LTA British Tennis Awards 2019 - Now open

The British Tennis Awards were launched in 2015 and these were designed to celebrate the efforts of the thousands of volunteers, coaches and officials who underpin the grassroots of tennis.  In 2018 a record-breaking total of over 1,500 nominations were cast to recognise the incredible people and places that help keep tennis ticking across the country.  The winners of county rounds are all considered for regional awards and some of the regional winners are shortlisted for the national awards.
 
Following on from the Cambridgeshire 2018 County Award presentation, which took place at the County AGM on 20th March 2019 at Emmanuel College in Cambridge, The Young Person of the Year Award winner, Megan Carmichael, was invited to a Young Volunteer’s Day at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.  Toby Jackson, Coach of the Year, and Lawrence Hopkins, Volunteer of the Year, were invited to the President’s Lunch at Wimbledon.  We are very proud to report that Lawrence Hopkins was presented with the Central and East of England Volunteer of the Year Award during the lunch.  Lawrence said “I was astonished when I heard I had been nominated for this award.  I just do what I do because, along with the other members of our excellent Committee, I want to see Haslingfield Lawn Tennis Club be a thriving, successful Club.  I get so much satisfaction from seeing loads of people playing tennis in Haslingfield – that’s what it’s all about for me.”
 
Simon Grainger, Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club, won the County Lifetime Achievement Award.  From this he went on to win the Regional Award and was shortlisted for the National Award.  Simon was invited to Wimbledon during the Championships to take part in the National Awards Ceremony. Both he and the county were delighted that he won the National Lifetime Achievement Award and was invited to meet the Duchess of Cambridge, the LTA’s Patron.  Simon said “It came completely out of the blue and it was an absolute honour to be introduced to the Duchess of Cambridge and tell her a little bit about what we’ve been doing for tennis in our small community.  I don’t think she’d heard of Chatteris.  She knows Cambridgeshire obviously.  I’ve changed that, now she knows about a small Fenland town in the north of the County.  I think she’s got a genuine interest in the sport. She says her two children are hitting tennis balls at a very young age and showing an interest in racquet sports and hopefully that will continue.”
 
Cambridgeshire has done very well in the Lifetime Achievement category with Christine Knight shortlisted for the National Award for 2017 and Sue Rich winning the National award for 2016. Both have given outstanding service to County tennis over many years.
 
Putting forward a nomination is a great opportunity to thank the volunteers, coaches and officials associated with your club for all their hard work and to show your appreciation. The 2019 British Tennis Awards are now open for nominations, with a closing date of 30 November 2019.  Please do make a nomination in any of the following categories – you never know where it might end up:  Lifetime Achievement Award, Volunteer of the Year, Young Person of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year, Community Venue of the Year, Education Award, Disability Award, Competition of the Year and Official of the Year. 
One person making a nominee will be selected at random and their club will receive £250

To make your nomination please go to the LTA website - www.lta.org.uk/awards
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