Celebrating Girls’ Leadership Through Tennis

We are pleased to share details of an exciting initiative our students have taken part in, funded by Kent Tennis and linked to International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. The project promoted girls’ physical and mental well-being through tennis, while also developing confidence and leadership skills.

Why Our School Was Chosen

St John’s Catholic Comprehensive School was selected because of our close links with nearby Park Tennis courts. This creates real opportunities for our students to continue their involvement in tennis through volunteering, leadership roles, and future training in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and local clubs.

What Our Students Have Been Doing

Step Into Tennis

Students took part in a 1.5-hour Cardio Tennis session where they:

• enjoyed fun, fitness-focused tennis activities

• explored the International Women’s Day theme of “Lean in Girls”

• discussed leadership and gender stereotypes

• reflected on how girls can be empowered to lead

Supporting Park Tennis Launch Events

Students were then invited to volunteer at the launch of refurbished Park Tennis venues across Gravesham, including Windmill Hill, Woodlands Park and Wombwell Park.
They helped to:

• support younger pupils during school events

• assist with inclusive tennis activities such as Cardio Tennis and Walking Tennis

• contribute to community sports events open to all abilities

These experiences helped students build communication, teamwork and leadership skills while supporting their local community.

LTA Youth Leaders Course

Students also had the opportunity to complete the LTA Youth Leaders Course, developing valuable leadership skills and experience that they can build on in the future.

Award Recognition

Because of the outstanding commitment, teamwork and leadership shown by our students throughout this project, St John’s Catholic Comprehensive School has been nominated in the category of ‘School of the Year’ and has been selected as a finalist in the LTA / Kent Tennis Awards 2026.

The awards ceremony will take place at:
Avenue Tennis, Featherby Road, Gillingham, ME8 6AN, on Saturday 7 February 2026.

We are extremely proud of our students for gaining this recognition at county level.

Looking Ahead

This project has inspired many of our students to consider future volunteering and leadership roles in tennis, and even the possibility of helping run future school tennis clubs. Most importantly, it has encouraged our girls to feel confident, active and empowered — both on and off the court.