Our Partnership with LTA Tennis Foundation

Colleagues from the LTA and the LTA Tennis Foundation joined the national social care charity Community Integrated Care for a day of learning and engagement to explore the impact and ambitions of their groundbreaking Serving Inclusion partnership.

Teams from across the LTA and LTA Tennis Foundation  pent time with people supported by the charity, frontline colleagues and senior leaders, focusing on how tennis can drive greater social justice and positive change within social care. By listening to lived experience, examining proven models of sport-led social impact, and discussing the systemic challenges facing the sector, the day truly empowered one of sports’ most ambitious partnerships.

Serving Inclusion is a long-term strategic partnership between Community Integrated Care, the LTA and the LTA Tennis Foundation. Its aim is to strengthen both the tennis and social care sectors by developing scalable solutions that create health, social and economic opportunities for people who draw on care and support through tennis- enabling participation, volunteering, learning, employment pathways and a lifelong connection to the sport.

During the visit, LTA colleagues toured innovative social care settings to understand the realities communities face and the role that sport can play in addressing inequalities. They also met directly with the charity’s leaders to explore how to unlock participating in and supporting tennis through principles that are sustainable, inclusive and person-led.

Seeing first-hand the impact that sport can make on people’s lives – from meeting members of the Support Squad, its experts-by-experience, to taking part in a sensory soap-making session – LTA representatives were immersed in celebrating the voices, talents and experiences of people who draw on social care.

Matt Price, member of Community Integrated Care’s Support Squad, said: “It was fantastic to spend time with members of the LTA. I appreciated how they wanted to listen to our lived experiences of disability and discover how sport can change lives. My life has been transformed because of the opportunities I’ve had in sport, and I know that Serving Inclusion will achieve this for many more people.”

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, said: “True partnerships are built on shared values and shared understanding – and that only happens when real connections are formed. It was inspiring to see leaders from the LTA and the LTA Tennis Foundation take this time to learn about our ambitions and this unique partnership. Our guests left with deeper passion and understanding for our cause, and we strengthened our shared vision to transform lives through tennis.

We are truly inspired by the real commitment that our friends at the LTA and LTA Tennis Foundation have for their vision of Tennis Opened Up . This has real alignment with Community Integrated Care’s new Best Lives Bolder strategy, which is dedicated to shaping a society where people who draw on social care are enabled to thrive. We are excited about the real impact that we will make, together, over the years ahead.”

Matt Elkington, LTA Programme Manager – Disabled People, said: “We are extremely grateful to Community Integrated Care for inviting us to learn more about the impactful work they are doing. The day was insightful and helped us all to gain a deeper level of understanding about the work they do, and the impact our partnership will have. We all left feeling even more inspired and looking forward to the work ahead.”