Wimbledon may have just finished but over 40 people with a learning disability took part in a special LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) Matchplay event at Bexleyheath Tennis club on Tuesday 16th July.

The event was organised by Bexley Sports Disability Network, and led by Bexley Mencap. There were players from a number of local disability groups such as Bexley Mencap and Reinstate as well as day centres, supported living and care homes.

Sponsored by the LTA, the event consisted of a series of tennis challenges such as serving and a mini rally points competition.

There was also a chance for players new to the game to receive special coaching and tips from members of the tennis club.

Dave Williams, chair of the club said:

‘We are proud to support the LTA’s Open Court programme to make tennis more accessible and inclusive to everyone. It’s great to see Bexley Mencap players practising every week at the club in the summer and autumn and everyone who took part was so enthusiastic. Many of the serves were definitely aces!’

‘All the players responded so well to the special tennis challenges and forehand and backhand shot exercises’ said Nick Marsden of Bexley Mencap. ‘There was a lot of healthy competition during many of the rallies. It was great to welcome back players from last month’s Sports Day, keen to practice more skills as well as new members who haven’t had the chance to play much tennis before.’

Josh Hayre, of Bexley Sports Disability Network and Reinstate said:

‘It’s the first time the Network has put on a borough wide event and partnered with local organisations and the LTA to celebrate the sporting achievements and abilities of people with a learning disability.’

Everybody who took part received LTA team challenge certificates, wristbands and medals.

Bexley Mencap’s tennis group were featured as part of a Special Sports & Information Day for National Learning Disability Awareness Week. Around 100 people with a learning disability and carers took part in the event which also included football from Bromley Skills Academy and Kent Cricket.

As ever Tennis was very popular with both courts full of enthusiastic players. Mencap members and staff helped coach newcomers with a range of skills based exercises such as juggling and balancing as well as help in learning how to serve. Several players needed no help at all in playing rallies over the net immediately. Others were fast learners and soon picked up the basic hand and eye co-ordination skills required. Just as importantly, everyone seemed to having fun and enjoying themselves.

The overall event was organised by Sharon Rodrigues, from Oxleas NHS Adult Learning Disability Service.
Sharon said: ‘It was great to see so many people at the event. The day is all about enabling people with a learning disability and their carers to meet each other and our learning disability teams so that they can keep well in the community. All the sporting activities were well attended especially the tennis and gave people a chance to play sports they might not have tried before.’

Nick Marsden Bexley Mencap’s Tennis Coach said: ‘Great effort from all the players. It’s always fantastic to see such enthusiasm and by the end of the session, several of the players had mastered the basic technique of serving and returning and trying different shots. I hope everyone had a smashing time!’

Next month on 16th July with other local partners, Bexley Mencap is helping to organise a special LTA Matchplay tennis event. This will be another chance for players to demonstrate their skills and have more tennis coaching in a friendly and supportive setting at the club.

Bexleyheath Mencap’s Tennis Group are delighted to be back playing outdoors again! After a winter and spring playing soft ball tennis and multi sports indoors at a local Sports Hall, the group had their first practice at the club today and are now booked every Monday until the end of September.

Bexley Mencap’s tennis group were Kent LTA County Best Tennis Disability Programme winners in 2022 and were Highly Commended at Regional level. Several players have also taken part in LTA Regional Disability competitions at the Bromley Tennis Centre.

In addition to weekly practice, Bexley Mencap will also be showcasing tennis for a Sports Day event on 18th June at the club as part of National Learning Disability Awareness week. And we’ll also be holding a special Matchplay event with the club later in July.

So watch this space, for a summer of all-inclusive tennis activities.

1) Winter season

The Club entered a winter high ten teams in the North Kent/Kent leagues. Results overall were mixed with a couple of hard earned promotions offset by a couple of relegations. However, we received four promotions last winter (two relegations), so in the round the club’s status in these leagues is higher than it was 12 months ago.

