By Lucy Feaver
Later this month I will take on the challenge of cycling through Vietnam where I will cover about 800km in eight days to raise money for Give It Your Max!
Give It Your Max (GIYM) is a fantastic charity set up by Tara and Mike Stotesbury in memory of their son Max who tragically died in a car crash in October 2004. Everyone who knew Max has different memories of him but the one thing we all can remember is the time and effort he put into helping kids play tennis. Whether it was at local schools or through the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative, Max gave up so much of his time to help these young children. He admired their enthusiasm just as much as they looked up to him for instruction and direction.
GIYM aims to carry on what Max achieved by providing some of the funding needed to encourage children (aged between 5 and 11) from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn how to play tennis.
This includes financing the cost of employing qualified tennis coaches, such as Max, whose task is to conduct Tennis Clinics in primary schools where children are introduced to the sport for the first time.
GIYM supports various tennis programmes (for example after school and school holiday sessions), which enable children not only to capitalise on their enthusiasm for the game, but to improve their levels of concentration and self-confidence. GIYM also provides assistance to talented children helping them to join local clubs in order to develop their potential.
As well as financial support, GIYM provides teachers with much needed advice and guidance to enable tennis coaching programmes to be delivered during PE classes at schools.
Currently GIYM has centres in Reading, Canterbury and Peckham and makes an annual contribution to the Harris Academy in Merton. The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, which helps people with disabilities to enjoy tennis, also receives 15 percent of annual funds. If you would like to support my bike ride then please visit my Just Giving page to make a donation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please be assured that your donation means an incredible amount to a lot of people!
For more information about Give It Your Max please visit their website where there is a great video showing how your support helps young kids.
Give It Your Max is supported by and is a restricted fund of the Tennis Foundation.
A restricted fund is a term meaning that any grants or donations received for that fund are required to be used in a specific way or for a specific purpose. The GIYM restricted fund is used to support junior programmes in the London Borough of Merton, in Kent and in the Reading area.
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