The All England Lawn Tennis Club and Merton Council have announced a two-year funding commitment that supports the Merton School Sports Partnership.

The partnership will enable MSSP to provide school children across the borough of Merton with access to high-quality physical education and school sport, ensuring the positive impact of regular physical activity on health and wellbeing.

As part of this collaboration, the All England Club has announced a total of £120,000 of funding for the MSSP during this academic year and next.

The funding forms part of the All England Club’s ongoing partnership with MSSP and is in addition to support from Merton Council, aligning with the Council’s ambition to become London’s first ever Borough of Sport.

This new funding announcement was celebrated at an ‘Activate Festival’ school sport event held at the All England Club’s Community Tennis Centre in Raynes Park.

Fifty pupils from schools, including Malmesbury, Wimbledon Park and The Priory CofE, took part in the session with additional support from Raynes Park High students.

Ulrika Hogberg is Head of Community Strategy for the All-England Club.

She spoke with Jackie’s Louie Easton at the event.

 

Merton Council leader, councillor Ross Garrod said:

“Today shows exactly why Merton is London’s Borough of Sport. Here, world class sporting institutions work alongside the people and organisations delivering activity on the ground, towards a common goal of making sport part of everyday life and increasing physical activity.

“With AELTC backing and continued support from the council, MSSP’s incredible work in our schools gets a powerful boost, which will supercharge our mission to make Merton’s children the most active in London.”

The role of MSSP’s Sports Leaders programme was a feature of the day as the festival showcased primary school students participating in a range of target and movement-based team activities which encouraged teamwork and problem-solving. Selected Year 5 and 6 Sports Leaders helped to support the sessions, performing the roles they regularly take on within their own schools – running stations and mentoring younger pupils.

MSSP delivers an introductory Sports Leaders session in 39 primary schools at Year 5, as well as in three special schools at Key Stages 3 and 4 and is seen as a key programme to introduce these students to leadership and build their confidence.