Bedfordshire Tennis welcomed President of the Lawn Tennis Association, Sandi Procter to local clubs in Bedford in the past week to celebrate the county’s end of season awards and to witness for herself what is a growing tennis scene in the Borough.
Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) was also present on Friday, 7 November as part of a day of club visits followed by the Bedfordshire Tennis County League Presentation Evening hosted at Riverside Tennis Club.
Both guests were warmly received by Bedfordshire Tennis Directors Francis Caldwell, Garry Morris and Claire Raddan, along with Riverside Tennis Club Chairman, Andrew Lawson.
Earlier in the day, Sandi Procter toured several Bedfordshire venues, including Towers Health and Racquets Club and Riverside Tennis Club, where she met players, coaches and volunteers.
She observed junior and adult coaching sessions, spoke with club members, and gained insight into the breadth of programmes operating across the Bedford area.
At Towers, she was welcomed on to the courts to see county tennis, junior coaching and club sessions in full swing. At Riverside, she met county players and club members making use of the indoor and outdoor courts.
Both venues showcased the strength of Bedford’s community tennis programme and their commitment to growing participation.
Celebrating League Division Winners
The day concluded with the Bedfordshire Tennis County League Presentation Evening, recognising clubs who topped their divisions across the Winter 2024–25 and Summer 2025 seasons.
Both Riverside and Club Towers enjoyed multiple division wins.
Riverside ‘A’ team won four summer titles, including the Open Division One championship, alongside the Ladies Division One, Mixed Division One and Vets Division One competitions.
Club Towers ‘A’ won the Ladies Vets summer championship; a title they defended in the Winter months as the two clubs won 11 Winter titles between them.
The high standard of tennis across Bedfordshire was evident in every division, reflecting the dedication and sportsmanship of players, captains and clubs.
Mayor Tom Wootton praised Bedford’s thriving sporting culture, describing the town as a “great place for sport.”
He highlighted the success of local park tennis – now exceeding 8,000 annual bookings – and reiterated his commitment to investment in facilities, increased opportunities for participation and support for elite pathways.
He also reflected on the transformative impact of LTA investment in 2005, which helped establish Riverside Tennis Club as one of the region’s leading venues.
Sandi Procter shared inspiring reflections from her long career in tennis, from teaching and coaching in the north of Scotland to becoming LTA President in 2023.
She spoke about the privilege of walking onto centre court at Wimbledon over the past three years and the joy of presenting LTA Tennis Awards to volunteers nationwide.
She also reflected on her involvement in creating the Mini Tennis Programme, now used in over 200 countries, and highlighted the importance of volunteers in sustaining British tennis.
Echoing Dr Chatterjee’s message of “Happy mind, happy life,” she noted that volunteers often, “live longer and happier lives.”
Looking ahead, Procter encouraged clubs to remain innovative and open-minded, particularly with the rapid growth of Padel and Pickleball, emphasising the value of diverse programmes and social opportunities to strengthen long-term sustainability.
Bedfordshire Tennis also provided a special thank you to Claire Raddan for organising the event, and to Riverside Tennis Club for hosting.
Full photo highlights are available on the @bedstennis social media channels across Facebook, Instagram at Tik Tok.
