Watch a video of the Wimbledon Volunteers as they prepare ahead of The Championships at the National Tennis Centre in London.
Volunteers are sharing their passion for British tennis and helping to inspire others to get involved in the sport at The Championships, Wimbledon.
Over 240 volunteers applied to work at the British Tennis Experience area under No.1 Court during the fortnight, from which two teams of six people, of a range of ages, backgrounds and tennis experiences, were selected through a recruitment day.
Visitors to the British Tennis Experience area are being encouraged by the volunteers to share what Tennis Is to them through a photo booth and message wall. The team are also helping visitors to find out how they can get involved in tennis, showing them how they can find their nearest court via allplaytennis.com and recommending tennis products and offers such as Cardio Tennis, Mini Tennis and Tennis is Family Time.
Photo Booth - Court on Camera
Having been selected to work at Wimbledon, the 12 volunteers were put through their paces at a training day at the National Tennis Centre.
Spreading the word
The team have been thoroughly enjoying their time at Wimbledon, engaging with the public and encouraging more people to pick up a racket, more often. Each of the volunteers were also asked to think about what Tennis Is to them, with their own messages emblazoned on their T-shirts.
“The best thing about the week so far, for me, has been the interaction with people, trying to spread the word about tennis and talking to other people who are passionate about tennis,” said 18-year-old Holly, from Hemel Hempstead.
Ellie Lambert, 28, of east London, said that the best part of the experience for her was seeing “just how many young, enthusiastic people are at Wimbledon”.
“It has been great meeting so many people who have come to Wimbledon for the first time and are really enthusiastic about the sport and have been so inspired by the action they’ve seen,” she added.
Team Spirit
Over the first four days of The Championships, the team have spoken to thousands of visitors of all ages and nationalities – from Mums and Dads bringing their children for the first time to groups of teenagers, to older couples enjoying their retirement.
“The highlight for me so far was speaking to a little boy who had been inspired to start playing,” said Rosie, 23, from Edinburgh. “I told his mum about Mini Tennis and how she can find coaching for him and she was thrilled. It’s great to know that I’ve helped someone get involved in tennis.
Martin and Lea chose the atmosphere in the British Tennis Experience area as their highlight.
“Everyone comes in with a positive attitude; staff and customers are all really enthusiastic – I’m really enjoying promoting British tennis,” said Martin.
Lea, said: “You have put together a really good team, we get along together really well. I like the team spirit and I’ve made friends through this experience.”
Joel, 29, from Oxford, added: “I’ve been inspired by working at the British Tennis Experience area this week, to get more involved as a player. I’m a huge fan already, but I’m now going to find my local Cardio Tennis session and start playing.”
British tennis is supported by over 35,000 people working in a voluntary capacity. If you would like to get involved in volunteering, visit www.lta.org.uk/volunteer for more information.
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