Anyone for tennis, children enjoy a special day out
Airplay members from RAF Cosford were guests of honour at The All England Lawn Tennis Club recently, as part of their summer activities. The youngsters, aged between eight and 11, were treated to a coaching session led by Wimbledon’s head coach as well as a behind the scenes tour of No.1 Court
The six children all have one .or two parents currently serving in the RAF, and belong to Airplay, a youth support service, provided by welfare charity the RAF Benevolent Fund. The club gives children a place to go to be with their peers, and also to access support from trained youth workers should they need it.
The visit was organised by the Wimbledon Foundation, which supports the Airplay project. Since 2015, the Fund has received £140,000, including £30,000 in July which is the second instalment of a three-year pledge to support Airplay, with a total value of £110,000.
Four RAF station Airplay groups were involved. The youngsters were treated to a visit to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum followed by a chance to experience for themselves the arena of No.1 Court head coach Dan Bloxham led the youngsters in a group tennis practice, teaching them about movement on court and using the racquet.
Jason Shauness, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “The smiling faces say it all! Thanks to the Wimbledon Foundation for their enduring support of the Airplay project. As a charity which receives no Government funding, grants like this help to give us the security we need to continue providing vital support to young people growing up within the RAF Family.”
Lauren Palmer, Grants Officer at the Wimbledon Foundation, said: “As a funder, we strive to support charities and community groups in as many ways as we can beyond financial support so we were delighted to welcome young people from Airplay, a service we have supported for many years, to the All England Club. We hope that their day discovering some of the history and magic of Wimbledon will have inspired them in all they can achieve.”
The RAF Benevolent Fund is the RAF’s leading welfare charity, providing practical, emotional and financial assistance to serving and veteran RAF personnel and their families. For more information visit rafbf.org
