2018 ANNUAL AWARDS THE KENT COUNTY LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION - Presented on Saturday 2 March 2019 - Kent LTA
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Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 1
THE
KENT COUNTY
LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION
2018 ANNUAL
AWARDS
Presented on
Saturday 2 March 2019
Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 2
Thanks
Thanks to the 2018 Awards Panel
Chair: Mary Evans
John Ratcliffe, Vanessa Webb, Neil Biddle,
Harri Izzard, Clare Lilley, Janice White
Thanks to the Organisers of the Dinner
Mary Evans, Janice White, John Ratcliffe, Graham Silvester, Sandi Procter
Thanks to Sponsors
Trevor May Contractors who donate the prizes for:
Club of the Year 1‐4 court
Club of the Year 5+ courts
Matt Perfect of Tennisys who donates the prize for:
Education Award winner
Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 3
Presentation of 2018 Awards
The Awards will be presented by the Kent Tennis President, Vanessa Webb, and in the following
order. In some categories there is an outright winner and in others there is a shortlist of finalists.
More detail about everyone listed below is on the following pages. The Awards presented this
evening are for achievements in 2018.
Junior Player Hugo Coquelin, Anton Matusevich, Emma Raducanu
Player Marcia Ackers, Jasper Cooper, Hazel Lindfield
Junior Team Kent Girls 18U
Team Kent Men’s Over 35s Team
Club 1‐4 courts Brenchley & Matfield LTC
Club 5‐8 courts* Avenue Tennis, Bromley Tennis Centre, Oakwood Tennis Club
Coach* Harry Bushnell (The Parklangley Club), Toby Churchill
(Deal ITC), Luke House (Shooters Hill)
Official* Charlie Falconer, Nick Wibberley (Canterbury LTC)
Competition* Kent County Championships at Bromley Tennis Centre
Education* Deal Parochial CE Primary School,
Dartford Grammar School for Girls
Disability* Bromley Tennis Centre, Jimmy’s Tennis
Community* Kings Hill Community Tennis Club, Willett Rec Tennis
Young Person* Jack Beresford‐Allan (Shooters Hill), Marcelle Lowe
(Gravesham LTC), Liam Tullis (Deal ITC)
Volunteer* Mimi Hoffman (Horsmonden LTC)
Nigel Jordan (Old Wilsonians’ LTC)
Jo Thomas (Shooters Hill LTC)
Lifetime Achievement* David Ash (The Parklangley Club)
Peter Stotesbury (The Parklangley Club)
*These categories are included in the British Tennis Awards and winners are nominated for
the Regional Awards.
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History of the Kent Tennis Awards
The Kent Tennis Awards began in 2004 with eight categories – Player, Coach, Club, School,
Local Authority, Volunteer, Team and Outstanding Contribution. In 2007, Junior Player and
Junior Leader were added and in 2011, the Club Award was divided into small (1‐4 courts)
and large (5+ courts). Local Authority disappeared along the way. In 2015, the LTA created
a new British Tennis Awards scheme and as a result we added Disability and Community
Awards. In 2017, Awards for Official and Competition were added. In ten of the categories,
Kent nominates winners for regional and national awards. This does not include Player and
Team Awards which are done differently at national level.
Kent Tennis Awards of 2017
National Winner:
Jack Pinnington‐Jones Junior Player of the Year
Regional Winners:
Avenue Tennis Club of the Year for London & South East
Bromley Tennis Centre Disability Programme for London & South East
Kent Awards
Junior Player Jack Pinnington‐Jones
Player Niall Sweeney (Bromley LTC)
Junior Team Kent Boys 10U
Team Kent Ladies
Club 1‐4 courts Chipstead LTC
Club 5‐8 courts Avenue Tennis
Coach Dave Von Ribbeck (Evolution Tennis)
Official Chris Mann
Competition Kent County Championships at Bromley Tennis Centre
Education Deal Parochial CE Primary School
Disability Bromley Tennis Centre
Community Kings Hill Community Tennis Club
Young Person Daniel Hodgson (Deal ITC)
Volunteer Hilary Casey (Hythe LTC)
Lifetime Achievement Denis Costelloe (Catford Wanderers & North Kent LTA)
LTA Meritorious Award Pat Braam
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Trophies and Awards
The Charles Bailey Award for Outstanding Achievement
This is the most prestigious of the Kent Awards. The trophy
is presented in honour of Charles Bailey, who made 80
appearances for the Kent Men’s team. In 1983 he became
captain and the team rose from division 3 to national
champions in 1986 and retained the title in 1987. He was
a member of the Kent Council for 23 years until his death
in 2006. In 1998 a new tennis centre at Sevenoaks School
was named the Bailey Centre. The trophy is a silver bowl
and presented to a person who has made a significant
contribution to Kent Tennis over many years in
participation, performance or tennis administration. It is
known in the British Tennis Awards as the Lifetime
Achievement Award.
