Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about a not-for-profit organisation doing amazing things for the community in the Ryan electorate. Return Serve is a not-for-profit tennis organisation, which facilitates tennis opportunities for people who do not have the available resources to become involved in the sport. These may be people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, they may have a disability or they may be new to our country and still struggling to get on their feet. Tennis is one of those great sports that you can play and enjoy all your life, young and old, and is a great way to make new friends. The participants meet once a week and have access to top-level coaching and instruction. In addition, the program provides assistance to early career coaches in helping them attain higher certification levels. Queensland's young elite players also lend their skills to the program, providing them with an opportunity to give back to their sport.

During National Volunteers Week, I was honoured to attend a Return Serve session at the Queensland Tennis Centre and present certificates to the volunteers involved in the program. It was inspiring to see the participants, who come from a range of backgrounds, enjoying an afternoon of tennis activities and coaching with the dedicated volunteers. I must commend the founder of Return Serve, Queensland's National Academy Head Coach, Dave Hodge, who is ably assisted by Gary Tupicoff, the Multicultural Development Association and Return Serve's volunteers, on the important work they are undertaking in our community.