Southbourne Tennis Club

How an award-winning club’s far-reaching disability programme is opening tennis up in Dorset.

Southbourne Tennis Club (TC) was formed in 1965 from the amalgamation of two separate local clubs, Riverside and 23rd. This well-established and progressive club in Bournemouth provides social and competitive tennis coaching, programmes and all-weather courts to over 450 adult, junior and mini tennis members. Proud winners of Dorset LTA Club of the Year, Southbourne TC has a very friendly, vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. The club operates as a non-profit making limited company by guarantee, managed by a dedicated committee.

Background
 

Southbourne TC serves a mixed demographic including families, older people and groups with special needs in Southbourne, Christchurch and adjoining towns. To ensure tennis is accessible for everyone, the club has established a comprehensive disability programme tailored for wheelchair users and people living with Down’s Syndrome, visual impairments, mobility limitations and learning disabilities. The programme continues to grow to meet the needs of everyone who wants to play tennis – in all its formats.

Initiatives

Head Coach Dave Sanger has led the development of Southbourne TC’s disability programme since 2012. Dave works closely with the club committee who are fully supportive of the programme and the club’s on-going fundraising efforts.

Through continuous liaison and networking, Dave has built links and partnerships with a large number of charities and schools in the local area, including:
 

• Westbourne & Boscombe Day Centres
• Linwood SEN School
• Victoria Education Centre
• Autism Wessex and Portfield School
• DS Active
• CP UK
• Sportability
• Special Olympics
• Dorset Blind Association
• SCARF children’s charity

He has also accessed funding from the LTA Open Court programme and from partners such as Sport England, Bright Ideas for Tennis, Local Giving, Talbot Village Trust, Active Dorset, Primrose Fund, Bruce Wake and local Rotary Clubs. 

Achievements

Every year an impressive £3K-5K external funding is raised to enhance the disability programme for more players of various ages. As a result, Dave and his coaching team deliver tennis to over 100 disabled people each month. Eight sports wheelchairs have been donated through the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, Youth Sport Trust and a local grant. More recently, the club has formed strong links with Age UK Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset, adding walking tennis to the ever-growing programme at Southbourne.

As a result of his dedication to make tennis in the region more accessible, Dave Sanger (on behalf of Southbourne TC) was the South & South West regional winner for the LTA Disability Award in 2016 and again in 2020, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

“At Southbourne Tennis Club we celebrate everyone’s achievements, whether they are a complete beginner, county level player or improving their skills in a different format of the game such as wheelchair tennis or walking tennis. Everyone can enjoy tennis, but clubs, committees and coaches need to break down barriers to participation to enable this. We are proud of Southbourne’s disability programme which continues to thrive through fundraising, grants, understanding individual needs and working with local and national partners and charities.”

Dave Sanger, Head Coach, Southbourne TC (South & South West regional winner for the LTA Disability Award in 2016 and 2020)