British wheelchair tennis champion gets grant boost from Northamptonshire couple

Dermot Bailey is the first beneficiary of The Mick and Sheila White Fund, a fund that has been set up by husband and wife Mick and Sheila and facilitated by Northamptonshire Community Foundation to support the county’s rising sporting talent.

Dermot Bailey has a promising career ahead of him, if this year is anything to go by. He has managed to break into the world top 50, make it into the senior GB team and win the national singles title.

Last month Dermot was invited to Rio by the Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis team to observe, this was a great experience for the 22 year old from Kettering who is preparing himself for Tokyo in four years’ time.

Mick and Sheila founded the successful company Dalepak, worldwide warehouse, distribution and packaging specialists.

Mick White said “Sheila and I have known Dermot for around seven years, initially during our time at Dalepak when we supported him. He has never allowed his disability to get in the way of his determination to succeed on court and in life and if anything it has spurred him on even more. He is also a lovely, genuine lad.”

The fund plans to award grants from £500 up to a possible £2,500 to provide support for young people driven to excel in their sporting career.

“People such as Dermot exactly fit the criteria of the type of local sports achiever we want to encourage, being positive with a healthy will to succeed. With his excellent coach Mark Taylor they make a formidable team.”

The programme will be launched on Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s website (www.ncf.uk.com) in the coming weeks.