The events and communities of tennis are becoming more inclusive and impactful than ever through the groundbreaking partnership between Community Integrated Care, the LTA and the LTA Tennis Foundation.
‘Serving Inclusion’ powerfully unites the LTA’s ‘Tennis Opened Up’ strategy and Community Integrated Care’s mission for people to live their Best Life Possible through delivering exceptional support and tackling health, social and economic inequalities.
The LTA’s grass court events are at the heart of this change – shaping more accessible experiences, while inspiring people to develop lasting skills, confidence, and independence for their long-term futures.
The LTA’s tournaments are pioneering new approaches for accessibility and inclusion through engaging with Community Integrated Care’s Beyond Barrier’s development solution – which blends experiential learning techniques and support from technical experts in the charity and their lived experience experts, the Support Squad – to inspire and develop stronger accessibility and inclusion processes throughout the customer journey. With both strategic leaders and frontline teams in the LTA engaging in this collaboration, it is helping to empower cross functional skills and practice for inclusion.
The Support Squad is a diverse team of people with lived experience of disability, who work with events and organisations to develop solutions and cultures that champion greater accessibility and inclusion – ensuring the everyone can enjoy equal independence. The group has been awarded The People’s Award at the National Learning Disability and Autism Awards, and recognised in the Innovation category at the Sports Business Awards.
Their work, alongside input from specialist teams across the charity, has influenced a range of improvements and innovations – including the HSBC Championships at Queen’s becoming the world’s first major tennis tournament to provide an easy read guide to fans who have learning difficulties (click here to read) – empowering them to discover and enjoy the tournament at home or in person. Wider improvements include the development of enhanced sensory rooms and support packs across all events, and strengthened accessibility communications – with thousands of hours of lived experience insight shaping multiple areas of event delivery and strengthening the LTA’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
With ten people who draw on social care securing paid roles to support the LTA as members of the Support Squad, this work is transforming both lives and the spectator experience.
This impact is being extended further through Community Integrated Care’s Inclusive Volunteering model being delivered at the Ilkley and Nottingham Open tournaments – supporting more than 40 people. By developing a dedicated independence-building pathway, inspired by tennis and the LTA’s athletes, the model is transforming confidence, aspirations and skills. Alongside this, a sensory support pathway for people with complex needs has been shaped – ensuring they can enjoy therapeutic experiences inspired by tennis, whilst developing skills in their families and support teams. Together, these approaches are leveraging LTA events to enable people to discover their Best Life Possible and actively contribute to the sport – whilst also supporting fan and athlete experiences at events.
The charity is bringing tennis to life, both in person and online. Its delivery of a range of adapted tennis programmes and experiences across the nation is furthered by it curating live events on www.What-To-Do.co.uk – the charity’s hub for free, learning disability-accessible live experiences. In doing so, tennis is being shaped in new and innovative ways – connecting with those who have the biggest barriers to enjoying the traditional game.
These specially designed online experiences are enabling people to discover tennis for the first time. More than 60 care services across the country have already taken part in experiences including an adapted wheelchair exercise session and introduction to wheelchair tennis, inspired by the Lexus British Open, delivered by the charity with support from Louise Hunt Skelly, former world number ten and Paralympic athlete.
Future online experiences on www.What-To-Do.co.uk include a creative story-based accessible movement experience inspired by British women’s tennis, coinciding with Women’s Week at Queen’s; a Wimbledon discovery experience that brings together games, challenges from tennis stars and learning with members of the LTA; and a strawberry and cream-themed afternoon tea cook-along in partnership with Great British Bake Off star Nicky Laceby.
The geographic spread and innovation of the Serving Inclusion programme is vast – already touching hundreds of lives, from the Highlands of Scotland to Eastbourne, England. From developing a sensory soap-making programme for people supported by the charity’s Inspire…By service in Aberdeen, creating strawberry and cream scented products for major events, to its partnership with the Age Exchange charity in London delivering reminiscence arts sessions for people living with dementia that explore memories of the game – the programme is empowering new futures while creating the most joyful memories.
Community Integraed Care is one of the UK’s biggest charities – delivering 8 million hours of specialist care and support to people who have learning disabilities, autism, mental health challenges and complex care needs, including dementia – empowering them to live the Best Life Possible. It has been awarded the Sports Equality, Diversity and Inclusion award at the Sports Business Awards for its work to support systemic change in sport for disabled people who draw on support , as well as named Care Innovators or the Year and creating sport’s Best Community Scheme.
John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, says: “Serving Inclusion is possibly the most ambitious and expansive partnership of our charity’s 38 year history. People who draw on care and support face deep health, social and economic inequalities in society – and real exclusion that challenges them discovering and belonging in many areas of life that so many other people can enjoy.”
“Serving Inclusion is shaping a future where people who draw on care and support can discover, watch, support, play, learn and volunteer in tennis – and be part of thriving community. It is transforming lives, strengthening social care delivery and empowering the LTA to be at the forefront of social change. It’s driven by lived experience and a commitment to directly providing opportunity and support to those who fare the deepest barriers and inequalities.”
“The support from the LTA and LTA Tennis Foundation has been inspiring and vital, beyond words. Their leadership and passion for opening up every dimension of their sport, so that people who draw on care and support can enjoy tennis with equal independence and belonging, is unprecedented. We admire their passion and dedication to creating lasting change and look forward to building upon this impact over the years ahead.”
