Hilda Moore, of Marlborough Tennis has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2026 New Year’s Honours. The citing for her award is for ‘Tennis Coaching and Volunteering’. But it could well be described as being in recognition of what Hilda has done for sport Marlborough, and Marlborough.
It’s been a year of recognition and awards for Hilda – earlier this year she received with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the LTA National Tennis Awards, and Marlborough Tennis was also recognised as Club of the Year at the same ceremony. Hilda’s role in establishing Marlborough Tennis, and excellence and involvement of sport in Marlborough is now becoming properly recognised.
We noted earlier that it would be no exaggeration to say that tennis in Marlborough and Hilda Moore were synonymous. But beyond just tennis Hilda was instrumental in establishing the cross-cutting Marlborough Sports Forum helping run annual events for over one hundred and fifty children across twelve sports to encourage physical activity. Hilda was an early adopter as a ‘She Rallies’ ambassador joining Judy Murray. She started our growing ‘Walking Tennis’ offer in 2024 at the club, working collaboratively with the local U3A.
Before Marlborough it was Glasgow. Hilda played tennis from age ten, joining the Titwood Tennis Club committee at the age of just nineteen. On moving South she joined Marlborough Tennis Club, was appointed chair in 2002 – a role that she held until 2018 – and qualified as a coach here in 2004.
Hilda has coached a wide range of players ever since. Her energy saw junior tennis grow to one hundred and twenty juniors on the programme, recruiting four coaches. This grew coaching income from zero in 2003 to £12k in 2005 and remained at that level until the club recruited a full-time coach. Following her appointment as Chair in 2002, her leadership and enthusiasm enabled the club to think big and move to a new site, obtaining loans and grants for the new six court site. This challenge cannot be understated. The club had planning permission refused at various sites, funds were dwindling, and Marlborough Tennis had to rent courts in the intervening period. She successfully helped steer the club to its new venue in 2018. Hilda continues to volunteer as a Trustee in a coaching lead role.
We congratulate Hilda on her award, recognition of everything she has done for tennis in Marlborough, but it’s more than that, it’s for everything that she’s achieved for Marlborough.
MBE for Sarah Annable-Gardner of Action Through Enterprise
