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SPRING 2016 NEWSLETTER

Serving Tennis to Disabled People

Changing Lives Through Sport

IT’S TIME TO "SPRING INTO ACTION"

Who can believe we are already in British Summertime? Not me, that’s for sure! But here we are deep into Spring with the tennis season just around the corner!

With summer events increasingly on our minds, could I please ask you to all think about organising or participating in a summer fundraising event for this wonderful charity. We receive so many grant requests from so many deserving people and clubs and it’s only through the continued and amazing efforts of the wider tennis community that we can hope to extend our reach of support. Do read on further in this newsletter for details about our fabulous and free fundraising pack, designed to help you help us!

It’s not long either to our annual Golf Day fundraiser but there’s still time to sign up for your Early Bird discount! Please read on for more details.

Many of our wheelchair players are already well underway in preparation for hopeful selection for the Paralympics in Rio later this year. There’s a lot to live up to after London 2012 but no doubt we will all be rooting for Team GB.

I hope you enjoy our Spring Newsletter!

All the very best.
Elaine x

Elaine Paige OBE
President
Elaine's website

PLEDGE SPORTS – A POLISHED PERFORMANCE IN SPORTS ‘CROWDFUNDING’

As tough as it is for charities to stand out amongst the crowd when it comes to financial support and donations, we know it’s even tougher for our athletes to maintain their training and competing schedules alongside trying to find time to raise the money required to realise their sporting ambitions.

In recent years, juggling all the balls on and off court has been made somewhat easier by using the internet for profile building and fundraising. Many sites now exist to help athletes appeal to a global audience in their fundraising efforts.

Louise Hunt, a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Player, is one such athlete. She is using Pledge Sports to help fund her Road to Rio. Here’s why Louise would love your support:

“Hi, my name is Louise Hunt. I am a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Player currently seeking support on my Road to Rio!

“I was born with a disability called Spina Bifida and have been in a wheelchair my whole life. I have faced many challenges with my disability growing up, however sport has given me an outlet to break down barriers and prove to myself and others that anything is possible no matter what obstacles you may have to overcome.

“I have always been very sporty, for many years I competed in both Wheelchair Tennis and Wheelchair Racing, where I still hold an unofficial record of 7 Consecutive London Mini Wheelchair Marathon wins.

“However, tennis was always my passion, so at 16 I made the choice to dedicate my life to the sport I love the most!

“At 21 years old I competed in London 2012 which was my first Paralympic Games and now I am aiming for my second in Rio this year! In order to qualify for the games I need to be ranked inside the top 22 in the world at the end of May!

“2015 was the most successful year of my career so far, reaching my highest ever international world ranking of 10 and competing in my first Grand Slam at Wimbledon!

“All support I receive will be greatly appreciated on my Road to Rio and will go towards supporting my training and travel costs.”

You can find out more about how to help support Louise by visiting her page on Pledge Sports using the link below:

https://www.pledgesports.org/projects/louise-hunt-road-to-rio/

Following on from the success of the pilot in 2015, the DMTT Team Tennis for Wheelchair Players event is set to be bigger and better for 2016.

Funded by DMTT and organised jointly with The Tennis Foundation, it is the first event of its kind within the UK to encourage recreational wheelchair tennis players to take part in a national competition. Open to male and female players aged over 14, more than 60 players took part in 2015 representing teams from all over England and Wales.

Regional Finals will lead to National Finals and for anyone in the Gloucester area put a date in the diary as the Finals weekend takes place at the Oxstalls Tennis Centre in Gloucester on 8th and 9th October.

It may not be Rio but there’s no doubt for all those participating and involved with the event, it will be just as exciting and we’d love your support!

JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL GOLF DAY FUNDRAISER

As many of you will know the DMTT Golf Day is our major fundraising event of the year. So there is an additional level of excitement this year as we move to a new host venue, The Buckinghamshire Golf Club in Denham.

Our event will take place at this wonderful club on Tuesday 14th June. It boasts a magnificent 18-hole John Jacobs designed Championship Course set in 226 acres of beautiful English parkland. And it’s only 18 miles from the centre of London and 12 miles from Heathrow.
Following a display of skilful negotiations by Gilly English, we have been able to reduce the entry fees to £1,200 for a team of four or team of three plus one of our celebrities. We are also very happy to take individual bookings at £300 per person or pairs at £600.

Please do remember this includes your 18-holes round of golf, breakfast, half-way house refreshments, drinks reception and event dinner with auction.