North Kent League

Pride of place in North Kent goes to our Men’s one team who, in an incredibly tight finish to the season, won Division 2A. They fought valiantly in the divisional final before going down 1-3 to a very good Willett Rec team. Congratulations team and hopefully you get a kinder draw in Division 1 then previously. Men’s 2 retained their status in Division 2 by finishing fifth (of six) teams in Division 2B.

After promotion last winter our Mixed Doubles team finished third of five teams in Division 3. However, the bottom team finished on the same number of points as us, which shows the importance in winning any rubber, even in defeat, since this is how league placings are settled.

Mid week Mixed Vets finished fifth of six teams in Division 3. The team secured the same number of points as the team finishing third, but dropped a couple of places due to losing more rubbers than a couple of teams.

Kent League

Congratulations to our Vets 2 team for securing promotion by winning all their 4 matches in Division 5B. Unfortunately they were unable to attain silverware, going down to a strong Margate 2 at the weekend.

Following promotion Vets 1 got a really unfair group and succumbed to their first ever relegation after losing all 4 of their games in Division 2B. Vets 3 successfully avoided the trapdoor for a second successive season by defeating Herne Bay 2 to finish fourth of five teams in Division 5A.

Men’s Over 60’s ones exceeded expectations by surviving in the top Division (of six) winning two of their five matches to finish fifth. Our fledgling Over 60s 2 team unfortunately finished bottom of Division 6, with just the one victory to show from three matches played.

Finally following an excellent promotion last winter, our Men’s 1 team were automatically relegated from Division 3 for failing to fulfil a fixture away to Tunbridge Wells. The team were unaware that this would be the case, so hopefully a valuable lesson has been learned, albeit the hard way!

2) Summer season

The season commenced on 23rd March and we will be fielding 10 teams. Whilst each year becomes harder to win promotions as our teams continue to rise through their respective Divisions, I am confident the club will at the very least win a couple more trophies this summer.

Let the games begin!

Get your tickets to a night of classic soul, motown, funk, disco and ska tunes with the exciting KT & The Beats.

Don't forget your dancing shoes!

Our Annual Awards Night took place last Friday, marking the grand finale of our club season. It was a wonderful evening filled with recognition and celebration (and a nice fish & chips supper).

In total, 13 awards were presented to deserving recipients, including the exciting addition of the U16's singles and doubles categories. It's fantastic to see our younger members getting involved and showcasing their skills. Next year we hope to include the U12’s!

We also want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Alfio, who received a special prize, his favourite "tickly," in recognition of his unwavering dedication to the club, even during his recent battle with illness. We can't thank you enough, Alfio, for your ongoing support and commitment to our club.

On another note, the Beginner-friendly leisurely Tuesday tennis social (that's a mouthful!) wouldn't be the same without the incredible efforts of the organiser, Claire. Her hard work and dedication to creating and managing this weekly event did not go unnoticed, and she was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers as a token of the groups appreciation.

Furthermore, the D’Mello Shield found its deserving home with the singles and doubles winners. It was a fierce competition, and we're proud of the talent within our club.

All in all, it was a fantastic evening, and everyone had a great time.

6 members of Bexley Mencap’s tennis group played in the LTA’s Regional Learning Disability tournament at Bromley Tennis Centre on 28 October.

It was the first time we had ever entered a competitive tournament so it was a steep learning curve for all of us. Special congratulations to Stef who reached the semi-finals in the green ball event and Rob, (yellow ball) who exchanged rallies with an experienced opponent who has represented GB at tennis events overseas.

We trust that you had an absolutely wonderful time at the Bexleyheath Cricket Club Funday, This special afternoon was jam-packed with an array of activities, lively stalls, sensational live music, and, of course, the active involvement of our very own tennis club, featuring an exciting raffle and a thrilling tennis tombola.
Despite the sweltering conditions, our dynamic duo, Dave K and Noah W, stepped up to the plate and captivated the children with their enthusiasm. They took the young ones on an incredible journey into the world of TopspinPro, unravelling the secrets of mastering spin in the game of tennis. Following this thrilling lesson, it was off to the tennis tombola, where the atmosphere was electric with anticipation.

