Liverpool Tennis Centre deliver remarkable change through inclusion initiatives
• 3 MINUTE READ
At the core of the culture credited to the city of Liverpool is its true sense of community. The city’s warmth is felt from the locals, but on a deeper level, the ongoing charity work delivered to support its people. This sense of community is embodied by siblings David and Laura Hardman who have worked tirelessly to foster these exact same values since David took over Liverpool Tennis Centre located in Wavertree.
From the point of David’s appointment as Tennis Programme Director and Head Coach seven years ago, it became his focus to provide diverse and inclusive services for the city; a mission that would eventually see the tennis centre become the recipient of a £1,000 grant, presented by Lexus, after winning the 2024 LTA ‘Tennis for All’ award at this year’s LTA Tennis Awards.
Launched in 2015, the LTA Tennis Awards celebrate the many thousands of inspirational individuals involved in tennis, dedicating their precious time and energy to the continual development and growth of the sport.
“We were incredibly proud to have our work recognised by the Tennis for All Award,” said Laura, who became a coach at the tennis centre after leaving her career in teaching behind.
“It was a very rewarding feeling and has encouraged us to do even more in the future in supporting and developing tennis initiatives in the community.”
David and Laura’s lasting passion for tennis originated from their childhoods playing as a family in local clubs, and this comprised a fair share of their early sporting memories.
Having grown up playing the game, and in seeing the invaluable benefits of picking up a racket from a tender age, both David and Laura were able to fulfil another calling through their work at the tennis centre: improving lives and giving back to the community.
“David and I have been connected to Liverpool Tennis Centre since our childhoods,” said Laura. “We were amongst the first cohort of junior players when the venue opened in 1993.
“Tennis was and still is a big part of our social and family life. Therefore, we know firsthand how belonging to a tennis community can positively influence childhood and beyond, and we wanted to try and provide every player who comes through the door that same connection to tennis.”
Following on from the towering success of their now well-established disability tennis sessions - attended by The Vibe, Mencap, Parkinson’s UK and DS Active – the entire team at the Liverpool Tennis Centre have since turned their attention to scaling their winning formula to combine tennis and safe social spaces.
As a result, the team extended their community links to charity Liverpool Cares, a community network who look to tackle loneliness among older and isolated members by connecting them with younger neighbours in the area.
“Offering our adapted tennis sessions and social space means that people in their 80s can engage in physical activity with 20-year-olds and the come off court and have a cuppa and a chat afterwards,” explained Laura.
“The format encourages interactions both on and off court while providing older lonely neighbours the opportunity to leave their house and take part in a supported group activity.”
Beyond their push to address the ongoing issue of loneliness among older generations, the tennis centre also formed a new partnership with local rehabilitation clinic The Damien John Kelly House in a bid to support the men who are in the early stages of their recovery from alcohol or drug addiction.
"Owed to his own personal experiences, David wanted to set up a men’s group focused on men’s health and wellbeing,” said Laura.
“Early last year, a participant of the Liverpool Cares sessions mentioned she had a friend residing in The Damien John Kelly House, and she believed the sessions would be beneficial for the guys there.
“We absolutely wanted to reach out to them and show our support, and the sessions have been a great success since they began in the Spring of 2023, with 16-18 men attending weekly without fail.”
Speaking on the feedback they received since the launch of their collaboration, Laura added: “the team there have said tennis is a way for them to release frustration and focus on learning new skills. They particularly enjoy healthy competition and look forward to the internal doubles tournaments that are arranged each term.
“In addition to our regular sessions, we’ve also organised Tennisathons, Olympic-themed events and tennis karaoke fundraisers to generate funding for the community programme.
“The centre continues to go from strength to strength, and we believe this is because we are providing a diverse and inclusive service that benefits the community as a whole. It is therefore supported by the community which ensures sustainability and encourages growth.”
The Liverpool Tennis Centre is supported by the LTA through our Open Court Programme, a national scheme that actively promotes and delivers opportunities for disabled people to get involved in tennis.