The Ian Wright Award for Junior Player of the Year
Ian Wright was a member and official at the Bexley Tennis
Club for over 50 years, running the Bexley Junior
Tournament and often known at Mr Bexley. In North Kent,
he managed the league handbook for many years. For
Kent, he was a long standing member of the junior
committee, on the Kent Council for 27 years and a Life
Vice‐President for a further 16 years. The award is a shield
and is presented to a junior player who has achieved
significantly at a very high level, probably internationally.
The Sadie Bristow Award for Junior Team of the Year
This cup is a new trophy in 2018. It is in honour of Sadie
Bristow, who suffered an unexpected fatal anaphylactic shock
in August 2018. Sadie represented Kent in the 9U team. She
was a fantastic athlete and tennis was a huge passion.
Although only nine years old she had achieved considerable
success, ranked number 1 in GB, having won over 40
tournaments. Sadie’s parents and friends have set up a
foundation in her memory to raise funds to provide tennis
opportunities for children in schools and raise awareness of
allergies. The trophy is a cup and has been donated by the
LTA. It is presented to a junior team which has achieved significant success at a high level.
The LTA Meritorious Service Award
County Associations are invited annually to nominate a person who has made a significant
contribution to tennis in their county. We do not nominate every year, only when there is a
suitable candidate. From 2001 until 2017 the intention was to recognise the contribution of
a person in any aspect of tennis either in clubs or for the county itself. From 2018, the criteria
were changed to recognise a person who has contributed for a significant length of time to
county tennis activities.
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JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Presented with the Ian Wright Trophy
Past Winners
2004 ‐ 2011 Thomas Wright
2005 Naomi Cavaday 2012 Nell Miller
2006 ‐ 2013 Emma Raducanu
2007 Oliver Evans 2014 Nell Miller & Anton Matusevich
2008 Lewis Burton 2015 Anton Matusevich
2009 Francis Sargeant 2016 Nell Miller
2010 Lewis Burton 2017 Jack Pinnington‐Jones
2018 Shortlist
Hugo Coquelin
Hugo is originally from Sevenoaks Tennis Club and now
training at Bromley Tennis Centre. In 2018, he was the 12U
National Champion in both singles and doubles and at the
end of the year was ranked as number 10 in the GB Boys
14U rankings. He has played on several occasions for the
Great Britain 12U team.
Anton Matusevich
Anton is originally from Sevenoaks Tennis Club and now
training at Bromley Tennis Centre and as part of the LTA player
training programme. In 2018, he won through to the quarter
finals of the Junior Boys Singles at Wimbledon, won the Boys
Doubles title at the US Open, represented Great Britain, and
ended the year with an ITF junior ranking of 33 and an ATP
ranking of 1519.
Emma Raducanu
Emma is originally from Sundridge Park LTC, trained for some
time at The Parklangley Club and now trains at the Bromley
Tennis Centre and as part of the LTA Performance player
training programme. In 2018, she won through to the quarter
finals of the Junior Girls Singles at Wimbledon and at the US
Open, was winner of two ITF $15k women’s events, and
represented Great Britain. At the end of 2018, she had an ITF
junior ranking of 22 and a WTA ranking of 823.
