LTA Pledgeball League – 2024 winners show how little changes can go a long way
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The winning venues from the 2024 LTA Pledgeball League show the power of the tennis community to drive change to help Protect Where We Play.
In 2024, the LTA once again partnered with BBC award-winning charity Pledgeball for the LTA Pledgeball League, encouraging venues, and the people who play at them, from across the country to commit pledges to make their day-to-day lives more sustainable. Each pledge represented a saving of carbon dioxide emissions, and at the end of each month, the venues with the largest number of people pledging secured themselves a £500 grant to put towards sustainability measures at their venue.
Sutton Churches Tennis Club from South London, Somerset’s Ilminster Tennis Club, and Redland Green Tennis Club in Bristol were the winning venues from this year’s four rounds, with Sutton Churches winning rounds one and three.
The winning totals from each round combined added up to 200 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved by members of these clubs, and in total across the league’s duration from June to September, players at tennis clubs and venues across Britain pledged to save more than 1,420 tonnes of emissions – the equivalent of driving 3.1 million miles in an average petrol powered car.
| Top 5 Pledges | Tennis Specific Pledges | Most Impactful Pledges by CO2e |
|
Take a reusable water bottle when you play tennis – 163 pledges |
Take a reusable water bottle when you play tennis – 163 pledges |
Make your next car an electric car – 56,160 kgCO2e |
|
Hang your washing out instead of using the tumble dryer – 139 pledges |
Walk/cycle to play tennis – 115 pledges | Switch to a green energy supplier – 50,413 kgCO2e |
| Cook your leftovers and minimise food waste – 136 pledges | Car share to the tennis venue – 80 pledges | Use public transport instead of driving – 43,859 kgCO2e |
| Compost your food waste – 130 pledges | Check out the LTA Resources to help your venue become more sustainable – 76 pledges | Commit to no more than 1 return flight every 3 years – 42,980 kgCO2e |
|
Wash at 30 degrees – 129 pledges |
Buy second-hand tennis kit and equipment – 57 pledges | Reduce meat consumption by 50% – 39,881 kgCO2e |
Taking sustainability further
The commitment of Sutton Churches’, Ilminster’s, and Redland Green’s members has given the opportunity for these clubs to take direct action to take their sustainability further.
“Being a small club in a small town in the Somerset countryside, our facilities are really important for the local community, and the potential impact of things like flooding on tennis in Ilminster could be devastating for the club”, says Gill Dunn, Chair of Ilminster Tennis Club.
The club has already implemented measures including installing more bike racks to encourage cycling and designating a pollinator-friendly wildflower area on one of the grass banks behind the car parking area to encourage the growth of native flora and support biodiversity. Thanks to their participation in the LTA Pledgeball League, more work is just around the corner.
“The £500 grant awarded to us by the LTA will make a massive difference, and will help the club to make even more progress in being as environmentally friendly as possible,” says Gill. “The Club's next project is a major one to replace the current floodlights with more energy efficient LEDs, further demonstrating our commitment to quality and sustainability.”
Normalising putting sustainability first
Sutton Churches Tennis Club, after taking part in 2023’s inaugural LTA Pledgeball League, sought to get people involved in the league again for 2024. Through promoting the LTA Pledgeball League to people playing at the club, resulting in Sutton Churches winning two of four rounds this year, the club’s membership has become strongly engaged on the focus of sustainability, something the club is very proud of.
Members from right across the club are more engaged and actively involved in climate positive behaviour.
For Carolyn Jones, who sits on the club’s committee, the impact of the LTA Pledgeball League on club members is clear. “It's great that members of our club are so committed to making a positive difference. The competition has made us much more aware of the small changes we can each make to reduce our CO2 output.
“Members from right across the club are more engaged and actively involved in climate positive behaviour and thanks to the LTA grant we can do even more to improve the sustainability of our club."
The goal of getting players thinking more about day-to-day climate positive behaviour sits at the heart of the LTA Pledgeball League, and is something that the Redland Green Club in Bristol, winner of the fourth and final round of the 2024 LTA Pledgeball League, have been working hard to bring about. The club has declared an ambition to be net zero by 2030, in line with Bristol’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030, and has been busy taking steps to enhance the site’s sustainability credentials.
Measures the club has already taken, prior to securing their grant from the LTA, include all lighting at the club - inside the clubhouse and outside illuminating the courts - being more energy-efficient LED lighting, installing waterless urinals, and introducing a reusable coffee cup scheme, with people either bringing their own reusable cup for a hot drink or being able to hire one of the club's with a refundable deposit.
Courts at Redland Green's site in Bristol are lit by LED floodlights, one of a number of sustainability measures the club has put in place. (Image credit: Redland Green Club)
Part of the club’s sustainability policy is to encourage staff and club members to develop new ideas and initiatives to be greener, and for Adie Butcher, Club Manager at the Redland Green Club, the club’s success in this years LTA Pledgeball League has helped to get members thinking about being green. “We've been taking steps big and small to become a greener, more ethical club and the LTA Pledgeball League has helped us to raise member awareness of this journey.”
Looking forward
The climate crisis and changes to the environment will impact tennis at all levels, and so the LTA is committed to continuing to work with everyone involved in the sport, to support a sustainable future through positive climate action. After another year which has seen tennis venues and the people who play at them across the country commit to more climate positive behaviour, the LTA will continue to support venues around the country with resources and guidance, to have an impact at a local level.
Resources including a template sustainability policy and action plan, guidance on energy use, and best practice case studies are available through the venue support toolkit. Meanwhile, clubs and venues now have the opportunity to tell the LTA directly about sustainability highlights they’re putting in place, across resource efficiency, nature, reducing emissions or any other area of sustainability.
Jack Baker, the LTA’s Head of Public Policy and Sustainability, said “We have been working hard to provide venues across Britain with the tools and resources to take positive action at a local level, however big or small.
“Recent Storms Bert and Conal have demonstrated the impact that extreme weather events can have on the country, including sporting facilities. But it is really encouraging to see venues around the country working hard to protect the places we play and safeguard our sport for future generations, through initiatives that reduce energy use and carbon emissions, tackle waste, and support nature.”
Katie Cross, CEO of Pledgeball said “It has been an absolute pleasure working with the LTA clubs and venues and witness such incredible enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge - the communities have such incredible potential to drive change that benefits both locally and globally. We are delighted to play our part in this.”
Having published an update on our sustainability plan in June this year, the LTA is continuing its commitment to addressing both our own and British tennis’ wider climate and environmental impacts. There is a lot of work still to be done, but Ilminster, Sutton Churches, Redland Green and many other clubs are showing that, through the many low-cost, high impact sustainability initiatives that can be implemented, you don’t need to spend the earth to play a part in saving it.
Sustainability
To find case studies from clubs exploring their sustainability work, tell us about the sustainability work your club is doing, and find out what you and your club can do, head to our venue sustainability page
