Lawn Tennis Association to Donate 5000 Rackets Through its Official Charity Partner

The LTA has today announced that it will donate almost 5,000 rackets to be distributed to young people in low socio economic groups across the country via StreetGames, its Official Charity Partner. The move forms part of the LTA’s Tennis at Home campaign, developed in answer to a Government call to help keep the nation active during the current period of restrictions, and supports StreetGames’ effort to provide alternative ways for young people from disadvantaged communities to stay active at home in the absence of regular sports sessions. The tennis governing body will deliver the rackets, which have been provided by Babolat, to nine locations across the country this month, from where they will then be distributed by 60 StreetGames partners to the young people they support within their communities, alongside food packages and essential items. 'Home-based fun tennis drills and exercises' As part of the racket distribution, recipients will be given a leaflet with a number of tennis activities on they can do at home, as well as being signposted to an online video series featuring further home-based fun tennis drills and exercises. The activities and drills have been created as part of LTA Youth, a new programme developed by the LTA to help grow tennis from the grassroots, providing fun, safe, inclusive and competitive activity that develops children as both players and people. The video series, which can be viewed at www.lta.org.uk/tennis-at-home has already attracted hundreds of thousands of views, and has been endorsed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. StreetGames was chosen as the LTA’s charity partner last year, helping them to harness the power of sport to create positive change in the lives of disadvantaged young people right across the UK. In donating the rackets, the LTA is supporting StreetGames’ #SportHelps campaign which, through partnerships with sporting organisations, community groups and businesses, is helping young people and their communities by providing resources, supplies, and advice to improve mental and physical wellbeing during the current pandemic. 'More important than ever for everyone to be given the opportnity to be active at home' Julie Porter, LTA Chief Operating Officer, said: “We’re very pleased to be working with StreetGames, as part of our vision to open tennis up to more people, by putting rackets in the hands of the young people they work with through our Tennis at Home campaign and LTA Youth activities. “This is a difficult time for us all, but potentially even more so for young people from disadvantaged communities, and so it’s more important than ever that everyone is given the opportunity to find enjoyable ways to stay active at home. It is great that we can help provide an outlet for those people who are currently not able to attend the sports sessions that are so vital to their physical and mental wellbeing.” 'A hugely challenging time' Mark Lawrie, Acting CEO of StreetGames said: “The current lockdown is hugely challenging for all of us, but especially for the children and young people StreetGames supports. Many families, especially those in disadvantaged communities, are facing weeks trapped in small living spaces without access to gardens or large green spaces. “Our #SportHelps campaign is working to support children and young people through these testing times, by providing resources and support to brighten up their days and enjoy fun, physical activity no matter where they are. “We’re delighted to have the support of the LTA in this mission. These rackets, and the brilliant video series the LTA have produced, will allow us to get thousands of individual young people up and moving at home.” LTA donating 5000 rackets to StreetGames to help get the nation active The full list of areas in which the rackets will be distributed via the 60 StreetGames organisatons is: Bradford Cheshire Coventry Greater Manchester Hull Leeds London Merseyside Middlesbrough Newcastle Upon Tyne Nottingham Wales (Rhyl, Caerphilly, Newport, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent)