Tennis Canada has selected 21 programs to receive funding under the Game. Set. Equity. Community Tennis Grants presented by National Bank in 2024. With programs located in nine provinces and in one territory, this is the largest group of grant recipients since the initiative was launched in 2022.
As Tennis Canada and National Bank continue to make gender equity in tennis a priority, the opportunity to offer a greater number of organizations more funding to enhance and improve their existing equity in sports programming is pivotal. Only two years into the program’s existence, nearly $200,000 has already been allocated to initiatives aimed at encouraging the participation, retention or promotion of women and girls in the sport.
“We are proud to support so many deserving organizations that are providing supportive and positive tennis experiences for women and girls across the country,” said Terri Temelini, Director, Women & Girls Advancement, Tennis Canada. “We know there is still a lot of work to be done to increase the participation of women and girls in tennis, though we know the grants are helping bring lasting change to the current landscape of the sport in our country. Tennis Canada and National Bank truly cherish this program and look forward to bringing it back in 2025.”
“I’m very pleased to see that the Game. Set. Equity. grant program continues to flourish! These grants embody National Bank’s ambition to make tennis even more accessible. I’m confident that this initiative will allow even more girls and women across the country to continue to thrive on and beyond the court,” mentioned Lucie Blanchet, Executive Vice-President, Personal Banking and Client Experience at National Bank of Canada
Among this year’s grantees, programming includes tennis for women and girls who are new to Canada, girls with disabilities who seek to improve their wheelchair tennis skills, and women-identifying and two-spirited Indigenous peoples who are looking to develop as players and coaches. To read a description and to get more information on all 2024 recipients, please click here. The 21 recipients are listed below, in alphabetical order.
BC Wheelchair Sports Association; Burnaby Tennis Club; Club de Tennis La Relance; Edmonton Junior Tennis Society; Gander Community Tennis Association Inc.; Jane Finch Community Tennis Association; Mahone Bay Tennis Club; Multicultural Association of Fredericton; North Bay Granite Club; Okanagan Mission Community Hall; Orangeville Tennis Club; Orchards Residents Association; Queen Elizabeth School; Summer Smash Tennis; Tennis Manitoba; Tennis PEI; Tennis Yukon; Tournoi M25 Laval; Truro Tennis Club; UBC Women’s Tennis Team; and University of Manitoba.
The application process for the next round of Game. Set. Equity. Community Tennis Grants will open in early 2025.