Paw-fect 24-hour tennis marathon

Paw-fect 24-hour tennis marathon

15 April 2015

FORGET Andy Murray or Serena Williams — search and rescue dogs Fern and Paddy have doubled up with Newcastle Tennis Club to raise much-needed funds for two local charities.

The club are running a 24-hour-fun tennis marathon from 12pm on Friday, May 1, to 12pm the following day in aid of suicide prevention charity PIPS/ Mind Your Mate and Yourself (MYMY), and the Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland North (SARDA IN).

As the most common reward for finding a person on a search is a tennis ball, Springer Spaniel Fern and Bloodhound Paddy, fitted in right at home on centre court.

And it will be deuce and strawberries all around, as the tennis club members join local businesses, and the local community for Newcastle’s version of Wimbledon.

Junior members will play from noon to 6pm on Friday and between 9am and noon on the Saturday, while the more experienced players — who may remember Bjorn Borg — will keep the yellow Slazenger balls bouncing long into the night. There will always be one court in constant play for 24 hours.

Club member Hazel Carder, who is one of the organisers, explained why the event is so important.

“We are a local club and wanted to do something which involved and supported the local community,” she said.

“We are privileged to be able to support PIPs/MYMY and SARDA IN, two charities which make a big difference to people’s lives but which rely on voluntary donations to deliver their services.

“I would encourage everyone to get involved, even if they haven’t picked up a tennis racket for a while, book a slot and enjoy a rally, all for a great cause. 

Neil Powell, Training Officer from SARDA IN, said that all of the money raised was going to help people in need.

“We are very indebted to Newcastle Tennis Club for organising this fantastic event and to the local community for raising vital funds.

“Lots of people are unaware of the highly trained specialist search and rescue dogs that are available free of charge to serve the people of Northern Ireland and beyond.”

He continued: “SARDA IN provide qualified search dogs which are specifically trained to search for people missing in mountainous terrain, lowland areas and collapsed structures locally and internationally.

“SARDA IN also provide drowned victim search dogs to locate people missing in rivers, lakes and the sea. Last year search dogs and their handlers responded to numerous calls for assistance.

“It is thanks to the expertise and dedication of unpaid volunteers that these dogs are ready at a moment’s notice to search for people in need or to bring vital closure to families.

“The money donated to SARDA IN as part of the 24 hour tennis marathon will go towards essential equipment and running costs, vehicles, boat and engine, national external assessment costs, waterproof clothing, dog jackets, first aid equipment and numerous other essentials to keep us operational.” 

Raymond Cunningham, from PIPs/MYMY, said: “We are extremely grateful to Newcastle Tennis Club and the local community for taking part in this great event. The money raised will all go towards ensuring our services are as widely available as possible.

“We are an organisation focused on helping people raise self esteem, self awareness, self care and ultimately this will result in self respect for one’s self.

“To have self respect for one’s self is what life’s journey is all about. As many of you are aware suicide is too common in our communities and many individuals are finding certain aspects of their life a challenge.

“In today’s society some individuals struggle on a daily basis with a range of issues including bereavement, financial concerns, relationship problems, sexuality, etc. We at PIPS/MYMY are simply here to help.”

For further information about the tennis marathon contact Hazel Carder on 07786 636866, Wendy Laffin on 07955 310095 or www.newcastletennisclub.com.