Outreach table tennis club 'is like a family'

A table tennis club supporting people of all ages is having a "phenomenal" impact on lives, organisers say.

Brighton Table Tennis Club supports people of all ages, from children to teenagers to adults with long term health conditions and those with low incomes, and its chair of trustees, Liz Fletcher, says it has become "like a family" to members.

The club was a finalist in last year's BBC Radio Sussex & BBC Radio Surrey Make A Difference Awards, which recognise those improving lives in their communities.

Co-founder and director of the club, Tim Holtam, said the recognition had been great, as he urged people to nominate "as many people as you can" for this year's awards.

Fletcher, who has volunteered at the club based in Upper Bedford Street for seven years, said community came first.

"It's not just a table tennis club," she said. "It's an outreach club. It's got lots of people involved (with) very interesting sessions across the whole community, like a family."

Children can attend after-school sessions combining table tennis with a cooking club, where they can learn skills before sitting down for a meal in the cafe.

For low-income families, it offers a safe space, life skills, a community and food on the table.

Holtam said affordability was central to how the club operates, with the cost of coaching sessions kept low, and help available for people who cannot afford to pay.

"If something is affordable, welcoming and accessible, then you can get everyone in," he said.

The focus was not on table tennis rankings, but rather the "holistic development of young people", he added.

Sessions include activities for adults with disabilities and a group called The Supertonics for people living with long-term health conditions such as Parkinson's.

Fletcher said the recognition was about more than winning, adding: "It's important to recognise all the good work being done."

Nominations for this year's Make a Difference Awards close on 31 March.

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