Tennis has the power to change lives for the better. It provides physical exercise and mental stimulation in a healthy social environment: fresh air, fun and friendship.

The Happy Lane Fund was created to open up tennis to people of all backgrounds and abilities in the Avon area.

Across the west of England, organisations and volunteer groups are making lives better by running tennis sessions for people who might not otherwise be able to access the sport. These include people with disabilities and long term health conditions, people from disadvantaged communities and refugees.

The Happy Lane Fund is designed to support these tennis activities by providing financial assistance to cover running costs. Often the amounts needed by such groups are relatively small: just enough to hire facilities or buy basic equipment, to service a wheelchair or provide transport to an event. But even just accessing a few hundred pounds here and there can be prohibitively time-consuming and challenging for volunteers.

The Happy Lane Fund makes a big impact quickly by providing financial awards to multiple tennis groups on short timescales.

You can donate to the Happy Land Fund via JustGiving here.

“…We like to play whatever the weather because we know for some of the players it is a really important event in their week…”

Alistair Pickering, Diverse UK Tennis Fun group for people with autism

Projects supported by The Happy Lane Fund

Since its launch in late 2022, the Happy Lane Fund has approved finance for numerous projects around the Avon area, including:

  • hire of a community centre indoor hall in St George, so that a learning disability tennis group can move indoors for 13 weeks in the winter
  • regular sessions for children from families on low income in Easton and Barton Hill
  • sessions for a Ukrainian refugee group in Clevedon
  • provision of tennis equipment for children and adults with learning disabilities at the Empowering Futures charity, to help them improve coordination and skills
  • Delivery of a Disability Festival at Sodbury Tennis Club to launch the club’s inclusive programme
  • Two five-week summer courses for adult and children sessions run by Bristol Sikh Temple and delivered by Emma from Taylor Tennis
  • Purchase of two LUSU sensory tennis equipment bags for people with severe disabilities in Bath.
  • social tennis session for high-functioning autistic or neurodiverse individuals in Bristol, run by Diverse UK.

Participants at the Diverse UK Tennis Fun group for people with autism, at Kings Club in Bristol. The session was one of the first to receive Happy Lane Fund financing.

Alistair Pickering of Diverse UK said: “Our Tennis Fun sessions have provided adults with autism – some of whom have found things quite difficult since the pandemic – an opportunity to get out, meet other people and have fun on the tennis court whatever their skill level. It seems to have worked very well not only because participants look forward to playing tennis but also because we enjoy chatting over lunch and a coffee in the clubhouse afterwards. We have an opportunity to talk about common issues and support each other. We like to play whatever the weather because we know for some of the players it is a really important event in their week.”

The Happy Lane Fund story

The Happy Lane Fund is named after the location of Bristol Central Tennis Club – a small, friendly club tucked away on the aforementioned lane in St Andrews. Like many organisations we faced a long closure during the Covid pandemic, and we received public grant money to help us through. But emerging from the lockdowns in unexpectedly sound financial health, the club decided to use its cash reserves to make a difference in the community. We wanted to do something that would be local, tennis-related, and have a lasting impact.

After much research, we decided that rather than make a single one-off donation we would create a living, ongoing fund, with an initial pot of £15,000.

In 2022 we partnered up with Wesport, a fantastic sports charity that helps people in the Avon area become more physically active. Wesport manage the fund, identify and agree the projects that will receive awards, and have contributed their own money.

We are delighted to see the Happy Lane Fund already making an impact – and we have ambitions to grow the pot with fundraising activities and member donations. We hope to help support many more tennis-related projects across the region in the years to come.

Watch a video interview about the Happy Lane Fund

In this interview with Simon Spalter of the Tennis Volunteer Community, Andrew Nixon explains the origins and concept of the fund and how the model might be replicated across the country:

How you can help

You can donate to the Happy Land Fund via JustGiving here.

If you would like to help with fundraising or wish to know more about the Happy Lane Fund, contact Andrew Nixon at andrewgnixon77@gmail.com

Applying for funding

The fund and awards are managed by Wesport. If you would like to apply to the Happy Lane Fund for funding for your tennis group or activity you can find more information here.

Happy Lane Fund logo and artwork by Emily Johnstone

The Happy Lane Fund is managed by Wesport – Charity Registration No. 1114495