THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT THE WIMBLEDON JUNIOR TENNIS INITIATIVE AT BOND PRIMARY SCHOOL
MITCHAM, MERTON
Wednesday 17th January, 2018
The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), will visit Bond Primary School in Mitcham on Wednesday 17th January to see the work of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI).
The WJTI, which is the All England Club’s community tennis programme, promotes the
benefits of physical activity for children and young people within the boroughs of Merton
and Wandsworth. The AELTC coaching team visit approximately 65 local primary schools
each year to offer a free session of tennis coaching, and since it began in 2001, the WJTI has introduced more than 195,000 local children to tennis through its visits. 5000 of these
children have been invited to become members of the programme, and receive free weekly
tennis coaching from the AELTC’s head coach Dan Bloxham and his team.
The programme aims to offer more children the opportunity to experience tennis, as well as showing how participation in sport can develop the life skills and values which tennis
encourages, such as teamwork, discipline and fairness. The Wimbledon Junior Tennis
Initiative also helps to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to deliver exciting and
productive school sports lessons, supporting pupils to live healthy and active lifestyles.
The Duchess will join groups of children from Bond Primary School in the school hall as they take part in a range of tennis-related sessions, including activities to improve hand-eye coordination and footwork. Her Royal Highness will hear from the children and teachers
about the impact of the programme, and will meet a number of the coaches involved in
engaging children with tennis in the local community.
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