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BH Live breaking barriers on the tennis court with top award
13 May 2026
Portsmouth Tennis Centre is celebrating another major achievement after being recognised once again by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) for its outstanding commitment to inclusivity.
The centre has been crowned the 2025 Hampshire and Isle of Wight winner in the ‘Tennis Opened Up’ category at the LTA Tennis Awards for the third consecutive year, underlining its continued leadership in making tennis accessible to everyone, regardless of ability or background.
Adding to this success, Portsmouth Tennis Centre has also been presented with a prestigious LTA Tennis Excellence Award, recognising the centre’s wider contribution to the sport and its lasting impact across local communities.
The LTA Tennis Awards recognises the vital work volunteers, coaches, officials, and players contribute to make tennis an enjoyable, safe, and accessible sport for all.
Owned by Portsmouth City Council and operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live, Portsmouth Tennis Centre is committed to delivering fun and inclusive community sport.
BH Live’s dedicated coaching team works closely with the LTA and a range of community partners to deliver a truly inclusive coaching framework. Each programme is designed to ensure everyone has the opportunity to play, develop skills and enjoy the physical and social benefits of tennis.
Currently, more than 400 players attend weekly tennis sessions at the centre, including people living with head injuries, dementia, Down’s Syndrome and visual impairments.
Sessions are carefully adapted to meet individual needs, with adjustments such as smaller courts, raised court lines, lightweight rackets, foam tennis balls and slower-paced games. The centre itself is fully accessible, featuring ramps, automatic electric doors and accessible toilet facilities.
The team is equally passionate about introducing young people to the sport. Throughout the year, Portsmouth Tennis Centre hosts free open days, giving families the chance to try tennis through fun games and coaching activities.
BH Live also funds and delivers coaching sessions to hundreds of schoolchildren across Portsmouth, helping to inspire the next generation of players. This includes funding from the Tim Henman Foundation, enabling coaches to deliver funded sessions for four SEND schools in the local community.
Last year alone, more than 1,600 children attended the centre’s popular school holiday camps. Half of these spaces were provided through Portsmouth City Council’s HAF Fun Pompey programme, funded by the UK Government, which offers free activities and hot meals to children from families receiving benefits and those eligible for free school meals.
The centre is also home to ACE Academy, a tennis programme for children aged 5-16 taught alongside the LTA’s youth learning framework.
On behalf of BH Live, Macca Neaves, Tennis Manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised once again by the LTA. Winning the regional Tennis Opened Up Award for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for the third-year running, alongside receiving a Tennis Excellence Award, is a huge achievement for our coaching team. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do at Portsmouth Tennis Centre, and this recognition reflects the passion, dedication and care our coaches bring to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to enjoy tennis, no matter their age or ability.”
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