Whitley, UK: Jaguar UK today marked the conclusion of National School Sport Week by bringing a taste of the Championships, Wimbledon 2021, to Malmesbury Primary school in Merton, London.
The pop-up centre court experience marks the beginning of Jaguar UK’s tennis kit drop, a nationwide initiative by Jaguar retailers to engage with their local schools and communities. It is the ambition of Jaguar to provide ‘unmatched’ experiences by donating tennis nets, rackets and balls that will engage children with the physical activity recommended to help them recover from a year lost to the pandemic.
Arriving with a fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, tennis ambassador Kyle Edmund joined TV presenter, author and mental health advocate Frankie Bridge to transform Malmesbury Primary School’s playground to replicate the famous grounds of SW19.
Edmund and Bridge led an introductory tennis session for the school’s Year 6 pupils with the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s Dan Bloxham, to bring some fun and inspiration to their PE lesson.
Frankie Bridge said, “As a mum, I know how important it is for kids to have a physical and fun outlet. It’s been a turbulent year for families; kids have been away from their friends and teachers for most of it and are just going into the summer holidays, so it’s amazing to see these Year 6 pupils playing with each other in a safe and fun way before term is up.”
Speaking at the event, Jaguar ambassador Kyle Edmund said: “Exercise is essential for the physical and mental well-being of everyone, especially young children. It was great to arrive with Jaguar and deliver an experience that is unmatched for the children and their teachers. The last year has been extremely tough for everyone, so it was great to see the kids running around with smiles on their faces.”
Lucy Rivaldi, deputy head teacher, Malmesbury Primary school, commented: “We are extremely grateful to Jaguar for facilitating this event for our Year 6 pupils. Transforming our playground into a centre court and having Kyle Edmund and Frankie Bridge on hand to assist has provided a PE lesson that our school will never forget. With Jaguar kindly donating the tennis equipment, we can provide tennis lessons with quality equipment for the foreseeable future.”
Rawdon Glover, managing director, Jaguar Land Rover UK, added: “The recent pandemic has brought huge disruption to children and young people’s lives. In many cases children are much less active than before. With everything unlocking, we at Jaguar are wanting to encourage children to return to regular exercise and enjoy playing sport collectively. Through our partnership with The All England Lawn Tennis Club, we are proud to be delivering a national programme that will help build a tennis legacy in communities who need support the most.”
