How Barclays aim to get more people playing tennis

“Any sport is only as good as its grassroots,” says renowned coach Judy Murray.

And the good news for grassroots tennis is that 3,000 park tennis courts are being transformed by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), supported by the LTA Tennis Foundation. Perfect timing, too, with Wimbledon around the corner.

“The Wimbledon period, that’s your shop window, that’s your showcase. Everyone knows what Wimbledon is, everybody’s talking about tennis,” says Murray.

“You’ve got that four-week opportunity to really capitalise on bringing as many people as you can into the sport. They get excited and enthused by what they see on the screens, or are lucky enough to visit Wimbledon. They want to have a go and know there are many, many more opportunities to get involved.

“The spotlight is on, the park courts are there, and it really opens the game up to so many more people for the long term. I think Barclays is a great partner for tennis, based on their desire to create opportunities through sport.”

So, what exactly is Barclays doing to help?

Barclays, the Official Banking Partner of Wimbledon, announced a five-year partnership with the LTA last month. Together, they want to get 150,000 more people playing tennis for free across Great Britain, sharing the ambition to break down barriers to sport while bringing grassroots tennis to local communities. 

They are united in giving people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds the best possible chance to play tennis in their local communities.

Three initiatives will help achieve these goals. 

Barclays Free Park Tennis will be rolling out free tennis sessions to hundreds of parks across Great Britain. On the weekends, free one-hour volunteer-led tennis sessions will take place at 10am across public courts in England, Scotland and Wales, with all the necessary equipment provided for free.

The LTA-trained Barclays Activators will guide keen participants into enjoying the plethora of benefits of tennis, whether their goals are to improve their health, meet some new friends or to remain active.

The second initiative with the LTA will see the bank become the lead partner of Barclays’ Big Tennis Weekends. These are free open days hosted at either park, club or community tennis sites throughout the year. Free, fun and accessible.

Barclays Local Tennis Leagues, meanwhile, will conjure up friendly, competitive mixed singles and doubles leagues for adults, taking place at local parks.

Tom Corbett, Barclays’ head of sponsorship, said: “We’ve seen the impact that grassroot sport can have through our long-running football programmes. It can enrich lives, improve wellbeing and help build life skills for those involved. We are now taking our experience to the world of grassroots tennis through our partnership with the LTA, with the aim to get 150,000 more people benefiting from playing the game more regularly, through free access to the sport.

“Whether the goal is to get fit, get closer to your community, or simply pick up a new sport, we want to encourage everyone and anyone to look up their local Barclays Free Park Tennis locations and get involved.”

Scott Lloyd, the LTA chief executive, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Barclays to give many more people the opportunity to pick up a racket and get on court. We want to transform communities through tennis, making it welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring to everyone.

“Barclays Free Park Tennis will provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to play tennis, with free equipment and sessions run by local volunteers. It’s also exciting to be partnering with Barclays on Big Tennis Weekends and Local Tennis Leagues, to grow participation in communities across Britain even further.”

‘Over at SW19, as well as being the Official Banking Partner of the Championships, Barclays is also the largest supporter of the Wimbledon Foundation, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The bank’s contribution is predominantly split to support two programmes, here and in the US. The Wimbledon Foundation’s Set for Success programme in partnership with Barclays in the UK, and Barclays Net Work supported by Wimbledon in the US, both strive to create opportunities for young people by using the power of sport as the driving force.

A key element is helping young adults at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training) to gain skills and employment.

The Wimbledon Foundation’s flagship national programme Set for Success, delivered by Youth Sport Trust, heads into schools to improve the attitudes and skills of young people most at risk of NEET. Delivered over two years, the initiative provides teenagers aged between 13 and 16 from underserved communities with the tools to develop valuable life and leadership skills through mentoring sessions delivered by inspirational athletes.

Sally Bolton OBE, chief executive of the All England Club, said: “Thanks to the significant contribution from Barclays, the Wimbledon Foundation’s Set for Success programme delivered by the Youth Sport Trust is helping thousands of secondary school students around Great Britain develop their skills, build their confidence, benefit from athlete mentoring and be inspired to achieve their goals in life.”

Barclays’ support will help the Wimbledon Foundation expand this inspirational work. The scheme is currently active in 42 schools in 10 areas, and the goal is to deliver in 30 locations across Great Britain, reaching 150 schools and engaging up to 3,900 young people over the next four years.

Achieve your goals – on and off the court – with Barclays, the Official Banking Partner of The Championships. Find out more about Barclays’ partnership with Wimbledon