Congratulations to Steve Bradford who was the winner of the LTA Volunteer of the Month award for November in 2013 for his work at Bassett Lawn Tennis Club and as a volunteer for Hampshire and IOW LTA.
Steve is Chairman of Bassett Lawn Tennis Club in Southampton and also regularly volunteers for Hampshire and IOW LTA having only taken up tennis seven years ago. Since then he has been heavily involved in the club, making it his goal to make tennis accessible to the local community and develop a sustainable venue.
So far, he has organised 'family Fridays', social events and a Friday youth club, but his biggest contribution so far is with the junior section. The number of juniors coming to the club across all Mini Tennis age groups has increased and Steve told us that it is “wonderful to see it grow from 10 – 70 children” in less than 12 months.
This increase in numbers in the junior section has also encouraged more parents to start playing or get back into tennis, helping to create the family friendly culture of the club Steve was hoping to achieve.
It is clear to see Steve’s dedication to the club and volunteering comes from enjoyment and enthusiasm. This has helped the club to grow, providing opportunities to more families from the local community to play tennis and enjoy the welcoming, friendly atmosphere created by the committee and members alike.