Serves Up! South East Care Group Sponsors Charity Committed to Supporting Youth Players From Low-income Families to Pursue Tennis Professionally

Senior Managers of a South East care group recently launched an inspiring not-for-profit charity committed to supporting young tennis players from low-income families to pursue their dreams of breaking into professional tennis – granting access to life-changing funding for selected individuals.

Nellsar, a family-run care group with 13 care homes across Kent, Surrey and Essex, has officially sponsored Tennis-Talents – a registered charity committed to giving young people the opportunities and skills to enjoy longevity in one of the UK’s most popular sports.

Tennis-Talents, which was recently approved by the Government’s Charity Commission, will achieve its purpose by supporting young tennis players who are unable to fund the continuation of their amateur career due to financial restrictions.

The means-tested funding will assist prospective players until a time that they are able to support themselves financially and will work with young players from the ages of 13 to 21, whether based in the UK or elsewhere – with LTA and ITF performances monitored and reviewed over an extended period.

With an anticipated £30k to £35k required to support coaches, travel, and accommodation, the charity will be accepting applications for funding once a year whereby trustees would meet to assess each application. Applicants must have a WTA or ITF ranking of the top 1000 or better – with sufficient evidence generated to support a future senior world ranking of 300 or better.

Support staff and trustees of Tennis-Talents include Alina Abagiu, Registered Manager at Abbotsleigh Care Home, Viv Stead, Recreation and Well-Being Manager at Nellsar and Joy Cagande, Deputy Manager at Abbotsleigh Care Home.

Commenting on the launch, Alina said: “We’re delighted that Tennis-Talents has received Government approval and we can begin working to implement the next steps towards supporting some of the country’s brightest and most talented young athletes. In our line of work, the essence of what we look to do is in the name – we care. We really believe that our work should have a wider effect and stem beyond the home and into the community, which was the inspiration behind Tennis-Talents. We’re so excited to see where this goes.”

Martin Barrett, Managing Director of Nellsar, added: “Everyone at Nellsar is delighted to witness the launch of Tennis-Talents. As a family-run business, we strive to be at the very essence of our community, which is why we felt compelled to get involved with this wonderful venture that supports some of the youngest and brightest rising stars in the country. Times are hard for everyone, particularly with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, so we were determined to promote an alternative that enables people to pursue their dreams. Through Tennis-Talents we hope to play a minor role in promoting some of the country’s best and brightest prodigies.”

To submit an application to Tennis-Talents, please visit www.tennis-talents.co.uk or email Admin@Tennis-Talents.co.uk for more information.

For more information on Nellsar, visit www.nellsar.com