Nadal close-up is ace award for volunteer
NIGEL Wills, chairman of Frampton-on-Severn Tennis Club, has been presented the LTA Volunteer of the Year award for the Midlands.
The prize was handed out by the Duchess of Gloucester at The O2 Arena and Wills was invited to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
He also got an exhilarating close-up of world number two Rafael Nadal warming up on the practice court.
And Wills explained that a combination of surprise and delight accompanied his success.
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"To be honest I wasn't aware the award existed, but I'm delighted," he said.
"And it must have been difficult to choose as there were plenty of inspirational people involved.
"I'm relatively surprised that it was me who won really!
"Considering I had no experience of running a club prior to this I'm pleased with how it's gone.
"But my team and I will continue to expand the club.
"We were put up in a hospitality suite at the O2 and it was a great day.
"To get so close to Nadal practising was another experience completely to watching either from the stands or on TV."
Wills has been the driving force behind the club's expansion since its inception in 2006, culminating in the Clubmark status they received in January.
His dream of turning a field into a thriving tennis club became a reality five years ago when planning and funding was agreed for three floodlit courts to be built.
"It's been quite a journey," Wills said.
"Our progress has been amazing since the courts were built. "In the last four years we've attracted 200 members and now have juniors travelling from 20 miles away to play here.
"I've been very fortunate to have such a fantastic coach as Jason Boon involved.
"He's been here three years and has had a terrific impact and is incredibly talented."
Wills applied for additional funding and planning permission for a club pavilion.
Approval was given in 2009 and a year later it was built next to the courts, and Boon praised Wills' commitment and modesty.
He said: "Nigel is always the first person to thank anyone else for helping out but refuses to take any of the credit himself."
For more information about the club visit www.framptontennisclub.co.uk
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