Latest News: Tennis Trail 10th Anniversary Tour

While Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski were still flying the flag for Britain at the Australian Open in Melbourne, the Cliff Richard Tennis Trail was beginning its work with future tennis players here in the UK. The Tennis Trail's tour of state primary schools started afresh in January, opening in Basingstoke, the first stop on a 20 venue UK tour.

This year we are celebrating the 10th year of the Tennis Trail, the nationwide programme that has introduced and encouraged more than 200,000 children to pick up a tennis racket. Even more significantly, the programme has proved that tennis can make a real difference to young peoples lives.

Looking back at the success of the Tennis Trail, Sir Cliff commented,

Latest News

"Over the past 10 years I have been amazed and delighted that the Trail could have such a strong impact on the lives of so many children. When we first started we wanted to help introduce the game to children. Now we have realised that the programme has done much more, and thanks to the support and commitment of the Trail's sponsor, Intelligent Finance, we are able to continue our work. Not only have some of our Trailblazers represented their country, but even more importantly children's lives have been enhanced by playing the game".

The Tennis Trail visited Basingstoke for the third time, sending our team of tennis and fitness professionals into 5 state primary schools across the area. The charity will then donate tennis equipment to each school and will also provide the funds for a follow on coaching programme organised in association with Totally Tennis, the community's largest tennis provider. Since 1999, 25 primary schools in Basingstoke have participated in the Trail.

Jim Spowart, Chief Executive of Intelligent Finance, was delighted that the 10th anniversary tour started in Basingstoke, a community that has worked so well with the Foundation, and to be supporting such an important programme for British youth.

"Supporting Sir Cliff's tennis charity enables us to promote a healthier lifestyle for children and provides opportunities for thousands of young people to take up the game". Intelligent Finance, the telenet banking division of Halifax plc is supporting Sir Cliff's Tennis Trail with a £300,000 per annum sponsorship over a 3 year period.

Cliff with Jim Spowart of Intelligent Finance and the new Trail Transport

"Whilst it would be great to find children who have the ability to become tomorrow's champions, that is not the main purpose of the Tennis Trail' states Sue Mappin. "What we really aim to do is encourage children to involve themselves in a sport such as tennis that in turn can improve their overall well being and provide new opportunities for them socially, mentally and physically. If a few wind up in Melbourne in another 10 years that will be an added plus."

After the success of Basingstoke the Trail moved onto West Glamorgan and our team of tennis and fitness professionals visited 12 state primary schools across the area. As always we donate tennis equipment to each school and provide the funds for a follow on coaching programme, in this instance organised in association with the Swansea Tennis Centre and Neath Lawn Tennis Club. The visit also earned us some good publicity, catching the attention of the local media who awarded us a full-colour, double page spread in the Neath Guardian. Since the Trail was established in 1992 it has visited over 160 primary schools in Wales.

The Tennis Trail's tour of state primary schools runs throughout the school year and our next venue will be Ealing at the beginning of March. For a full list of venues agreed for 2002, click here.

For Press Releases covering the 10th Anniversary of the Tennis Trail, please visit the Media Centre