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2004 Miles Kasiri 2011 Holly Richards
2005 Jim May 2012 Ian Payne
2006 Naomi Cavaday 2013 Anne Williams
2007 Sean Thornley 2014 Robert Searle
2008 Paul Drane 2015 Hazel Lindfield
2009 Marcia Ackers 2016 Bob Milner
2010 Sean Thornley 2017 Niall Sweeney
2018 Shortlist
Marcia Ackers
Marcia started playing when she was 11 years old and her
first club in Kent was Shooters Hill. She has played for Kent
for 40 years and is still playing. Her international
achievements include captaining the England team in the
Four Nations event, representing GB on 10 occasions in
Turkey, USA, Austria, Australia and Croatia and a silver medal
in the World Team Championships in Austria in 2013. In 2018
she was a member of the GB Over 80s team which won a
silver medal at the Super‐Seniors World Championships and
won the Overs 80s Ladies Singles at the British Open Seniors
Tennis Championships.
Jasper Cooper
Jasper, from Canterbury LTC, is ranked GB number 1 in both
singles and doubles in the Over 65s age group, and in the
world rankings number 18 in singles and number 24 in
doubles. 2018 was an injury peppered season and yet he still
won the Bronze Medal in the Men’s Singles Over 65s and the
Mixed Doubles Overs 65s at the Super‐Seniors World
Individual Championships. At home he won the Men’s Over
65s Singles at the British Open Seniors’ Indoor Championships
and at the British Closed Grass Court Championships.
Hazel Lindfield
Hazel, from The Parklangley Club, started her senior tennis
career when she was 40 years old and has amassed 119
County caps since and played for GB and England on several
occasions. In 2018 she was the captain of the Kent Over 55s
Ladies Team and took on the role of Kent Senior Ladies
Organiser from Cynthia Smith. Also, in 2018, she won the
Over 50s Doubles at the British Open Seniors’ Clay Court
Championships and the Over 55s Ladies Singles at the British
Closed Grass Court Seniors’ Championships. She ended the
year ranked number 49 in GB Over 55s.
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JUNIOR TEAM OF THE YEAR
Presented with the Sadie Bristow Trophy
Past Winners
2012 Sevenoaks Years 7&8 Girls team
2013 Kent Boys 12U team
2014 Kent Boys 14U team
2015 Kent Girls 14U team
2016 Kent Girls 10U team
2017 Kent Boys 10U team
2018 Winner
Kent Girls 18U Team
Captain: Pippa Lane
Vice‐Captain: Holly Richards
Team: Tiegan Aitken Amy Fotheringham
Sasha Hill Sofia Johnson
Nell Miller Daphne Pratt
Summer Reeves Lucy Spice
Abby Taylor Phoebe Watton
The team won the National County Cup Championships in February 2018 in Bath. They had
only the previous year been promoted to group 1, so it was a great team effort to win the
championship on their arrival.
Results
Won against Surrey 6‐3
Won against Middlesex 5‐4
Won against Hampshire & IOW 7‐2
The girls are unable to be present at the Awards Dinner this year because the 2019 team are
playing this year’s event on the weekend of 1‐3 March in Bath. Other players who were in the
2018 team, but not playing this year are away at university.
So, the Sadie Bristow Trophy was presented to this year’s team before they left for Bath on
Thursday 28 February. It was presented by Stewart and Clare Bristow accompanied by an
LTA representative and Kent President Vanessa Webb. A video will be shown at this Awards
Dinner.
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Kent Girls 18U Team
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TEAM OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2004 Kent Men’s team 2012 Kent Ladies Over 70s team
2005 Margate Mixed team 2013 Kent Ladies team
2006 Kent Men’s team 2014 Kent Men’s team
2007 Kent Men’s team 2015 Kent Ladies Over 55s team
2008 Kent Ladies team 2016 Kent Ladies & Kent Men’s team
2009 Kent Men’s 55s team (shared award)
2010 Bromley LTC Men’s team 2017 Kent Ladies team
2011 Kent Ladies 70s team
2018 Winner
Captain: Oliver Freelove
Team: Andy Burgoyne
Oliver Freelove
Jim May
Paddy May
The Men’s team won the National County Cup Championships in August in Eastbourne. They
had only just arrived in group 1 having been in lower groups for several years previously. In
2015/16, they were in group 3B. They won promotion in 2016 to group 2B and won promotion
again in 2017 to play in group 1 in 2018. To win the title on arrival in group 1 was a great
achievement.
