Congratulations to:
Cathy Simpson – Cathie Sabin Volunteer of the Year: 
- Milford Tennis & Squash Club
- Started playing tennis relatively late
- Committee Secretary – “friendly, inclusive, and well-organised”
- Junior Social Secretary – 4 events per year; junior club night
- Set up ball recycling scheme
- Social Media and newsletters
- Annual charity tournament
Daniel Hitchins – Coach of the Year: 
- Head Coach, Milford Tennis & Squash Club
- LTA Level 4 and Accredited+
- Hampshire & IOW Men’s 45+ Captain
- Joined the club in 2020
- 52% increase in junior programme
- Created development squads
- Hosts tournaments
- Expanding with another coach
- Tennis Committee member
Lottie Howard – Performance Coach of the Year: 
- Achieved Level 4 Senior Performance Coach Qualification at the age of 22, making her the youngest highest qualified female in the Country
- Coached a female player at Wimbledon Qualifying
- Attended 12U national camps & travelled with a top UK player to a Tennis Europe event in Austria
- H&IOW Ladies’ Team player
- H&IOW Junior Captain
Linda Havers – Lifetime Achievement: 
- Honorary President of Milford Tennis & Squash Club
- First experience – 1973 in Northants
- Joined Milford in 1988
- 50+ years’ experience of shaping local tennis communities
- Changing surfaces, installing floodlights, achieving planning permission (on appeal!)
- Strong ethos of developing junior coaching and competition
- Captained H&IOW 65+ Ladies for 15+ years
- “Linda’s hallmark has been her humility, determination and generosity of spirit”
Kris Dymond – Official of the Year: 
- Officiates both tennis and padel
- Refereed ITF Masters Tour events
- Control Desk Official at Nottingham and Ilkley
- Match Assistant for both qualifying and main draw at Wimbledon
- Line Umpire selections in Lisbon, Antalya and Oeiras
- Umpired the inaugural LTA National Padel Championships and FIP tournaments
- Referee at the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup in Bristol, the highest level of tournament – the first official in Britain to chair a professional padel match
Portsmouth Tennis Centre – Tennis Opened Up: 
- sessions for people with brain injuries twice per week, plus annual festival
- weekly sessions for neurodiverse children
- Downs Syndrome & SEN classes run weekly
- Tim Henman Foundation
- Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
- Interaction Mental Health
- holiday sessions for children who receive free school meals
- Mayfield School – weekly sessions for pupils in the challenging behaviour unit
- Portsmouth City Council – 720 fully funded school holiday places
- mentoring and supporting coaches
- 2025 national winners of the LTA Tennis Opened Up Award
Jane Reap – President’s Award: 
- Old Basing Tennis Club
- In 2025, secured floodlights after 25 years trying!
- Provided a 30-page proposal to full Council
- Highlighted how inclusive the club was
- Attended a challenging Council meeting
- Also fulfilling Club Secretary duties, webmaster, Membership Secretary
- Manages coaching programme as net contributor to the club
- Won HIOWT Volunteer of the Year in 2023
Congratulations to Linda Havers and Portsmouth Tennis Centre who received an LTA Excellence Award and received a pair of complimentary tickets to an LTA grass court event in June.
A big well done to Milford Tennis & Squash Club with three winners!
Voting for this year’s LTA Awards opens in June and we hope to receive more nominations in all the categories. More information will be available shortly.
