5 On It Foundation have been fortunate enough to receive a Small Grant from MK Community Foundation to help us run a pilot tennis coaching programme prior to holding our Smash It Tennis Festival next Spring.
The initiative aims to provide opportunities for children of all ethnicities to get into tennis who might not have had the resources to pick up a racket. Our focus will be on those from disadvantaged areas of Milton Keynes who might be from families with unemployment, poor health prospects, physical inactivity and low self-esteem.
The Smash It programme brings tennis into the heart of these communities through three phases:
– a four week pilot coaching programme, for which we have already raised funding through the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, and will be run within the next 12 weeks depending on COVID conditions.
– a one day ‘Smash It’ tennis festival next Easter inviting boys and girls aged 8 to16 years to participate in basic coaching sessions, fun games where prizes can be won and an opportunity to sign up for a follow up 4 week coaching programme.
– a four week post Smash It Festival coaching programme (funded by a patron) for those who showed either passion, aptitude or both to tennis. A pathway to a local tennis club will be offered along with elite coaching opportunities for talented individuals.