Rally4Ever & City Harvest host Tennis Festival for Wimbledon community

Australian tennis charity, Rally4Ever, hosted its annual community Tennis Festival with Emma Wells Tennis and City Harvest London, and a special appearance from Rally4Ever ambassador and former Wimbledon Champion, Pat Cash. The purpose of the event was to bring the community together through tennis and free food, provided by City Harvest Wimbledon-supported food rescue van: ‘Vandy Murray’.

Uniting the community through tennis & free food

Rally4Ever was formed to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of community members through tennis and social connection. In City Harvest’s latest People Report, Nourish to Flourish: How Food Boosts Mental, Physical and Community Health, the food redistribution charity focuses on the power of food as a social connector, especially via community eating. City Harvest has always championed social cohesion through free, nutritious food in its 10 years of existence.

This special event, led by Emma Wells Tennis – a leading tennis coaching company – aims to bring people together through the joy of tennis and foster social connections that enhance people’s mental and physical well-being.

Uniting the community through free food and tennis. Left to right: Emma Wells, City Harvest Head of Comms, Fiona Hollis & Rally4Ever CEO, Louise Pleming pictured with City Harvest’s ‘Vandy Murray’ food rescue van. Watch the video from the event above or here. 

Louise Pleming, Founder of RALLY4EVER, emphasized the organisation’s mission: “This year we are running the event again at Wimbledon Park Courts, the weekend before The Championships at Wimbledon kick off. We will be partnering with City Harvest who have been a part of the event in the past but will play a much bigger role this year. City Harvest also have a strong connection to tennis with the ‘Vandy Murray’ Van that fees people struggling to put food on their tables and also Wimbledon of course.”

Louise Pleming is an Australian ex professional tennis player, and BBC Wimbledon grand slam commentator.

Pat Cash, RALLY4EVER Ambassador, shared his enthusiasm for the event by saying:

“If we can use tennis as something to help lift people in our communities that are doing it tough, then we have to continue to find ways to reach them. That’s what RALLY4EVER does, and I am proud to be an ambassador.”

 The RALLY4EVER X City Harvest Tennis Festival is an open invitation to everyone in the community, especially those who might be facing challenges. RALLY4EVER is dedicated to using tennis as a means to break down barriers and provide opportunities for those who might not usually have access. We’re proud to partner with City Harvest to provide lunch after tennis and to support ongoing programs for the youth at Alton Estate through the Regenerate Youth Foundation.

City Harvest feeds 2.243 people every week in the Wimbledon area

Fiona Hollis, Head of Communications at City Harvest says:

“City Harvest feeds 2243 people every week in the area, and this event will help us extend our reach and impact. The cost-of-living crisis means that 1 in 4 people across the capital are going without food, severely affecting their physical and mental health. City Harvest vans rescue and deliver surplus food, for free, to organisations supporting families who cannot stretch their money far enough. Our People Report, published 1^st July, explains the real cost to society that we are facing and how we can help.”