Results
Won against North of Scotland 3‐0
Won against Dorset 2‐1
Final match against Yorkshire was not completed because of rain. They were the only team
to have won on days 1 and 2. So were crowned champions.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 11
Kent Men’s Over 35s TeamAwards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 12
CLUB OF THE YEAR 1 ‐ 4 COURTS
Presented with a voucher for £500 from Trevor May Contractors
Past Winners
2008 ‐ 2013 Hythe LTC
2009 ‐ 2014 Deal Indoor TC
2010 ‐ 2015 Oakwood TC
2011 Oakwood TC 2016 Bethersden TC
2012 Bethersden TC 2017 Chipstead LTC
2018 Winner
Brenchley and Matfield LTC
The club appointed a new Chairman for 2018 who quickly saw how hard everyone works at
the club to make it such a great place to play tennis. He says that the committee members,
club volunteers, team captains, coaches and members are always there to offer their time to
help. The amazing coaching team from Evolution Tennis is led by Dave Von Ribbeck (2017 Kent
Coach of the Year). They offer a range of coaching including classes for all ages and abilities,
cardio tennis and private lessons and have helped to grow junior membership to an all‐time
high of 218 which, considering the small size of the village, is amazing. The volunteers organise
social events and quizzes, and themed social tennis on Friday nights. Overall the membership
has been struggling the last few years, so it was very pleasing to increase in 2017 by 10% to
384 members. Members are enjoying two newly painted courts adding to the two artificial
clay courts making it possible to play all year round, and communications have greatly
improved, including an excellent website.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 13
CLUB OF THE YEAR 5+ COURTS
Presented with a voucher for £500 from Trevor May Contractors.
Plus the opportunity to host a Kent Fun Day at their venue with the assistance of Kent
Tennis volunteers and an £800 grant.
Past Winners
2004 Gravesham LTC 2011 Gravesham LTC
2005 Bromley LTC 2012 Wye LTC
2006 Bexley LT,S&RC 2013 Bromley Tennis Centre
2007 The Parklangley Club 2014 Sydenham LT&CC
2008 Blackheath LTC 2015 Shooters Hill LTC
2009 Sevenoaks LTC 2016 Old Wilsonians’ LTC
2010 Shooters Hill LTC 2017 Avenue Tennis
2018 Shortlist
Avenue Tennis
Excellent customer service is at the heart of Avenue Tennis, now
18 months old and with 1500 members. Activities include
coaching for everyone, free cardio tennis, wheelchair tennis
sessions, tennis ladders, team matches, and coaching in schools.
The 50 strong team work together to provide great coaching,
personal training, catering and social events. They have great
team spirit and announce an employee and tennis member of
each month. Colin Jarvis is the man behind this wonderful club.
He built it for the children of Medway so they can enjoy tennis.
Bromley Tennis Centre
A centre that offers every tennis opportunity possible, BTC has
1100 players in weekly coaching, cardio and social clubs,
delivers free coaching in 14 schools, and is a competition hub
for the south east running graded tournaments, the County
Championships and County Cup events. It has a highly regarded
coach education programme for coaches from all over, and
delivers inclusion sessions for those with learning disabilities
(LD) and the visually impaired (VI). In 2018 the centre was
accredited as a regional performance centre in 2018, one of
only 11 in the country.
Oakwood Tennis Club
In 2018, Oakwood built three new tennis courts and improved
surfaces and floodlights on the original three courts. They are
proud to be at the heart of their community offering tennis
opportunities to both members and non‐members including a
comprehensive coaching programme. In the last two years,
membership has increased by 56% in juniors and 103% in
adults. Participation in coaching has increased from 167 to 317.
The club is run by a dedicated group of volunteers, who have
renewed the governance structures and developed a forward
thinking strategy for now and the future.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 14
COACH OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2004 Nick Skelton 2011 Nick Cavaday
2005 Andy Burgoyne 2012 Zane Cheeseman
2006 Steve Jarrett 2013 Craig Allen
2007 Tom Carlton 2014 Jake Johnson/Luke House
2008 Harry Bushnell/Alastair Filmer 2015 Simon Grieve
2009 Phil Layfield 2016 Matt Borthwick
2010 Martin Whitehouse 2017 Dave Von Ribbeck
2018 Shortlist
Harry Bushnell (The Parklangley Club)
An experienced coach in all levels from taster to performance.
