Brighton Table Tennis Club are cock-a-hoop after being named the best sports club in Britain in the Daily Mirror Pride of Sport Awards.

Paralympic champion Will Bayley and tennis ace Johanna Konta presented the award at a ceremony last night, in front of the great and the good of British sport.

Club co-founder Tim Holtam and the irrepressible Harry Fairchild, Britain’s first table tennis coach with Down’s Syndrome, were among the delegation on stage to receive the award.

It completes a memorable week for the club, which also released a music single to celebrate its place in the community.

The award citation read: “Breaking down barriers and uniting people of all ages, including refugees, people with disabilities and asylum seekers, through a mutual love of table tennis.”

The award judges said of the club: “We talk about the power of sport to bring people together, and there could not be a better example than Brighton Table Tennis Club.

“It is a simple idea, but executed so brilliantly and it’s having such a profound effect. Every town and city should have a club like this.”

The ceremony was held at Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane. Among the other award winners were England’s Cricket World Cup and Ashes hero Ben Stokes (Inspirational Performance), world athletics champion Dina Asher-Smith (Sporting Hero), Liverpool football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish (Lifetime Achievement) and former Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas (Sporting Inspiration).