Diversity group aim to make 'huge impact' on Cambridgeshire tennis
Both diversity and inclusion are being promoted at grassroots level
An organisation said it is proud to be promoting diversity and inclusion at the grassroots tennis level of the game.
It comes as the second week of Wimbledon gets under way today.
Ely Tennis Club has members who've set up the Diversity Tennis group, which looks at improving inclusivity and diversion at grassroots level.
Fiona Dyer is one of those people:
“Our idea is tennis should be and can be an inclusive sport for everybody; that’s what we want to achieve,” she said.
“What we want to do is to build a culture at the club; tennis, diversity and inclusiveness becomes an intrinsic part of who the club is.
“We just want people to know it doesn’t matter who or what they are, they will be made welcome.”
Figures from the Lawn Tennis Association found last year, 3.63 million children played tennis while there was a 53% increase in people from lower socio-economic backgrounds playing the sport.
Emma Thomas works alongside Fiona to promote diversity and inclusion in Cambridgeshire tennis:
“We’re getting out into community and finding different places to make sure we’re showing people that they can come.
“I think people watching Wimbledon highlights tennis and if they see the levels of diversity in the places we’re at, they’ll see that we are welcoming to everyone.”
A virtual walk to Wimbledon has been set up to help raise money for specialist sports wheelchairs for some of the group’s players and are so far on their way to their target.
But there is still more work to be done to welcome all communities to grassroots tennis.
"There's always help available"
“We’ve seen it (the group) impact hugely on people’s lives,” Fiona added.
“It costs very little to come and play tennis; there’s always help available if people can’t afford it but love to come and play.
“By opening it up, making everybody we come across know they’re welcome here, I think we’re trying to take away some of the concept this is a middle-class sport that only rich people would play.”