In 2018 he organised a roadshow for 1000 pupils in local
schools, a full schools summer term programme, five
Tennis4Kids courses and five Tennis Xpress courses. He leads
the performance programme and wrote the club’s successful
application to become an LTA local performance centre. He
coached four players individually who achieved regional
training status and a county champion. Harry is also the Kent
10U Girls team captain, with very successful results over the
last three years and led the 2018 8U Kent fun day.
Toby Churchill (Deal ITC)
Toby is a popular coach for all ages and abilities from tots to
80+. He has added a performance programme resulting in
more regularly competing juniors and 17 teams in the summer
leagues, 12 in the winter leagues. He travels with players to
competitions, which the parents appreciate enormously. Toby
includes players with disabilities into his mainstream sessions
and finds ways to help them, such as using a microphone
walkie‐talkie link for a young deaf player. He also gives free
weekly lessons to a young boy with cerebral palsy.
Luke House (Shooters Hill LTC)
Luke delivers coaching to 349 players from tots to teens,
performance juniors and adults. He has had a massive impact
on the number of teams since 2017, coaches the men’s and
ladies teams and captains the men’s 1st team. He delivered
coaching in six primary and two secondary schools, ran
Tennis4Kids courses, GBTW, inclusive sessions for all disabilities,
internal competitions and a South East Fast4 tournament. Luke
is an LTA coach education tutor and delivers workshops for the
club coaches, at the coach education centre at Bromley, and for
LTA coach forums. He has organised the four area networks for
the new Kent Coaches Network to share ideas amongst coaches.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 15
OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2017 Chris Mann
2018 Shortlist
Charlie Falconer
In 2018, Charlie went above and beyond the minimum
requirement for his grade certification. He was an umpire
or court supervisor at numerous Kent tournaments and
Eastbourne and was at Wimbledon for his 44th year. He has
been an umpire for 40 years, and now as a referee as well,
he is learning new skills such as LTA Tournament Planner. He
is always happy to help with any duties at tournaments. His
communications with players and parents are excellent and
he addresses any issues early. As a well‐respected and
experienced umpire, he is always willing to pass on his
knowledge to less experienced officials. In 2018, Charlie
played an important part in setting up the new Kent Officials
Network, helping with the administration and taking the
meeting minutes.
Nick Wibberley (Canterbury LTC)
Nick is a qualified and accredited coach and official at CLTC and not only delivers high quality
lessons but also organises year round matchplays, festivals and tournaments which are
loved by all the players and parents at the club and in the network of clubs in the area. In
2018 he ran nine Team Challenge events, the Club Championships, 35 matchplays and two
week‐long Grade 4 tournaments. He
trains young leaders and coaches to assist
him and they are encouraged to develop
their skills. Nick is particularly good at
organising large events where he is calm,
confident and approachable, ensuring
every effort is rewarded and treating all
those who compete in the same way. One
competition parent said: “if all
tournaments were run like Nick’s, the
number of tournaments up and down the
country would double overnight”.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 16
COMPETITION OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2017 Kent County Championships
2018 Winner
Kent County Championships at Bromley Tennis Centre
In 2018 ‘The Championships’ as it says on the t‐shirt, was once again the most prestigious
and popular tournament in the Kent Tennis calendar. It’s an event which has opened its doors
recently to a wider audience offering players of all abilities to join in. The player entry was
once again incredibly high and still the highest in GB during that week, with around 650
across all events. It’s an example of great team working as a 3‐way partnership between
Bromley Tennis Centre, Kent Tennis and the Referee, Chris Mann. The centre pulled out the
stops for smart, clean courts, spectator facilities and extra chairs, special catering, and off‐
court activities ‐ mini tennis in the car park, table tennis and a games and social room. Kent
Tennis does the pre‐tournament promotion, creates a tournament programme, rounds up
volunteers for the greeting desk and gives every player a t‐shirt, now considered to be a
must‐have collector item. The Referee’s team does the pre‐tournament planning and they
operate from 8am to 10pm every day to ensure a smooth event. The presentation at the
end of the week was attended by over 300 people. There was a free strawberries and cream
offer, some announcements of Kent player and team achievements and awarding of Kent
junior colours. Quoted by a Kent volunteer at the greeting desk: “So many of the players
have said to me that this is the best tournament they play in every year. They really love it”.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 17
EDUCATION AWARD
The winning school will be presented with a prize from Tennisys
Past Winners
2004 Russell House School 2011 ‐
2005 Bromley High School 2012 Amherst School
2006 Baston School 2013 Lady Joanne Thornhill School
2007 ‐ 2014 Bromley High Junior School
2008 Sevenoaks School 2015 Sevenoaks School
2009 Homewood School 2016 Glebe SEN School
2010 Sevenoaks School 2017 Deal Parochial CE Primary School
2018 Shortlist
Deal Parochial CE Primary School
Pupils in years 1‐6 participate in weekly
tennis sessions and additional clubs
before and after school and lunchtime.
