Tim Henman charity gives tennis rackets to pupils

A charity has given every student at a school in Oxfordshire a free tennis racket.

Pupils at Manor Primary School in Didcot received the rackets from the Tim Henman Foundation.

The charity has also been providing weekly tennis lessons for students each week.

Headteacher Nicola Roberts said the lessons and equipment would open doors to "new opportunities and a lifelong love of sport".

The Tim Henman Foundation was established by the tennis player in 2000 to promote health and wellbeing in young people through the sport.

In 2023 to 2024, it ran 55 education and sports programmes in association with 87 different partners, reaching over 5,000 children and young people.

Besides Manor Primary, the organisation has worked with Chestnut Park Primary in Croydon, which is part of the same academy trust as Manor Primary School, whose pupils also received coaching from Mr Henman and his team.

The foundation said the sessions were taught by fully qualified instructors and designed to improve confidence and physical fitness, as well as teach valuable life skills, such as teamwork and perseverance.

Ms Roberts said the initiative was "transformative".

"Tennis is often seen as a sport that requires significant resources, but, thanks to the Tim Henman Foundation, every single one of our pupils now has the opportunity to play, learn, and grow," she said.

"It's clear that the benefits of this initiative will extend far beyond the tennis court, shaping brighter futures for every child involved."

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