Erdington has a new tennis club just ahead of Wimbledon, and it is completely free for mums and children. The initiative, called Rally Together, is backed by Sport England, which reports that four in 10 women are not active enough. The program even provides free rackets and balls to participants.
Inspiring Women and Children to Get Active
Rally Together offers free tennis, pickleball, and multisports in Erdington for mums and kids. The idea was sparked when a child named Beth Addison came home from school with a postcard that read, 'Dear Mummy, would you like to play tennis with me?' The concept of Beth and her mother doing a sport together had never crossed their minds due to cost and accessibility issues. However, the free opportunity allowed them to participate, make new friends, and have a wonderful time.
Mission and Benefits
The mission of Rally Together is simple: to inspire women and children to develop a lifelong love of movement, helping them lead happy, healthy, and active lives. The sessions are completely free to attend. Additionally, those who continue for six weeks are rewarded with a free T-shirt, racket, and ball, enabling them to play together in the park or garden.
Katie Strang, sports coach and EYFS lead for Rally Together, launched the first session at the start of June. She emphasized that the focus is on reducing childcare barriers for women wanting to get active and creating a community of mums and families. She noted that there is often a lack of participation in sports from women and girls due to various reasons, including cultural barriers and accessibility issues. For example, when she played football, there were fewer female teams, requiring her to travel further to play. She stressed that girls and women often do not want to play on boys' teams, which discourages participation.
Addressing the Gender Activity Gap
According to Sport England, four in 10 women are not active enough to ensure full health benefits, 13 million women said they would like to do more sports and physical activities, and 313,600 fewer women than men are regularly active. Sadly, just one in 10 women from lower income backgrounds feel they belong in the world of physical activity, according to the statistics.
The Championships 2026 take place at Wimbledon from Monday, June 29 to Sunday, July 12, and Katie hopes this will inspire more women and girls to get involved in the project, which is set to last for at least 12 months.
No Experience Necessary
Katie is keen to stress that no previous experience is necessary. She said, 'Just come along together, you don't have to be good at the sport, you can be an absolute beginner.' When putting up banners and adverts, some mums have approached them, saying they have never played before and know nothing about the game. The goal is to promote engagement and a sense of community, providing an opportunity to talk about something other than motherhood and make new friends.
Spark Active, which is delivering the project in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association, has been running a series of taster sessions in schools. After playing tennis, children receive postcards to fill in with their female relative's name, an invitation to join, their own name, and a drawing of what they enjoyed most about the session. The free sessions are open to mothers and sons, mothers and daughters, and any other female relatives.
How to Get Involved with Rally Together
The new project takes place on tennis courts in three parks in Erdington. Sessions are held at different times throughout the week:
- Rookery Park: Tuesdays from 9am to 10am for ages 2-4, and Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm for ages 7-11, both with a mum or female carer.
- Pype Hayes Park: Tuesdays from 5pm to 6pm for ages 7-11, and Thursdays from 9am to 10am for ages 2-4, both with a mum or female carer.
- Brookvale Park: Mondays from 5pm to 6pm for ages 7-11, and Wednesdays from 9am to 10am for ages 2-4, both with a mum or female carer.
The coaches lead beginner-friendly racket sports including tennis and pickleball, alongside other team games and multi-sport activities in the green spaces. There will also be additional secondary girls' sessions delivered in schools with a transition to the park locations, plus holiday camps.
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* Beth's name has been changed to protect her identity.
