Sport Northern Ireland has teamed up with Ulster Tennis and charity Tennis For Free to offer all district councils across Northern Ireland the opportunity to offer free tennis sessions.

The campaign is part of a strategy to make tennis more accessible by creating an inclusive atmosphere designed to enhance community engagement in tennis.

The Tennis for Free model is split into two one-hour sessions, coach-led for the first hour, followed by an open play time.

The free sessions will offer three options – a parent and child group, a beginners section and an improvers group.

The framework has been designed to allow players of all skill levels to engage in a variety of different drills and games in the first hour, during which they can improve their racquet skills. The second hour is designed that the community can be given the skills to deliver the session themselves in the longer-term.

“Money can be scarce, so with this great free programme, it will encourage people of all ages and abilities to get involved in the sport, make new friends and maybe in years to come, we will see someone from the programme competing at Wimbledon," said Sport Northern Ireland chair, George Lucas.