LAST week saw the start of free 20-hour coaching programmes in five schools across Basingstoke.

The free tennis is part of the package of opportunities given to local schools by the Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation, which brought its tennis trail back to Basingstoke for a third year in January.

Some 20 towns and cities across the UK have been selected for the foundation's work and Totally Tennis will be delivering and co-ordinating the effort in Basingstoke.

Oakley infant and junior schools, Cliddesden Primary, North Waltham Junior and the new Great Binfields school in Lychpit have all been taking part.

The aim is to encourage children, many of whom may not otherwise have the opportunity or incentive, to try tennis.

The foundation also donates tennis equipment and teacher resource packs to each of the five schools and, through the January trail, thousands of local children were also given vouchers for free taster sessions at Basingstoke's Indoor Tennis Centre, which is run by Totally Tennis.

Since the foundation, which is sponsored by Intelligent Finance, was established in 1991, more than 200,000 children have been encouraged to pick up a tennis racket and take up the game.

The aim of the trail is not only to encourage children to play but also to introduce tennis as a family sport and to fund and develop tennis programmes for children who are interested in playing and have shown potential.

Totally Tennis schools co-ordinator Jo Brett said: "The Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation undoubtedly provides opportunities for children but we can also use it to demonstrate how to set up a year-round tennis programme, regardless of the facilities and space available.

"Amazing facilities are not a prerequisite for a great programme. Totally Tennis itself was on outdoor courts for 10 years and the 19 school programmes we are running this year prove it."