Mission: Inspire people to get active, make friends and have fun by playing sport.
We’re a Community Interest Company driven to make the World a better place through sport - primarily tennis, pickleball and padel.
What We Do
We provide with expertise, programmes, coaches and equipment to those in need so they can launch successful and sustainable ongoing sports programmes. Programmes that enrich lives.
Our focus is on tennis, pickleball and padel and we look to link the organisations we work with to local clubs and groups.
We are driven to help people experience the amazing buzz that playing sport and exercising can bring.
If you take one group we work with - children - it is something our nation’s young people really do need! Indeed, in Dec 2021, Sport England released what it called ‘sobering and stark’ data that showed four million children aged between 5 and 16 failed to meet minimum recommended activity levels. The picture in 2024 remains similar.
Lord Willis, the Chair of the House of Lord’s Sport and Recreation Committee said: ‘The pandemic has made abundantly clear the pressing need to get the Country fitter and more active. However, participation in sport and recreation is flat-lining. Something needs to change and now is the time to do it.’
We agree with Lord Willis, we are driven to get children - and adults too - fit. We want everyone to understand what an amazing time they can have playing sport.
One of the organisations we have worked with is the John of Rolleston Primary School - who received the National Runner-Up Award in the School of the Year category in the LTA Awards. In the pic , the school and We Say Play’s Rob Salmon received the award from Kate Griffiths MP and Kate King from the LTA.
Who We Are
Hugo Lock
For Hugo, We Say Play is a combination of two vital aspects of what life is about- helping those in need and...tennis!
A former tennis coach himself, Hugo now works for the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), implementing responsible business and charitable giving strategies for clients, helping them support the communities and causes they care about.
Both wonderful and challenging times on court helped mould who is he today. He is dedicated to enabling similar experiences for people across the country.
Rob Salmon
Rob Salmon passionately believes tennis can bring you happiness, life skills & friendship. Rob started playing as a junior in Cumbria and went on to play for Cumbria and Derbyshire as a junior before heading to America to play University tennis.
He ended up working in the World of sports marketing for or alongside brands such as Premier League, UEFA NM, Samsung and Dunlop / Slazenger and throughout tennis was a constant positive companion.
In 2020, Rob fulfilled an ambition of becoming a full time tennis coach - he loves introducing children to the game of tennis!
He has coached in schools, at clubs and has Captained a number of County Junior Teams. Rob is equally passionate about tennis and pickleball and loves all racket sports. Rob hosts the My Tennis Journey podcast which brings compelling tennis stories to life - the podcast has appeared in tennis podcast charts around the World. Find out about the My Tennis Journey podcast here
Anne and John Allen
John and Anne Allen are passionate about sport and the benefits it gives to health and well-being, character development and the chance to create lifelong friendships.
They are tennis parents who have experienced the full journey with their daughter, from starting on park courts at the age of 4 through to playing on the Pro Tour.
Through We Say Play they aim to help introduce more people to tennis, padel and pickleball and the amazing opportunities and life skills it brings.
