EDI Plan for Wales

 

We established our first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) plan in 2022, aligned to our vision for tennis participation and across Wales. We’ve made great progress to both grow participation and diversify the people playing our game. Tennis Wales is continuing its commitment to "Tennis Opened Up" across Wales through until 2026. Whilst great progress has been made there is more work to be done. We recognise the power tennis has to engage people and make a positive impact on both their lives and the communities they live in. In recognition of this, we have revised our mission statement to ‘Transform Welsh communities through tennis’. By making the game welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring to people. We believe we can transform Welsh communities through the lifelong benefits of tennis.

EDI PLAN TENNIS WALES

OUR WORK SO FAR

Positive progress has been made between 2022 and 2024 against the goals we set out to achieve.

Women & Girls

The percentage of female LTA accredited coaches in Wales has increased from 19% to 28% and we achieved our goal to ensure that at least 40% of people taking our qualifications were female (41% actual). Over 500 new girls were introduced to tennis through the LTA Youth Girls initiative across Wales.

Ethnically Diverse Communities

Our ARWAP project has developed 19 local sessions working in ethnically diverse communities, with 1,555 young people taking part. We have also trained over 30 diverse candidates on LTA Assistant (Level 1) and two on LTA Instructor (Level 2) coaching courses.

Disability

The number of LTA Open Court projects in Wales has grown from 9 to 44 with 720 people with disabilities taking part in organised impairment sessions each year, and we created a wheelchair performance pathway for junior and senior players across the country.

LGBTQ+

We funded the establishment of the Cardiff Baseliners and the introduction of social LGBTQ+ sessions at Neath Community Tennis Club, Rhyl Tennis Club and Wrexham Tennis Centre as well as supporting Cardiff Pride and developing our relationship with Pride in Tennis.

Lower-Socio Economic Groups

Every local authority in Wales now has access to the LTA SERVES programme, with 189 locations providing free tennis to their local community. 7,682 participants have taken part in LTA SERVES sessions across Wales in the past 12 months, which includes our work with Welsh Government on the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and Food & Fun initiatives.

2025&2026 Focus

We’re focussing our resources and work in the next two years in two ways;

1. The organisational EDI areas of development that will support better, more equitable delivery of our sport.

2. The focussed priorities in the community that will make the biggest difference to more people playing our sport.

OUR FOCUSSED PRIORITIES 2025 - 2026

 WOMEN & GIRLS

1. Increase the number of female LTA Accredited coaches from 28% to 35%.
2. Ensure 40% of candidates on LTA Assistant and LTA Instructor courses are female each year.
3. Increase the percentage of female officials from 18% (5) to 40% (21).
4. Increase the number of regularly competing girls from 780 to 910 in appropriate competition (6+ matches).
5. Partner with organisations that support and invest into women & girls health and wellbeing in our venues.
6. Grow & develop our Women’s and Girls’ working group to oversee and support our work

 LGBTQ+

1. Establish dedicated LGBTQ+ tennis and padel programmes in 5 Local Authority areas.
2. 2. Partner with Pride in Tennis to offer mentoring, training & support to Welsh coaches and venues.
3. 3. Actively take part in national LGBTQ+ campaigns to raise awareness of tennis & padel players and opportunities.
4. 4. Provide inclusion training to registered venues specifically linked to transgender inclusion

 DISABILITY

1. Grow our Open Court programme from 740 players to exceed 1,250 participants in our disability sessions.
2. Deliver an annual calendar of LTA regional disability competitions for each disability group.
3. Train & support more disabled people to become coaches & volunteers.
4. Widen access to tennis and padel by partnering with organisations that support and advocate for people with disabilities.

ETHNIC DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

1. Establish a mentoring support programme for coaches from ethnically diverse communities to progress through the coaching pathway.
2. Grow the number of active officials from an ethnically diverse communities from 2 to 4.
3. Create a pathway from LTA SERVES venues to regular play in the local park or club setting for 10 locations.
4. Introduce a programme of competition to sustain participation in LTA SEVES venues

 LOWER SOCIO ECONOMIC GROUPS

1. Partner with local community groups to expand the LTA SERVES programme from 7,000 to 10,000 annual participants.
2. Grow tennis engagement in the WLGA Food and Fun initiative by a minimum of a further 40 locations across Wales.
3. Introduce Barclays Free Parks Tennis programmes into 30 public parks across Wales.
4. Provide a schedule of weekly free park court bookings at all Tennis Wales in the Park venues.