We were absolutely delighted to witness more than 30 young, enthusiastic tennis aficionados walk away with fantastic prizes. And, it's worth mentioning that some parents couldn't resist joining in on the fun either! They did have to donate the prizes to their children though!

Notably, numerous parents and children inquired about our junior and Adult coaching programs, Club Membership and children’s summer camps. Names were eagerly noted down, and we are excitedly anticipating the possibility of welcoming new additions to our tennis family.

As the early afternoon sunbathed the event, we had the privilege of hosting some very distinguished guests – the deputy mayor and mayoress! They took a moment to engage in conversation with us, and Dave K, who is known for his unwavering support of our club, didn't hesitate to discuss our club's needs. He boldly inquired about the potential for securing funding to resurface courts 1 & 2, install a brand-new fence, and illuminate courts 3 & 4 with floodlights. Hats off to Dave for his relentless dedication to enhancing our club!

Later in the afternoon, our esteemed coach, Dave McG, made his appearance and lent a hand to Dave K. Yes, we do seem to have a fair share of Daves in our club!

We are truly excited about the possibilities for enhancing our facilities and witnessing the continued growth of our beloved tennis club. Keep an eye out for updates on these thrilling developments!

Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who organised the event, namely Debbi and Melissa from the Cricket Colts in making the Cricket Club Funday an unforgettable occasion. Let's remain united as we strive to nurture and relish the sport we all hold dear.

Until next time, see you on the courts!

SUMMER SEASON REVIEW/FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS/FINALS WEEKEND

1) Summer season
The Club entered 11 teams in the North Kent/Kent leagues. The club has enjoyed multiple promotions in recent years and as a result across the different categories of teams, most of our teams are at what I at least consider “their level”. Consequently only one promotion was achieved and two relegations suffered.
Pride of place goes to our Men’s Over 60s team who followed up promotion to the top Division (of six) in Kent last winter by winning all 10 matches to secure promotion to the top Division(of three) in North Kent. An unheard of double over Sundridge Park, only 2 rubbers lost out of 40 played, 71/80 sets won, unbeaten at home in 3 years. I could go on!!

Our three Vets teams, mainly due to their continuing excellent home form (1 defeat out of 13) performed well in their respective Divisions. Vets 1 finished third of six in Division E, Vets 2 finished third of five in Division G and Vets 3 finished second behind runaway leaders Kemsing in Division H.

Our Mixed Vets performed very well and finished second (of five) behind runaway winners Catford Wanderers 2 in Division D. Our Midweek Mixed Vets team finished fourth (of seven) in Division C, which included debuting Wendover and Blackheath sides clearly destined for higher Divisions.

Only three wins across three Divisions meant relegation for Men’s 1 from both North Kent Division B and Kent Division 2. It was a successful season of consolidation for Men’s 2, who, following promotion finished third (of five) in Division F. A second place finish last summer, meant promotion to Division H for our Men’s 3. After a few concerns, a strong finish ensured a credible consolidating fourth place (of six) finish.

2) Winter season
The season commences in September and we are fielding 10 teams. This includes for the first time an Over 60s Men’s 2 team, who I am sure will do very well in what is now a six Division League. Similarly for the first time our Midweek Mixed Vets team will be debuting in the winter league after two successful campaigns in the summer league.

3) Facility Improvements
Members have enjoyed our beautifully painted and resurfaced courts 3&4 and Floodlight facilities this year. You will also have noticed that two wonderful new benches now reside on courts 1&2 too.

The plan is to resurface courts 1&2 and paint them in the same “Wimbledon purple” colour as 3&4 in August/September next year. In order to achieve this, we will need to match our membership figures this year, so please stay loyal to the club come renewal time next year and help us to further improve the playing facilities for everyone.

Please encourage friends and family to join the club and continue to support fundraising evenings/ventures that we put on throughout the calendar year.

4) Club Finals Weekend – 2/3September
Finally things are coming together nicely for our club finals weekend on 2/3 September. More details will be on our WhatsApp groups next week, but on paper there are some very close competitive finals to be played, so well worth watching if you can spare the time.

All the very best and I hope to see as many of you as possible next weekend.