Breaking Boundaries: The Power of Cross-Sport Collaboration in Cheshire

Cheshire Tennis has been working with the Warrington Wolves Foundation for a while, on a number of collaborations. This summer we arranged and supported a tennis camp as part of their HAF SEND provisions which has proven to be a huge success. We received this from John Carrigan of Culcheth Tennis Club, who hosted the camp and want to share it in the hope it will inspire others to get involved.

It is such a great vindication of our collaborative efforts and represents everything we hope to be able to achieve.

Please get in touch with Jayne at jayne@cheshiretennis.org.uk if you would like to find out more.

Breaking Boundaries: The Power of Cross-Sport Collaboration in Cheshire

By John Carrigan, Culcheth Tennis Club

​This past week, Culcheth Tennis Club had the absolute privilege of hosting a 4-day inclusive summer camp for 16 children with a range of physical and learning disabilities. Partnering with the Warrington Wolves Foundation, we swapped traditional drills for beach balls, foam balls, and lowered nets to create a constraint-led, completely adaptable environment where every single child could just be themselves and play.

​The energy was electric - capped off by a brilliant visit from the Warrington Wolves mascot, Wolfie, picking up a racket and joining the pack on the courts! But beyond the smiles and the chaos, this week highlighted something incredibly important about the current landscape of our sport.

​The Cheshire Tennis EDI Impact

This initiative simply would not have been possible without the unwavering support and vision of the Cheshire Tennis EDI team, spearheaded by Jayne Huxley-Grantham. At a time when county structures are evolving, this camp stands as a prime example of Jayne and her team's ability to promote and support meaningful collaboration. By bridging the gap between our tennis venues, other major sports like Rugby League, and local charitable foundations, the EDI team is actively transforming how we deliver tennis in the community.

​A Win for the Venue and the Coach

The benefits of this collaboration extend far beyond the campers. For Culcheth Tennis Club, it has firmly cemented our venue as a welcoming, accessible community hub, opening our doors to families who might never have considered racket sports before.

​As a coach, it has been a deeply rewarding experience. It challenged my team of incredible helpers and me, to strip away strict technical instruction and rely on ecological dynamics—manipulating the environment so that children of all abilities could self-organize, succeed, and fall in love with the game on their own terms. It has made us better, more adaptable coaches.

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An Open Invitation to Cheshire Charities

The magic of this week proved that racket sports truly are for everyone when the right partnerships are in place.

​If you are a charity, community group, or foundation in the Cheshire area looking to provide your groups with an empowering, joyful, and fully inclusive sporting experience, we want to hear from you. Reach out to Jayne Huxley-Grantham and the Cheshire Tennis EDI team, or directly to our partner venues. Let’s collaborate, share resources, and get more people experiencing the joy of the court.