Volunteers’ Week: Celebrating the people who keep tennis ticking
• 3 MINUTE READ
It’s Volunteers’ Week so we’re raising our rackets to all of our amazing volunteers.
Over 25,000 volunteers across the nation dedicate their time for free to enrich people’s lives through tennis.
At British Tennis, we are incredibly grateful and proud of our volunteer community and to celebrate the week, we’ll be announcing the winners of this year’s Aegon British Tennis Awards.
The Awards recognise the people and places that throw everything they have into supporting our game, giving people from all communities the opportunity to have a whole lot of fun on court!
Over 1,100 nominations were made, with prizes awarded to winners at county and regional stages before an expert panel knuckled down to pick out the national award-winners.
We’re kicking off the announcements with the Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award, picked up by the incredible Sue Rich.
Sue Rich, Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award
Sue studied for the very first Sports Science degree and went into coaching as she decided on her career after University.
Funnily enough, that career came in tennis and she has since dedicated her life to the sport, giving back to the grassroots on countless levels as a coach, referee, tournament organiser, coach education tutor and junior county team captain for Cambridgeshire.
Sue is up at the early hours to help youngsters play before school and always has more time to give to anyone who asks. Her work has inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to get into playing the sport and fulfilling their potential, and her tutoring has helped train up many of today’s coaches. To this day, many of Sue’s students of the game keep in touch, testament to her caring attitude to everyone she helps.
I am absolutely delighted to be given this British Tennis Award from the LTA and it is wonderful to be recognised for all the hard work and dedication l have put into tennis over numerous years. l hope it will inspire more people to help the game grow and help players reach their potential.
A member of Cambridge Lawn Tennis Club, Sue personally organises four of the club’s teams and, as a nifty player herself, she’s represented Norfolk on a county level for “too many years to remember!”
Sue recently celebrated her 60th birthday and we couldn’t think of a more deserving gift than to present her with the Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award!
Fun fact
Just one volunteer in sport creates playing opportunities for at least 8.5 people!
Get involved!
Feeling inspired? Anyone can volunteer in tennis – no matter your age, ability or background. Get involved today!
