The Wimbledon Foundation and the British Red Cross video transcript

Paige Murphy – Head of the Wimbledon Foundation:

One of the goals of the Wimbledon Foundation is to respond in times of need.

So, we began our partnership with the British Red Cross in 2020, initially to help respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

And we've continued that partnership to support the Red Cross to respond to domestic and global disasters across the world.

Mike Adamson – Chief Executive, British Red Cross:

The British Red Cross provides support here in the UK to people in crisis in emergencies.

From flooding and the impacts of climate change, but also helping people get on their feet again after coming out of hospital, supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and then really responding to these challenges we have around the world right now.

Lorenzo Amorosino – British Red Cross Young Refugee Project Coordinator:

Working with the Wimbledon Foundation has been absolutely great.

Apart from the financial support that they've been providing to the Red Cross, they've also provided towels for our volunteers and for our young people, and they've just been absolutely amazing.

Paige Murphy:

This year the All England Club, in partnership with the LTA, is making a donation - £1 for every ticket holder across the fortnight.

And we're also going to be welcoming refugee guests across the championships again to just really enjoy a special day and help them feel welcomed.

Today we've got an amazing tennis clinic. We've been able to invite some young refugees from across London to join our head coaches and to deliver a really fun and engaging day.

They're also going to get to visit the museum and have a tour of the grounds and see Centre Court before all the action begins.

Lorenzo Amorosino:

When they arrived, I think they were a bit surprised at how surreal it was.

You could see it on their faces like they were just in shock, they looked around at the facilities it was amazing.

And then they started playing around and it was just, it was really nice to see them enjoying themselves and just enjoying the experience as a whole.

Benham – British Red Cross refugee service user:

Yeah, today we're at the event to play the tennis at Wimbledon and I'm really excited.

In Paris I never imagined I'm gonna come close up to see this place which many , famous people, came here and get a championship.

Yeah I'm really excited today.

Paige Murphy:

As part of our partnership with the British Red Cross, it's really important that we can help welcome refugees and people that are being supported by their amazing services.

So we really hope it inspires them, gives them a flavour of Wimbledon and helps them to just get out of their environment and experience something new.

Benham:

Maybe one day I’ll play tennis at the championship in Wimbledon. I don’t know. It’s just a dream.