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SUMMER 2015 NEWSLETTER Serving Tennis to Disabled People Changing Lives Through Sport HELLO FROM "EP" Since our last newsletter, there has been
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| |  Gordon Reid at Wimbledon 2015 |
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SUMMER 2015 NEWSLETTER
Serving Tennis to Disabled People
Changing Lives Through Sport |
HELLO FROM "EP"
Since our last newsletter, there has been such an incredible amount of positive activity from everyone serving tennis to disabled people, including, of course, the efforts of The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust (The Trust). But most brilliantly of all have been some truly outstanding achievements by players. Congratulations to all involved!
I had a wonderful time hosting some fabulous supporters and friends of The Trust during this year’s Championships at Wimbledon. And for me the icing on the cake was the announcement that from 2016, a singles event in the men's and women's divisions of wheelchair tennis will be played alongside the established doubles event at The Championships.
As always, I am humbled by the many stories which inspire folk to raise funds for The Trust and, of course, we are so very grateful for every penny raised.
Much fun and merriment as well as some very good golf was had by all those supporting The Trust at its annual Celebrity Golf Challenge. Sadly, this may well have been our last year at The Wentworth Club, so it was fitting that it truly was a day and evening to remember. Thank you again to everyone who supported this superb fundraising event.
Until next time my friends, enjoy life, enjoy tennis and if you or anyone you know is looking for a truly deserving charity to support, do please give them the nod about The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust!
All the very best.
Elaine x
Elaine Paige OBE
President
Elaine's website |
1st World Deaf Tennis Championships
Great Britain’s Esah Hayat became the first world deaf youth tennis boys’ champion at the World Tennis Championships which took place at the Nottingham Tennis Centre. A total of five Brits posted singles victories on the first day.
British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships
Brits Jamie Burdekin and Andy Lapthorne finished runners-up in the quad doubles to American top seeds Nick Taylor and David Wagner in the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Britain’s Jordanne Whiley won her first Super Series singles title when she beat Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the women’s final at the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Great Britain make history as men’s team win World Team Cup gold
Great Britain’s men’s wheelchair tennis team secured a historic first World Group title on Sunday at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Antalya, Turkey, after Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid gained straight sets wins in their singles rubbers to give Great Britain a 2-0 victory over France. Both Alfie and Gordon have been helped by the Trust in the past with wheelchairs - it's great to see them at the top of the game now.
Great Britain ends the International Tennis Federation’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event, the sport’s version of the Davis and Fed Cups, with two medals after the GB women’s team won bronze on Friday with a 2-0 win over Germany.
Special Olympics World Summer Games
Great Britain’s tennis players brought home an impressive tally of five gold and one bronze medals from the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. Oliver Beadle - a Trust grant recipient, won the Gold in the Level 5 mixed doubles with partner Laura Campbell. |
 Esah Hayat wins Deaf Championships Gold for GB | |  The victorious GB Men's Team | |  Special Olympics GB |
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As a small charity, we are well aware of the need to try and punch above our weight to be heard amongst the throngs of other well deserving charities. So we are always incredibly grateful when The Trust is chosen as the recipient for any fundraising activity and donations.
Here’s a round up of some of the most recent contributors: |
 Paul Savage |
Donation made In Memory of Paul Savage
The Trust is the grateful recipient of £1,650 donated in memory of Paul Savage, aged 53, who died suddenly in February of this year, after developing chest pain during a division1 South Warwickshire Winter League tennis fixture at Claverdon, Warwickshire. He had undiagnosed Coronary Artery Disease.
Paul’s love of tennis started early, using local community facilities in a small Staffordshire village, developing his game under the tuition of his father Arthur and along side his older brother Colin. He went on to be the Chairman of Curdworth tennis club in later life, a few miles down the road from his tennis beginnings. He also loved skiing and football. He was a talented player, who had little formal coaching, but had access to facilities and encouragement.
His wife, Jude, chose The Trust as recipient, as Paul was a keen tennis player and felt passionately that sport should be as inclusive and as accessible as possible. Jude said “Paul would have emphatically supported an organisation like the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust due to its inherent values.” |
 Katy and Hannah Craig |
Christopher Taylor Foundation
We mentioned in our last newsletter about how Christopher’s parents set up the Foundation in his honour after his tragic death last year. A fund-raising ball in aid of the Foundation resulted in a donation of £xxxx for The Trust.
Christopher’s cousins Hannah and Katy have also been amazing fundraisers. Through the Christopher Taylor Foundation, Hannah’s employers, Lucre PR, held a charity quiz night in London which raised £500, all of which has been donated to The Trust.
Not to be left out, Katy is doing a 25km sponsored walk called ‘The Thames Path Challenge’ in September, with all sponsorship raised by her going to The Trust. If you would like to support Katy in her efforts, please log onto her JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/Katy-Craig |
Peter Leatherbarrow takes on the Chester Marathon
Long term keen tennis player and now coach, Peter Leatherbarrow has selected The Trust as his charity when running the Chester Marathon on 4th October this year and using his words “I’m absolutely dreading it!!”
