantaged communities.
This partnership will support us to engage more children and young people from underrepresented communities and take tennis into more places where tennis has perhaps not been traditionally played
Going forward, NABGC will join other LTA SERVES delivery partners such as StreetGames to help with the growth of the programme and provide more opportunities for people to play the sport who may have never picked up a racket or thought tennis was for them.
NAGBC will help us with engaging more young people through their network of Youth Clubs, across Britain, with a particular focus on those in deprived communities.
Kiran Matharu, the LTA’s Community Tennis Manager said “We’re excited to work in partnership with National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs over the next three years. This partnership will support us to engage more children and young people from underrepresented communities and take tennis into more places where tennis has perhaps not been traditionally played. NABGC closely align with our ambitions to support those living in some of the most deprived communities and create positive social change, and joining forces means we can make an even bigger impact.
“Tennis is a fantastic sport and is for everyone, no matter where you come from or your background. We have already seen the positive impact tennis has had on over 35,000 children and young people who have been engaged in LTA SERVES, including increases in self-confidence, making positive choices impacting their own health and well-being or individual development.”
NABGC’s National Director Andy Hamill said, “NABGC are keen to get more young people involved in positive activities and this partnership will help us, our members and the network of youth clubs they support, to do just that. I am excited to see what we can achieve working in partnership with the LTA. The SERVES programme is great and I look forward to seeing it being rolled out across our membership. Who knows, maybe the next Andy Murray or Emma Raducanu is waiting in one of our clubs.”
How SERVES Works
LTA SERVES is regarded as one of the leading sport for development programmes in the country, and was shortlisted for the Tessa Jowell Community Programme of the Year award at this year’s Sport Industry Awards. Working with partners including funding support from Sport England, the programme provides free access to tennis, removing barriers like cost and travel, and targets children and young people aged 5-18 by working with community organisations in England, Scotland, and Wales to help them deliver tennis in any space or venue they have available, and in a way that is right for their community.
The wide range of venues that deliver LTA SERVES tennis activity each week include community centres, youth clubs, mosques, gurdwaras, mandirs, church halls, housing associations and many others. Volunteers, Leaders, Youth Workers and others from these community venues are trained as LTA SERVES Tennis Activators to deliver the tennis sessions.
Find Out More
More information on the LTA SERVES Programme can be found here. For details about how to get involved in the LTA SERVES Programme, please contact us.
