Middlesex Tennis hosted the John James Disability Awards in partnership with the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust on 19th May 2026. An evening full of awe inspiring stories and laughter.
Held at Conway Lawn Tennis Club, the John James Disability Awards Evening brought together 45 guests from across Middlesex and beyond. The evening celebrated the outstanding individuals, clubs and organisations helping to make tennis more inclusive, accessible and welcoming for all.
Special Guests
A special highlight of the evening was welcoming Margaret Greer, Mayor of Enfield to the John James Disability Awards Evening 2026.
Her warmth, enthusiasm and genuine interest in hearing people’s experiences helped create such a positive and uplifting atmosphere throughout the event.
It was also a privilege to present awards alongside David James. David is the son of John James OBE, former President of Middlesex Tennis and a passionate advocate for disability inclusion within the sport.
John’s legacy continues to inspire and shape inclusive opportunities in tennis today
Beneficiaries of inclusive tennis programs
One of the most powerful aspects of the evening was hearing directly from participants who have personally benefited from inclusive tennis programmes. Their stories of resilience, confidence, friendship and belonging were both moving and inspiring.
Calum Manby, Tennis for All Manager at the Access to Sports project, spoke about how proud they had been when Finsbury Park had been named 2026 LTA Park Venue of the Year.
This was in recognition of their commitment to making tennis welcoming and accessible regardless of background or ability and included work with the Single Homeless Project, Black Tennis Mentors and the North London Lob-sters.
Ethan from Durants School was joined by his teacher Jazleen Minton to explain the benefits he had derived from the tennis sessions, and how they had helped to build his confidence.
Fozzie Foster, who led Conway’s Beginners and Improvers session explained how the programme started. Two of the original attendees, Rebecca and Alison, then talked of the positive impact it had had on them.
Jaidyn Murray had recently taken over as Head Coach at Highgate Tennis and Cricket Club.
He talked about his own journey as a coach and how this influenced his passion for opening up tennis and making it more inclusive for all.
Navneet Mann referred to the work she was doing at Sunny Hill Park in Hendon.
She had recently introduced regular walking tennis sessions in the park which had been very well received. Funding is being provided by Middlesex Tennis to help further grow this work.
Many guests commented afterwards on how impactful it was to place participant voices at the very heart of the celebration.
The event also created an important opportunity for clubs, coaches, volunteers and community leaders to connect, share ideas and learn from one another. While always keeping the experiences of participants central to the conversation.
Award Recipients
Congratulations to the following venues on their well-deserved recognition and continued commitment to inclusion within tennis.
THISTLEWORTH LAWN TENNIS CLUB
Daniel Balfe, Coach, said they had been honoured that the 2025 Down Syndrome Open had been recognised by Middlesex Tennis as the Competition of the Year.
The funding they were receiving from the John James Award would enable them to provide 18 sessions for players with Down’s syndrome between April and July in preparation for the 2026 tournament.
CONWAY LAWN TENNIS CLUB
Toby Bamber, Conway Coach, talked about the sessions they were currently running for students with autism and learning difficulties from two local schools, Durants and Oaktree.
The John James grant would allow them to extend their inclusion work still further, including establishing a weekly tennis session for participants from the Stepping Stones Day Care Centre.
HIGHGATE LAWN TENNIS CLUB
Sheila Kavanagh, Chair at Highgate, explained how inclusion is already embedded and at the very heart of much of the work that they already do at Highgate.
The John James award will enable them to build on this and to also run an Inclusive Holiday Camp.
Middlesex Inclusive Tennis Practitioners Network
LILY MILLS & BEN WHITLEY
Lily Mills and Ben Whitley received a Certificate of Recognition as Emerging Inclusive Tennis Practitioners. This new award records their achievement as being the first players with a Learning Disability to pass their LTA Level 1 Coach qualification.
They were then able to apply this in practice when supporting an inclusive tennis day for the Wheelpower charity.
Extra celebration for Conway
The evening also provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the remarkable history of Conway Lawn Tennis Club. It celebrated its centenary year in 2025. Over the last 100 years, the club has grown into one of Middlesex’s most active and community-focused venues.
It also holds a unique place in sporting history. Four members entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1971 for completing a marathon non-stop tennis match lasting an incredible 50 hours and one minute.
One reflection afterwards perfectly captured the spirit of the evening:
“The words I hear most from others who were there are inspiring, humbling, fun and celebratory — and for myself I couldn’t agree more. There was an extraordinary dynamic in the room, with people from across the region who had invested time and energy into disability inclusion. It was a wonderful privilege to have been there. A rare evening of support, community and coming together.”
It was a powerful reminder of why inclusive tennis matters so much — and why so many people continue to work tirelessly to ensure the sport is open to everyone.
And perhaps the final word should go to David James himself:
“Many thanks for a great evening — my Dad would have been so proud.”
Reliving the moments and energy from the evening
Video courtesy of Conway Tennis Club – click link below:
A powerful reminder that when tennis is made truly accessible, it doesn’t just grow—it transforms lives.
Thanks to all our attendees – a truly super evening – a snapshot below
“I was delighted to attend the Middlesex LTA and John James Disability Inclusion Awards at Conway Tennis Club. The evening was inspiring, uplifting and a wonderful celebration of the volunteers, coaches and organisations working so hard to ensure tennis is truly open and welcoming to everyone. It was especially encouraging to see how sport can bring people together across all backgrounds and abilities, creating confidence, friendship and community.”
Margaret Greer, Mayor of Enfield
Many thanks to Mark Nolan from Decoder for some fabulous photos of the evening. If you would like any copies please email Jane.
