8:56 am, July 9, 2021
Jaguar dealers are donating tennis equipment to schools, families and communities to help bring a taste of Wimbledon to the whole country.
The series of ‘kit drops’ up and down the UK was kicked off last week with a pop-up Centre Court experience at Malmesbury Primary School in Merton, London.
It was arranged by Jaguar UK – as Official Partner of The Championships, Wimbledon in 2021 – and attended by tennis ambassador Kyle Edmund and TV presenter, author and mental health advocate Frankie Bridge.
Edmund and Bridge led an introductory tennis session for the School’s Year 6 pupils with the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s Dan Bloxham, to bring some fun and inspiration to their PE lesson.
The latest dealer to get involved was Sturgess Jaguar.
The Leicester-based retailer arrived at its ‘kit drop’ in a Wimbledon-branded Jaguar I-Pace at the Matt Hampson Foundation, a charity that helps to rehabilitate and support beneficiaries seriously injured through sport.
Included in the ‘Kit Drop’ were rackets, balls, nets, Jaguar water bottles and more, and was handed over by Sturgess boss Chris Sturgess to Tommy Cawston, CEO of the Matt Hampson Foundation (pictured below).
Jaguar Leicester joins retailers in London, Brighton, Swansea, Crewe, Glasgow and many more who have generously donated equipment to organisations in their local areas.
Jaguar said its one ‘small part’ of its mission to put into place ‘an out-of-tournament community programme to build a tennis legacy’.
Chris Sturgess, group chairman of Sturgess of Leicester said: ‘Like everyone in the country we’ve been transfixed by the action on the courts at Wimbledon this year, and we’re only too happy to share some of our enthusiasm with the local community.
‘The donation of this equipment shows the important role tennis can play for those people who are recovering from a life changing sporting injury.
‘The Foundation does incredible work in this field and all of us at Sturgess Jaguar Leicester would like to thank Jaguar UK for making this very generous donation which will help further the brilliant work done by Matt and the whole team at The Get Busy Living Centre.’
Tommy Cawston said: ‘We’re extremely grateful to the team at Sturgess Jaguar Leicester and to Jaguar UK for their support.
‘This tennis equipment will bring real joy and make a meaningful difference to us and our beneficiaries.
‘We are always encouraging our beneficiaries to try new sports and practicing tennis skills can really help them along the recovery journey.’
On Jaguar’s nationwide initiative, Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK MD, said: ‘The recent pandemic has brought huge disruption to people’s lives. In many cases people are much less active than before.
‘With everything unlocking, we at Jaguar are wanting to encourage exercise and the promote the enjoyment of playing sport collectively.
‘Through our partnership with The All England Lawn Tennis Club, we are proud to be delivering a national programme that will help build a tennis legacy to communities who need support the most.’