‘I’ve been involved in tennis for ten years now” said Peter “and I’ve gone from player to coach, loving every second of it. I want to help give more people the opportunity to play an amazing sport, no matter what their disability is. It’s been great to see the progress made in disability tennis but there is still so much more than can be done.”
Peter has also set up a JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/Peter-Leatherbarrow1- simply click on the link to donate. |
To anyone over a certain age, the revered and gently spoken words ‘Oh I say!’ when connected with tennis, could mean one thing only; the inimitable commentating of Dan Maskell.
The eponymous Trust has produced a new publicity brochure with case studies, information of how to get involved and help and, importantly, where the funds raised go.
For your free copy, simply email danmaskell@sportwins.co.uk including your name and address. |
The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust is delighted to announce sponsorship of a new team tennis event. This followed an approach by the Tennis Foundation requesting our help.
For this year it is just for wheelchair players and the purpose is to provide a fun, social event for those just coming into the game and for whom this may be their first experience of competitive wheelchair tennis, and those at the very grass roots level.
In this pilot year, four areas, North, Midlands, South and East from the Tennis Foundation's Disability Tennis Networks will take part in fixtures during the summer leading to a National Final for the area winners to be held at Gloucester over a weekend - 31st October/1st November. |
 The Tennis Foundation - Golf Challenge Winners 2015 |
The Trust turns its attention to a different sport for its main annual fundraiser, The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust Celebrity Golf Challenge. Held at the prestigious Wentworth Club, this event has become a regular fixture in the diary for many of the teams who return year after year to support The Trust.
Sports presenter Marcus Buckland brilliantly MC’d the auction held during the golf day dinner, encouraging the golfers and their guests to dig deep for some excellent auction lots. Overall, this year’s event raised an outstanding £13,000, which will be much appreciated by disability tennis groups and players around the UK.
Back to the day’s activities for the 13 teams on the golf course and the top prize of the day went to the team from The Tennis Foundation! Runners-Up and Third Place was as close as it could be with the Overbury All Stars scoring 91 on countback over Parkinson Productions with a team score of 91.
Nearest the Pin prize went to another tennis commentator – David Mercer, whilst the youngest player of the day, Will Chamberlain, took the prize for the Longest Drive.
Terry Hitchcock, a regular participant in the golf day, succumbed to Mr Buckland’s auctioneering prowess and won a day at The Championships, hosted by our President, Elaine Paige and Trustee John James.
“What a fantastic day!” reported Terry “We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. John’s hospitality was really super and Elaine was, as ever, so incredibly friendly and lovely to talk to. To be able to go into the Members’ Enclosure is truly a rare privilege.
“The seats were great too and we were mega fortunate to watch a match that is already being hailed as one of the best ever! I hope Dustin Brown revives serve and volley – to watch him took me back to the way tennis was played when I was a teenager!
“I had a most interesting chat with Elaine about my own meagre musical efforts, which led on to her singing St Louis Blues impromptu at the table – magical!”
If you would like to receive details for the 2016 event, please drop an email to Gilly English at danmaskell@sportwins.co.uk |
| |  Event Chairman John Tucker, Robin Maskell-Charlton, EP with Tiff Needell | | |
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'The Trust has signed up to a three online charity fund-raising sites that enable you to help raise funds for The Trust for free when you do your shopping online.
The sites are funded by partner retailers and enable you to support The Trust when shopping via the site. It doesn’t cost you any more than the purchases you would have made anyway and you may even save money as you are rewarded with the most up to date discount codes, daily deals and promotional offers.
A percentage of the money you spend with a partner retailer via one of the sites below, is then awarded to The Trust – it’s that simple!
Retailing partners includes thousands of household names including Amazon, John Lewis, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Selfridges, Crew Clothing, Argos, Boden, House of Fraser, Ticketmaster, Boots, B&Q – the list goes on!
www.givingabit.com
www.easyfundraising.org.uk
Give as you Live - raise funds shopping at Sainsbury's |
The second Trustees meeting of the year on 8th June approved a total of 9 applications for grant aid - these included grants to two tennis clubs for their work with a Learning Disability Group and a Special School respectively; wheelchairs for another tennis club starting sessions and a new wheelchair group and start up funding for a Club wishing to go into special schools to deliver wheelchair tennis and individual grants for personal wheelchair, coaching and help with coaching qualifications. These grants amounted to £9,000 and brings the total committed so far this year to just over £21k with two more meetings to go.
Remaining dates for 2015 - 29th September - closing date for applications 28th August
3rd December - closing date for applications 3rd November
The application form can be downloaded from our website (N.B the 2014 form is still valid)
How to apply for a Grant |
MK INCLUSIVE TENNIS DELIVERS IN MILTON KEYNES
Set up in March 2014 with a mission to provide affordable and accessible tennis for all and to grow tennis participation in Milton Keynes, MK Inclusive Tennis is now a ‘Registered Place to Play’ with the LTA attracting over 200 regular players a week.
