The Dedanists' Foundation
The LRTA and The Dedanists’ Foundation
The LRTA has joined The Dedanists’ Foundation in order to increase its capacity to recruit new young players into the game of real tennis, especially women. The Foundation is a new charity set up by Josh Farrall, David Mills and Roger Pilgrim in association with the T&RA and its chairman, William Maltby. It awards grants to clubs in order to help them to persuade more young people to try real tennis, play it regularly and join as junior club members. The Foundation has already raised more than £60,000 for this purpose. It plans to run pilot programmes with a selected few clubs in early 2013 and then to implement nationally. It will also fund additional support to clubs, such as training for club pros in the coaching of youngsters.
The LRTA is committed to recruiting more young women into real tennis. We already award bursaries, fund coaching and organise tournaments for juniors. But we are a small organisation. We do not have the resources to develop and run programmes that are as comprehensive as those planned by the Foundation. It therefore makes sense for us to join the Foundation, to support its programmes and to ensure that they focus on recruiting and coaching young women.
The LRTA has joined The Dedanists’ Foundation as a Founder Patron. We will have our own representative at Foundation member meetings and primary influence on Foundation decisions. As a Founder Patron, we will donate £5,000 over 5 years and have already made the first donation of £1,000. These donations will be paid out of LRTA subscription income as they support the important objective of the LRTA: “To encourage and promote the game of real tennis”. We hope this will make all members feel they are supporting this important work and that they will be equally pleased with the use of these funds. We will of course ensure that members are kept fully informed of progress as it is made.
Two Dedanist organisations, the Society and the Foundation
The Dedanists’ Foundation and The Dedanists’ Society are two separate and independent organisations. They are both committed to the further development of junior tennis. They have members in common. They share the Dedanist name and reputation for running national programmes that are outstandingly successful in engaging young people with real tennis.
The Society, founded in 2003, is the original Dedanist organisation. It is a nomadic real tennis club that plays matches and raises funds (more than £115,000 to-date) for junior tennis. It funds and runs coaching programmes for the best young players in the country. These programmes, such as the Academy, have been outstandingly successful. Current top players, who are Academy alumni, include Bryn Sayers (the first Briton to win the British Open since 1999), Claire Vigrass (the youngest ever ladies’ World champion) and Conor Medlow (the youngest ever British Amateur champion). The Society cannot become a charity because it funds programmes for the junior elite of the game.
The Foundation was set up as a registered charity (no. 1145526) in January 2012. It funds open access programmes to recruit young people, regardless of background and ability, to try the game for the first time, start playing regularly and join their local club.
The LRTA now supports both Dedanist organisations. It works with the Foundation to attract new young men and women into the game. It works with the Society to generate the champions who will inspire those with higher aspirations and ability to stay in the game and realise their potential.
The LRTA is committed to recruiting more young women into real tennis. We already award bursaries, fund coaching and organise tournaments for juniors. But we are a small organisation. We do not have the resources to develop and run programmes that are as comprehensive as those planned by the Foundation. It therefore makes sense for us to join the Foundation, to support its programmes and to ensure that they focus on recruiting and coaching young women.
The LRTA has joined The Dedanists’ Foundation as a Founder Patron. We will have our own representative at Foundation member meetings and primary influence on Foundation decisions. As a Founder Patron, we will donate £5,000 over 5 years and have already made the first donation of £1,000. These donations will be paid out of LRTA subscription income as they support the important objective of the LRTA: “To encourage and promote the game of real tennis”. We hope this will make all members feel they are supporting this important work and that they will be equally pleased with the use of these funds. We will of course ensure that members are kept fully informed of progress as it is made.
Two Dedanist organisations, the Society and the Foundation
The Dedanists’ Foundation and The Dedanists’ Society are two separate and independent organisations. They are both committed to the further development of junior tennis. They have members in common. They share the Dedanist name and reputation for running national programmes that are outstandingly successful in engaging young people with real tennis.
The Society, founded in 2003, is the original Dedanist organisation. It is a nomadic real tennis club that plays matches and raises funds (more than £115,000 to-date) for junior tennis. It funds and runs coaching programmes for the best young players in the country. These programmes, such as the Academy, have been outstandingly successful. Current top players, who are Academy alumni, include Bryn Sayers (the first Briton to win the British Open since 1999), Claire Vigrass (the youngest ever ladies’ World champion) and Conor Medlow (the youngest ever British Amateur champion). The Society cannot become a charity because it funds programmes for the junior elite of the game.
The Foundation was set up as a registered charity (no. 1145526) in January 2012. It funds open access programmes to recruit young people, regardless of background and ability, to try the game for the first time, start playing regularly and join their local club.
The LRTA now supports both Dedanist organisations. It works with the Foundation to attract new young men and women into the game. It works with the Society to generate the champions who will inspire those with higher aspirations and ability to stay in the game and realise their potential.