Many of our teams return to play year after years saying it’s the best golf day on the calendar. So for those of you who would like to join in the fun but golf isn’t quite your thing, how about joining us for the drinks reception, dinner and auction. There’s plenty of opportunity to mingle and take part in the no-pressure, fun auction run by our new Vice President, Sky Sports Presenter Marcus Buckland, with some superb lots up for grabs.

Don’t delay and sign up today – simply email danmaskell@sportwins.co.uk for more information and to reserve your places or visit our website page for an entry form

N.B. CLOSING DATE IS 20th MAY

The Buckinghamshire Club

Last year's winners - The Tennis Foundation

If the first meeting of the year for the DMTT Trustees is anything to go by then 2016 is going to break previous records of grants awarded. In March the Trustees considered 25 applications and committed over £20K of funding. The next meeting in June already has over 20 applications to consider.

If you or your club would like to apply for a grant from the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, please visit our website page for more information. You will find an online application form or alternatively, you can download a copy and submit via email or print out and post.

The remaining closing dates for receipt of applications in 2016 are:

Tuesday 30th August
Tuesday 8th November

Andy Crockett

We are always delighted to receive feedback from our grant recipients, not least because we can pass back to everyone who has ever helped raise funds for the charity.

Andy Crockett, from Tennis for All & York Tennis Network, recently contacted us with his story:

“I have just received the honour of being voted Disability Sport Yorkshire Coach of the Year. York Disability Tennis Network was also awarded club of the year. None of this would have been possible without the help and support that I’ve received from people like yourselves and the Tennis Foundation. I and all my players and volunteers are extremely grateful.

“I also found out that I have been made Head Coach for Yorkshire and Humberside for the Special Olympic National Games in Sheffield next year. I will encourage all my players to apply for funding for assistance with individual coaching leading up to the games, so that they can be at their very best.

“May I also thank you for the help that you have given to Dawn Hunter and her parents in her request for funding for a Wheelchair. Dawn has been amazing. Just a year ago she couldn't even sit upright. When she first came to us last Autumn she was very unsure of herself in a sports chair but now she throws herself around in a way that we sometimes forget that she is quadriplegic. She and her parents have been showing tears of joy and she has said that tennis has changed her life and given her a new purpose in life. It is a fantastic feeling and honour to be part of that and we couldn't have done this without the support of yourselves in donating the two chairs that we currently have.

“Dawn's Physiotherapist came to watch on Wednesday and we are now in a position where we can go into the hospital to try to encourage more people to give it a try. Hopefully we will be in a position to apply for the further two chairs soon.

“As a Network we are growing really quickly but this wouldn't be possible without the help of people like yourself and the Tennis Foundation so once again a huge thank you”.

What fantastic achievements. Our pleasure Andy, many congratulations to you and your club and good luck!

Thanks and congratulations to Alex Stoddart and Amy Rimmer who recently completed the Vitality North London Half Marathon in March - raising £650! Amy and Alex chose the Trust because of the support given via the Christopher Taylor Foundation. Christopher was a talented sportsman and a keen tennis player, therefore the founders of the foundation thought it only fitting that some of the funds raised supported the sport he enjoyed the most.

Hopefully this newsletter has inspired you to give some serious thought to running an event at your club to raise funds for our charity.

To help you with all your efforts, we have produced an all new fundraising pack that includes template posters, balloons, collection box, sponsorship forms, indeed everything we think you’ll need to help you help us!

If you would like to order a fundraising pack, please email us with details of you event to danmaskelltennistrust.org.uk

THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL TENNIS TOURNAMENT IS BACK!

Great supporters of DMTT, the popular Friends of Israel Tournament is back at The Queen's Club on Thursday 21st July.

The day’s event comprises:
• An exciting able bodied Doubles Tournament in which you are invited to play
• An outstanding Wheelchair Tennis Demonstration by world-ranked wheelchair tennis champions including Paralympic medalists from Israel and the UK
• An opportunity to play in the ever popular ‘one-up, one-down’ mixed competition when
the able bodied players partner the wheelchair players
• Buffet lunch, raffle prizes
• Prize- giving and drinks following the tournament
Cost is £150 per person.
For further information email Steven Davidson

A great new website has recently been launched with an app for people to share events and classes and socialise - in particular people with disabilities. It is named *Perfect Imperfections* - have a look - click here

The Tennis Foundation has re-branded with a new look and feel and launched a brand new website. For details of tennis camps - find these on the Play Tennis page under the relevant disability - click here

Contact Details

Telephone 01737 831 707 - E: danmaskell@sportwins.co.uk
W: www.danmaskelltennistrust.org.uk

Charity No. 1133589