They include a special session for girls
only and pupils with disabilities are
integrated into the sessions. They ran a
team competition for all ability players
and a one‐day event against other local
schools. They entered and won the Dover
School Games and entered eight
categories of Kent school competitions. Older pupils help, developing their teamwork and
leadership skills. They also obtained a grant to add three marked courts in their playground.
Dartford Grammar School for Girls
In years 7‐10 every class plays tennis in one lesson a week for six weeks, in years 11‐13
tennis is optional and very popular. Red, orange and green balls are used to allow everyone
to enjoy the game at their level.
There are squad training
sessions for both team training
and recreational play, inter‐
house competitions, a Road to
Wimbledon competition, trips
to Eastbourne and Wimbledon
and teams in LTA Schools Team
Tennis. In 2018, they reached
the Kent finals. The school has
links with the local community
and tennis clubs and players
with talent are encouraged to
further their tennis at a club.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 18
DISABILITY AWARD
Past Winners
2015 Bromley Tennis Centre
2016 Bromley Tennis Centre
2017 Bromley Tennis Centre
2018 Shortlist
Bromley Tennis Centre
Disability tennis at and around Bromley has
seen good growth in 2018 with 155 now
playing weekly in twice weekly sessions.
Coaching is delivered by committed coaches
always looking for ways to improve delivery,
and the centre offers discounted courts for
local SEN schools. In 2018 they hosted a
Regional Learning Disabilities Festival and a
Special Olympics event, and, working with
the Open Coaches Network, supported the National Deaf Championships and LD National
Championships. They have links with the Charlton Athletic Football Trust offering sports
activities to people with physical and learning disabilities, and the Thomas Pocklington Trust
for the visually impaired. Coaches regularly attend development courses to enhance their
knowledge and the centre’s coach education programme recently ran a course for coaches
to learn how to coach people with Autism.
Jimmy’s Tennis
Jim Barton leads sessions for people with various
disabilities. He coaches tennis in schools, at disability sport
open days and a weekly session for adults with learning
disabilities, using adapted equipment so that players feel
comfortable and gain confidence in their environment. He
works with a local charity called Spadeworks, and such is
the success that it’s thought that Jim’s programme is one of
the largest coaching programmes in GB for people with
learning disabilities. His ad hoc wheelchair sessions have
turned into weekly sessions and through Medway Council,
word is spreading of his excellent programme. He
volunteers a lot of his time to these causes plus voluntarily
coaches individual children with disabilities who would find
participating in an after‐school club too difficult. Jim also
helps with learning disability competitions around the county and south east.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 19
COMMUNITY VENUE OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2015 Community Tennis at Ladywell Fields
2016 Kings Hill Community Tennis Club
2017 Kings Hill Community Tennis Club
2018 Shortlist
Kings Hill Community Tennis Club
Led by coach Chloe Ayling, the club was set up
in 2016 on local, unlit park courts and with no
membership fee. It has continued to expand,
and this year has a record 275 children from
tots to teens in weekly coaching, and links
with six local schools . Adult groups now
include all levels including rusty rackets and
social evenings using the floodlit courts at a
local club. Teams play in county leagues and in
2018, they had two winning mini tennis teams, one player selected for county training and a
coach chosen to be a county training coach. Parents are encouraged to assist, and some have
become coaches. Social media, community groups and word of mouth have helped the
promotion and taster sessions encourage players of all ages to join. In 2018 they were clearly
outgrowing their two court facility so started a fund raising campaign, finding sponsors and
are now working with local developers and the parish council hoping to build two new courts
in 2019.
