A total of 20 clubs have been awarded funding by Table Tennis England as part of the Satellite Club initiative to create new opportunities in the sport.

Between 2017 and 2021, Table Tennis England aim to develop 132 Satellite Clubs, growing the opportunities for young people age 11 to 25 to get involved in table tennis.

This year, 20 organisations from across the country successfully applied for funding to develop a total of 36 new projects. They have been awarded up to £850 funding per project, with a target of reaching a combined 850 new Satellite Club participants during 2018/19.

Priority has been given to those projects looking to create a great club experience for young people, engage less active young people, and create new and exciting sessions for women and girls.

The organisations to receive funding are: Birmingham Table Tennis Development Group, Blackpool Table Tennis Club, Bolton TTC, Budehaven TTC, Castleford & Pontefract League, Chulmleigh TTC, City of Stoke on Trent TTC, Corby Smash TTC, Cumberland CLTC, Fusion TTC in partnership with Bacon’s Academy, Heaton Squash and Tennis Club, Highbury TTC, Hillingdon TTC, John Spence Community High School, Kings Road TTC, Knighton Park TTC, Nuneaton Table Tennis League, Portishead TTC, Table Tennis Rother, Waterloo TTC.

Portishead TTC in Somerset were awarded their funding for a new session at Gordano School. Speaking of the project, Derek Connop, Club Secretary and Development Officer said:

“At PTTC we are always looking at ways to bring our sport to a wider local audience. With our club training sessions being run out of a local school community sports hall and with the Head of PE at the school being Emma Rose, we were in a great position to set this up for our local juniors. Emma, who will head the sessions, is one of the top UK female veteran players and a Level 2 Coach.

“Following discussions with Emma we applied to Table Tennis England to help fund the project so we could make it as professional and as well-equipped as possible. With all the time going into the project being voluntary, the rewards from it will be through the development of the juniors at the school who already play for the club and through attracting new talent into the sport who will then hopefully become new junior PTTC members.”

To find out more about Portishead Table Tennis Club, click here to visit their club website

The next round of satellite club funding will open for applications in Spring 2019.