ACE Programme 2021 Report to ICP Despite Auckland being in COVID lockdown for 120 days we've had fun with the ACE Programme which has had a very satisfying year. We've delivered a full set of ACE Programme lessons to 96 disadvantaged children and a partial set to a further 42. We're very pleased with the quality of the lessons, which will be refined further over time. 2022 is very uncertain. Indeed, the ACE Programme is on hold for the time being. Schools are unlikely to welcome us until the pandemic has subsided and being around unvaccinated children is not appropriate for ICNZ members and volunteers. We will review this during the year and will be in touch should the ACE Programme swing back into action. We continue to be amazed how many of the children are ready to play more tennis following the lessons. The practicalities of this are challenging and we will work up relationships with Clubs in the future. With the Sir Douglas Bader classes, we were intending holding one lesson at the local tennis club, but were frustrated with the COVID lockdown. We love telling people what we are doing with the ACE Programme and it is easy for people to get in behind it. It is fun and very satisfying. Whilst the ACE Programme will be in short term hibernation, it is ready to come back out and grow. Russell Tills Chair ACE Charitable Trust Lessons ACE Programme 2021 Campbell Cramer-Roberts has led the ACE Programme in 2021 as Head Coach. For the first time, all 8 lessons have been delivered after being re-written for a larger class size and a COVID interrupted 2020. We’ve expanded the number of coaching assistants to four, and five volunteers served in 2021. Campbell has devoted hours to the filming of the lessons. Now the filming has been delivered, we will seek help from Tennis NZ to document them in hard copy. We will then be ready to pivot towards recruiting lead coaches and working with Clubs. Filming ACE Programme 2021 Our videographer, Alexander Hillary has done some wonderful work. The editing and narration work has been extensive in terms of hours. We have finalised a folio of 8 lessons, together with an introductory video and a promotional video. Schools ACE Programme 2021 ACE Programmes have been held with Bairds Mainfreight (Primary) in South Auckland and Glen Innes School (Intermediate) in East Auckland, both decile 1 schools. With 2 classes at each school the ACE Programme was delivered to 96 disadvantaged children in Terms 1 & 2. A professional development lesson was also delivered to the teachers at Glen Innes School. Questionnaire feedback (self-assessment from the students) was again outstanding. The teaching staff were full of praise for the programme. An ACE Programme commenced at Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate in South Auckland working with 2 classes (42 disadvantaged children) fortnightly in Term 3. Unfortunately, we managed only 4 lessons before Auckland was struck with COVID lockdown in mid-August. No further ACE Programme lessons were held in the remainder of 2021. Russell Tills Chair ACE Charitable Trust
