New grantmaker to support tennis in the Tees Valley

Howard Lake | 27 May 2026 | News

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• funding
• North East
• sport

Following registration with the Charity Commission, the Tees Valley Tennis Foundation (TVTF) has announced its aim of supporting young tennis and padel players across the Tees Valley and the surrounding area.

The Foundation will provide financial assistance to young players whose progress might otherwise be limited by cost, including both those already playing and those looking to take their first steps in the sport.

Grants will help cover coaching, travel, equipment, and competition expenses, with the aim of ensuring that financial limitations or pressures do not hold back young people with potential.

The Foundation will begin by seeking grants and external funding, with the aim of starting to offer assistance to young players aged 8–18 from summer 2026. It will also work with local coaches and clubs in the coming months to help identify players most in need of support.

Phil Lowe, Chair of Trustees at the Tees Valley Tennis Foundation, said:

“Tennis and padel should be open to everyone, regardless of background or circumstance. There are some outstanding young players in the Tees Valley whose ability is clear, but whose opportunities are restricted by financial barriers. Our aim is to break those barriers and make sure talent – not circumstance – determines how far they can go, while also ensuring that new players and their families are not put off by the cost of getting started.”

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.