Impressive hat-trick of regional success for The Shrewsbury Club in annual LTA Tennis Awards

Pictured: Henry Broadhurst and Amy Dannatt who have both won LTA Midlands Regional Awards

 

The Shrewsbury Club is celebrating an impressive hat-trick of regional winners in the Lawn Tennis Association’s prestigious annual awards. Amy Dannatt and Henry Broadhurst, part of our coaching team here at the club, both won Midlands Regional Awards in the rising star and connecting communities categories respectively. Meanwhile, the success of last November’s ITF World Tennis Tour W100 tournament, which we were delighted to host, has also been recognised after it was chosen as the region’s competition of the year.

Shropshire’s former LTA president Cathie Sabin was instrumental in the launch of the LTA Tennis Awards in 2015 to highlight and reward the achievements of people, clubs and schools around the country.  This year’s county winners in a number of categories were initially announced at Tennis Shropshire’s AGM held here at The Shrewsbury Club in January. Shropshire winners went forward to the next stage, the regional awards for the Midlands, which also featured county winners from Derbyshire, Hereford & Worcester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

The Shrewsbury Club’s hat-trick of regional winners were then announced. 

Amy Dannatt, a popular member of the club’s team, continues to gain experience as a tennis tournament referee and plays a leading role as an official in ensuring annual events in the Shropshire tennis calendar, including the County Championships and Battle of Shropshire, are such a success.  Amy has now also been shortlisted for the national awards, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton on July 4. 

Dave Courteen, managing director here at The Shrewsbury Club, said: "Amy is a club coach, heads up and runs our children’s programme at The Shrewsbury Club, and also takes the lead on our summer camps.

"She was actually a member at the club, played tennis here, and has now become an important part of the team.

"Amy is hugely popular and well loved by both staff and members at the club. She is very conscientious and diligent in all the activities she is involved with.

“Amy is a really good ambassador for The Shrewsbury Club and, as a club, we are incredibly proud that she has now made it through to the shortlist for the nationals, which is an oustanding achievement.”

Dave also offered his congratulations to Henry Broadhurst after he was named as the Midlands regional winner in the connecting communities category.

"Henry continues to deliver excellent work with our ever growing schools’ programme."

Dave added: "Henry does a fantastic job running our schools’ programme and he’s really built it up to have more and more children involved.

"When we hosted the W100 tournament last year, we had the biggest number of children that we’ve ever had attending, which was all down to Henry’s hard work.

"He’s very popular and is valued at the club in terms of the job he does. He helps to promote the club across Shropshire through the other outreach programmes he runs for The Shrewsbury Club and inspire2coach.

“We are delighted he’s won the regional award and it’s a brilliant achievement for Henry.”

The Shrewsbury Club was further recognised with the ITF World Tour W100 tournament, sponsored by Budgen Motors, which brought world class women’s tennis to Shropshire last November, named as competition of the year for the Midlands.

The high-profile event - Czech Republic star Marketa Vondrousova, a former French Open finalist, won both the singles and doubles titles - has now been shortlisted for a national award.  

Many local volunteers contributed to the tournament’s success, with a number of hospitality events, held alongside the tennis during an enjoyable week, also proving popular.

"We are delighted the W100 tournament has also made the national shortlist,” said Dave. "It’s testament to the incredible support we receive from the sponsors and also from the town.

“We received excellent feedback from the LTA and hosting it was a real team effort, so this recognition is a tribute to the hard work put in by the club’s team and so many volunteers in making the event happen. 

"We are now looking forward to hosting the W100 tournament for a second time later this year from October 15-22, with the website for ticket sales going live on June 1.”   

Midlands Regional Awards will be presented to Amy, Henry and The Shrewsbury Club’s W100 event during the Rothesay Classic tournament at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Priory Club next month.

Amy and the W100 tournament will then join other shortlisted winners from across England, as well as selected winners from Tennis Wales and Tennis Scotland, on the shortlist for National LTA Tennis Awards to be announced in July.