NEC UK has extended its support of British wheelchair tennis with the introduction of a bursary that will help the UK's up-and-coming players meet the cost of participating in tournaments on the national and international tennis circuits.
Benefiting immediately from the fund are Karl Allen, aged 17, from Cambridgeshire, Anna Tarkowski, 15, from Lancashire and Alex Jewitt, 27, from Derbyshire, all of whom are competing at this week's British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Nottingham.
The tournament is one of more than 100 that make up the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, an international series that has grown from just 11 tournaments when NEC launched it in 1992.
Both Karl's and Anna's talents were spotted while participating at residential NEC Wheelchair Tennis Camps hosted by the British Tennis Foundation (BTF) and funded by NEC.
There are now more than a dozen players on the international circuit who had their first experience of wheelchair tennis at one of these camps.
The twice yearly events, which have been running since 1998, also underpin NEC's wider commitment to the promotion and support of wheelchair tennis.
Alex Jewitt found wheelchair tennis when the National Championships took place at his local tennis centre in Sheffield in 1998.
The key objective of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Camps is to promote the sport amongst people who might otherwise miss out on the health, leisure and competitive benefits offered by the sport.
“We are committed to supporting the growth of wheelchair tennis at every level,” said Karen Tipping, Marketing Manager, NEC Europe.
“Karl Allen and Anna Tarkowski are testimony to the success of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Camps.
“Both are still of school age, but have reached a level where they are able to compete at a top international event such as this week's British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships."
Lynn Parker, of the British Tennis Foundation, said: “The NEC bursary extends NEC's commitment to wheelchair tennis in the UK.”
“On an individual basis, NEC has helped the British Tennis Foundation nurture some of the country's greatest talents, but its commitment beyond elite players to the promotion of the sport at a grass roots level is very much appreciated.
“It is support such as NEC's that has helped wheelchair tennis become the fastest growing disability sport in the UK,” concluded Lynn.