Willett Rec Tennis
Willett Rec now has 270 people in the coaching
programme aged 4 to 70+ and a further 40 players having
private lessons. 20 juniors now compete regularly and 30
players in teams, two of which were promoted in North
Kent leagues in 2018. The club holds social tennis sessions,
tournaments and social events and in 2018, the club held
its first open day which 300 people attended, 150 of them
trying tennis for the first time. Social media is used to
attract the attention of local residents and the club works
with local businesses to promote tennis alongside their
business. Fast outgrowing their facility with fully booked courts for much of the time, the club
is now applying to add floodlights on the four courts not currently floodlit. There is a great
buzz around the club and people say that Head Coach Matt Borthwick makes everyone feel
very welcome.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 20
YOUNG PERSON OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2004 ‐ 2011 ‐
2005 Graham Webb 2012 Sam Leighton
2006 ‐ 2013 Emre Saridogan
2007 Michael Briggs 2014 Robyn Enslin
2008 Claire Jones 2015 James Carlton
2009 Jack Heimann 2016 Ulysse Abbate
2010 Matthew Snow 2017 George Byles
2018 Shortlist
Jack Beresford‐Allan (Shooters Hill LTC)
Jack, a tennis leader, assists the coaches on weekdays and
Saturdays, and has helped with club open days, charity
events, internal competitions and the Quorn Cup. He is
enthusiastic and patient and communicates well with
everyone. He assists with sessions for players with Downs
Syndrome and wheelchair sessions and has a great
willingness to understand their needs. He is an outstanding
young person who gives up his time to helps others on their
sporting journey.
Marcelle Lowe (Gravesham LTC)
Marcelle has had an exceptional year at the club. She assists
with coaching five days a week at the club, local schools and
community halls, with the Tennis4Kids programme and with
competitions both at the club and at Kent events. She also
runs holiday camps. Always keen to learn, Marcelle passed
her Level 2 coaching qualification in 2018, attended a
MissHits training day, and a She Rallies course. She is the
only female buddy hitter at the club and loves to help other
players develop their confidence. She has inspired many
girls to join the tennis programme. She also supports her
father as social secretary with various themed social events.
Liam Tullis (Deal ITC)
Liam is a fantastic ambassador for the Deal Parochial School
tennis programme. He is enthusiastic to improve his own
tennis but more importantly to help others to enjoy the
sport. He has been integral in the recent success of the
school teams. He helps with the after school club held at
Deal ITC, helping with warm ups, tennis exercises and fun
games and is always encouraging young players. For one
player, with cerebral palsy, he has been a great motivator,
practising with him and partnering him in tournaments,
where he has shown great care and encouragement.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:06 Page 21
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Past Winners
2004 Una Hern/Judy Philpott 2011 Vanessa Webb
2005 Stephen Woodley 2012 Caroline Ratcliffe
2006 Gill Howard 2013 Peter Abbotts
2007 Vanessa Webb 2014 Jim Gore/John Ratcliffe/Diana Gaines
2008 Jeff Richards 2015 Judith Heayberd
2009 Ken Mills 2016 Caroline Ratcliffe
2010 Martin Ruddick 2017 Hilary Casey
2018 Shortlist
Mimi Hoffman (Horsmonden LTC)
Inspired by Chairman Mimi, Horsmonden celebrated its 50th
anniversary in 2018. Thanks to her selfless lead, the club now
has 600 members which is incredible for a village of 2,500.
Record funds are now available for facility investment thanks
to Mimi’s fundraising. The teams continue to enjoy success
and she actively supports the coaching programme which
goes from strength to strength. She leads from the front, yet
happy to do some of the less glamourous jobs. She makes
sure all members feel equally welcome. She is a very
persuasive lady and the community see her as a great
ambassador for the club and village.
Nigel Jordan (Old Wilsonians’ LTC)
The driving force and the person with the strategic vision and
determination to dramatically change the club and increase
membership from 90 to 500, grow a wide‐ranging coaching
offer and create initiatives to grow and retain members. He
led fundraising for a £90,000 courtside pavilion and for
growing participation of tots and seniors. He organises an
annual ‘Spring Working Weekend’ when members get
together and spruce up the facilities. He is also a Kent Tennis
Councillor, Treasurer, Board member and a Kent Seniors Team
Captain.