Along with increasing participation, they also deliver tennis playing opportunities to those who find themselves financially or socially disadvantaged. They have delivered free tennis to 12 schools in the most deprived areas of Milton Keynes as well as running sessions at low or no cost.
In addition, their disability sessions continue to grow with wheelchair, visually impaired children and adults, deaf children and adults with learning disabilities all enjoying the sport in various venues across Milton Keynes. Their sessions now attract over 70 players enjoying weekly tennis sessions with some of our players now entering National Competitions.
Director of Tennis, Nigel Willard, said “With thanks to funding from the Dan Maskell Trust, we have been able to secure sports wheelchairs to run our very successful weekly wheelchair tennis session. We have a great number of participants and four of them have consequently purchased their own sports chairs as they are totally committed to the sport. Without the initial funding, we would not have been able to engage these players and give them the opportunity to have a fantastic time playing tennis.”
For more information visit www.mkinclusivetennis.co.uk
BBC NORTH VISITS THE JOHN CHARLES CENTRE IN LEEDS
The BBC recently visited John Charles Centre to film one of the Centre's Friday night sessions. The film clip features on the BBC Sport Get Inspired series. You can watch the clip here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/get-inspired/33425965
Goz who is from the BBC and who features on the film has recently been in contact with Ross Bibby, Leeds Disability Sports Officer to say she would like to join the weekly tennis sessions, which is great. The Centre has benefited from the Trust's help in terms of equipment for its disability programmes. |
T-SHIRTS AND FLEECES
We have some t-shirts and fleeces for sale as end of stock lines in the following sizes:-
T-shirts - £3 each plus postage
Blue - Marked "Aged 11/12" but actual chest size measures 38"
White - Marked "14" - chest size 36" and Small - chest size 38"
Fleeces - £10 each plus postage
These come up smaller than usual - there are 3 sizes:-
L = 44" chest
XXL = 47" chest
XXXL = 48" chest
Postage and packing will be approximately £2.80 for one item.
If you are interested in buying, please email Gilly@sportwins.co.uk for further information and ways to pay
NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS AND HOME RECORDED VIDEOS
A generous donation of a huge collection of newspaper cuttings, tennis magazines and home recorded videos of various Wimbledon Finals dating back to 1987 has been made to raise funds. There is one full storage box of videos and 3 full boxes of cuttings and tennis magazines dating back to 1987. If anyone is interested and would like these in exchange for a donation - please email me for more details. The items would need to be collected from the New Malden area in Surrey. |
NEC WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MASTERS
Come and watch the world’s best wheelchair tennis players in action and join Britain’s Paralympic stars on the road to Rio at the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Taking place from the 25-29 November at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre the event will see the top eight men’s and women’s, and top four quad players in the world do battle to be crowned master of their division. There is also the chance to play tennis yourself with a fun filled Activity Zone for all the family!
Flying the flag for Britain in their quest to qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will be five-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jordanne Whiley; 2014 US Open quad singles champion Andy Lapthorne; and 2015 French Open men’s doubles champion Gordon Reid.
Alongside the world-class sport, there is also the chance to give tennis a go yourself with a very special Activity Zone on site. Full of fun games and mini tennis courts, with space to eat lunch, it makes the perfect day out for all the family. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a few of the players themselves making an appearance in the Activity Zone.
You can secure tickets from just £2 with a special group offer, or tickets for the general public start from £5 with children’s ticket costing just £1. Visit www.wheelchairtennismasters.com to book your tickets now! |
TENNIS FOUNDATION DISABILITY TENNIS CAMPS
Tennis Foundation – Wheelchair Tennis Camps
Edinburgh (Craiglockhart Leisure & Tennis Centre) 8 August 2015
Sutton (Sutton Tennis Academy) 15 August 2015
Loughborough (Loughborough University) 20 September 2015
Tennis Foundation Learning Disability Camps
South Wales (Virgin Active Glamorgan Health and Racquet Club) 14 - 15 November 2015
See more at: http://www3.lta.org.uk/Tennis-Foundation/Tennis-for-Disabled-People/Disability-Camps/#sthash.RQDb0pq9.dpuf
CHARITY BALL
“THE TENNIS BALL” will be held at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Saturday 14th November 2015: the host will be Sir Trevor McDonald and Alistair McGowan is Master of Ceremonies.
The purpose is to raise funds for two very important charitable tennis initiatives – Give It Your Max in the UK and the International Lawn Tennis Club’s Philanthropic Development Programme (IC Philanthropy) overseas.
For more information click here |
If you would like to give a donation, please text DMTT14£5 (or any amount of your choice) to 70070 (texts will be charged at your standard message rate) and please gift aid when prompted to do so. Thank you.
Please support the Trust however you can and keep up to date with us via Twitter and Facebook<- |
President: Elaine Paige OBE
Hon Vice-President: John Barrett MBE
Chairman: Sue Wolstenholme OBE |
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