Watch a video from the launch of Tower Hamlets Tennis last year. Read a transcript of the video here.
Tennis volunteer Peter Smith has won the Volunteer of the Year award at the 2012 Canary Wharf Sports Awards in London.
Since January 2012 Peter has volunteered an average of 25 hours per week into the start-up and development of a social enterprise called Tower Hamlets Tennis Ltd, a new organisation supported by the Tennis Foundation and Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
Tower Hamlets is one of eight locations around the country to be part of the Tennis Foundation and LTA's pilot project with the aim of identifying what works best to grow the game in different areas.
"The vision of Tower Hamlets Tennis Ltd is inclusive and affordable tennis for all and although this can be a challenge at times, Peter has managed to find innovative ways to commit to this ethos," said Community Pilot Project Manager for Tower Hamlets, Rachael Porsz.
"Prior to Tower Hamlets Tennis there was minimal tennis provision in the borough and no organised way of booking courts. However, Peter has utilised his IT skills to build a new website and booking system which has made it easy for the public to participate and drives enough income to help subsidise a structured coaching programme."
As a result of implementing this technology in a six month period last year the website had over 23,000 hits, 4,328 courts were booked and over 2,000 people registered to play tennis with Tower Hamlets Tennis Ltd.
Peter was also part of the activity organised by the LTA and Tennis Foundation which provided 14 days of free tennis opportunities during the Olympic Games in Victoria Park and saw over 2,400 people play tennis.
Peter is also nominated for Volunteer of the Year at the Pro-Active Awards in London which take place in April.
Find out more information about Tower Hamlets Tennis (link opens in new window).
Find our more about the community tennis pilot programme.
Image courtesy of Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year Awards 2012.
Share