Portsmouth Tennis Centre has been recognised by the LTA Tennis Awards for bringing tennis to under-represented groups and communities throughout the city.
The centre was awarded as Hampshire & Isle of Wight winner in LTA Tennis Awards’ 2023 Tennis For All Category. The award will also see the centre submitted to the South and South West Awards for a chance to compete against other centres for the regional title.
Portsmouth Tennis Centre is a hub for disability tennis across Hampshire & Isle of Wight. Operated by registered charity BH Live in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, the centre hosts weekly sessions for individuals with disabilities in collaboration with charities such as Headway, DS Active and Portsmouth Disability Network. The centre also runs sessions for children with learning difficulties in collaboration with Harbour School.
The centre regularly holds low-cost programmes and taster sessions throughout the year to support those on lower incomes. One example includes their sports holiday activity camps which are funded through Portsmouth City Council’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) to provide physical activity and a meal to children on free school dinners throughout the holidays.
Last year’s LTA Tennis Awards saw winners judged by over 2,600 public nominations, with more than 3,000 public nominations expected this year.
Macca Neaves, BH Live’s Head Coach at Portsmouth Tennis Centre said;
“To be recognised as one of the leading tennis facilities for diversity and inclusion in Hampshire is an absolute privilege and testament to the talents of our coaches. So many people in Portsmouth benefit by trying out a new sport and reaping the advantages of staying active. We hope to continue serving the local community for many years to come.”
Councillor Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said;
“It’s great to see that the Portsmouth Tennis Centre has been recognised in supporting underrepresented groups in our city.“The centre works with organisations that do fantastic things for those living with different disabilities in Portsmouth. As well as supporting with initiatives like the council’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) scheme. We look forward to seeing what they do in the future and wish them luck in the regional awards.”
To find out more about the LTA Tennis Awards, and for a full list of winners, please visit www.lta.org.uk.
-ENDS-
About BH Live
BH Live is a leading operator of leisure and event venues; a registered charity and social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
For more visit bhlive.org.uk.
Get social with us: LinkedIn, X @BHLIVE_UK and Facebook @SocialEnterpriseBHLive
BH Live is a leisure and cultural trust, established in 2010 as a ‘non profit distributing organisation’ (NPDO) for public benefit to promote participation in leisure and cultural events. BH Live is a Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered Charity. Charity No: 1138311. Company No: 07092112. VAT Reg No: 108 2248 37. BH Live (Enterprises) Ltd, is a Private Company Limited by Shares and a wholly owned subsidiary of BH Live. Company No: 07175626. VAT Reg No: 108 2248 37. Registered Office: Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5BH. Registered in England and Wales.
BH Live operates the following venues in partnership with Portsmouth City Council:
- Mountbatten Leisure Centre – Portsmouth’s flagship leisure and event venue with swimming pools, a 150 station gym,
squash, spin and dance studios, a cycle velodrome, athletics track, function suites with bars, a café and soft play facility.
Mountbatten is also home to an eight-court sports hall. The sports
hall remains temporarily closed for overhead repairs.
It is also home to a Clip ‘N Climb leisure attraction which opened in 2018.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
X and Facebook – @mountbattenlc
- Pyramids Centre – one of Portsmouth’s leading leisure venues overlooking Southsea beach and the Solent. It has state-of-the-art Technogym fitness equipment in a spacious gym with functional fitness, strength and cardio zones. There is a dedicated area for health assessments and people who are new to exercise, plus fitness tracking technology to help support people in reaching their activity goals.
Four activity studios provide a variety of daily exercise classes including Group Cycling, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Yoga, Pilates and the Les Mills programme.
The centre is also home to Exploria, a themed play and bounce attraction which opened in 2021. A range of exciting experiences stimulate play and challenge children agreed from 6 months upwards. A bounce zone includes a diving tower with air bag, interactive games, themed slides agility parkour, battle beams and foam pits. The play zone includes ball pits, spider’s web and cargo climbing features, a rope bridge skywalk, bash bags, tunnels, rollers, beams and dodge ball shoot out. And the baby and toddler zone has all things Exploria, but downsized for little ones. There is also a range of interactive games, a dedicated sensory room, four themed party rooms and a café serving snacks, light bites and drinks.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk and exploria.org.uk
Get social with us: X @PyramidsCentre
Facebook @Pyramids.Centre
- Portsmouth Gymnastics Centre – gymnastics hall with physiotherapy and meeting room.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us: Facebook @PortsmouthGymnasticsCentre
- Portsmouth Tennis Centre – Situated in the north of Portsmouth consisting of four indoor courts and six floodlit outdoor courts. A comprehensive coaching programme caters for all ages and abilities. Sessions are available for tots, juniors, adults and also includes variations of the sport such as cardio tennis and touch tennis.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us: X @PortsTennis and Facebook @PortsmouthTC
- Wimbledon Park Sports Centre – sports hall with badminton and basketball courts
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us: Facebook @WimbledonParkSportsCentre
- Charter Community Sports Centre – 20m swimming pool, 20 station gym, sports hall and an outdoor multi-use games area.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us: Facebook @CharterCommunitySC