Jo Thomas (Shooters Hill LTC)
Jo is on the Board of Directors of the club, responsible for
fundraising, is the Welfare Officer, and in 2018, took on acting
Fixtures Secretary. Grants she has raised have funded
coaching in local schools, and the start‐up of a Downs
Syndrome coaching group. Managing the fixtures enabled the
club to continue running 24 teams, one of which she captains
herself. She assists with GBTW open days, and social events
and has played a large part in the club reaching a record
membership of 652. She is great at overcoming obstacles that
pop up at the club on a regular basis.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:07 Page 22
CHARLES BAILEY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Presented with the Charles Bailey Award for Outstanding Achievement
Past Winners
2004 Sally Parsonage 2011 Roger Bottomley
2005 Denis Costelloe 2012 Austin Smith
2006 Janet O’Neill 2013 John Darby
2007 Helene Jackson 2014 Sandi Procter
2008 Roger Smith 2015 Tony Beddoe
2009 Angela Darby 2016 Andy Burgoyne
2010 Mary Evans 2017 Denis Costelloe
2018 Shortlist
David Ash (The Parklangley Club)
David has inspired many people to get involved in tennis for over
30 years. He has been the Parklangley Tennis Chairman for at
least 25 of these and despite recent illness remains an integral
part of the driving force behind the club. He is popular, social
and active and always encourages new initiatives and activities.
He was the lead organiser of the prestigious Parklangley Spring
Tournament for many years and the initiator of the junior box
leagues which have involved literally hundreds of players over
their twenty years. As a team leader, David is second to none.
He listens and encourages, is a great diplomat and treats
everyone equally and with kindness and respect.
Peter Stotesbury (The Parklangley Club)
Peter is a third generation member of the club, has held may
voluntary positions including Tennis Chairman, Club Chairman,
Squash Chairman and Grounds Chairman. He has always
supported getting more people involved in tennis, ever present
at club open days and welcoming new members. For over 60
years Peter’s input into the club facility developments has been
an inspiration. He played a major part in making bold decisions
to build indoor courts and a new clubhouse, and to improve
the grass courts. He has always played regularly and at a good
level, inspiring new generations and sharing his wisdom and
stories. For Kent Tennis, he was a Kent Councillor and on
various committees and the Men’s Team Match Secretary, for
many years.Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:07 Page 23
COUNTY COLOURS 2018
MEN’S & LADIES COLOURS
Matthew Summers
James Davis
JUNIOR COLOURS
Isaac Forde, Cassius Haye, Erik Ndreu (Kent 10U National Champions)
Amy Fotheringham, Sofia Johnson, Abby Taylor, Lucy Spice, (Kent 18U National Champions)
Hugo Coquelin, Jack Pinnington‐Jones (National Singles Champions)
Oscar Brown, Thomas Norwood (Performance in Kent junior teams)
SENIOR COLOURS
Peter Pharo, Gillian Newsom, Rae Anderson, Yvonne Childs
LTA MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
Past Awards:
2001 Jim Kiddell North Kent LTA
2004 Isobel Pullen Canterbury LTC
2006 Marcia Ackers Hartley Country Club
2010 David Faraker Kent Schools LTA
2011 Stephen Woodley Canterbury LTC
2014 Lionel Hoskins Herne Bay LTC
2016 Angela Darby Beckenham Tennis & Racquets Club
2018 Pat Braam Tunbridge Wells LTC
2019 Cynthia Smith Kent Team Captain &
Senior Ladies Organiser
(To be awarded at an LTA event in Summer 2019)Awards Programme 2018 (2019).qxp_Layout 1 26/02/2019 09:07 Page 24
KENT TENNIS AWARDS
PRESENTATION EVENING
ORDER OF PLAY
Welcome
Dinner
Presentation of Kent Tennis Highlights 2018
Presentation of Awards 2018
Dancing to Oliver Twist
Our hosts are John Ratcliffe and Mary Evans
Presentation of Awards by
President Vanessa WebbYou can also read
