Brendoncare Clubs and Table Tennis England are excited to announce the launch of a new table tennis club for older people in Bournemouth and local people are invited to come along and get involved.

Improving hand-eye co-ordination and reflexes, table tennis is a fun sport which is gentle on the joints and can help to improve balance. These benefits all make it an ideal sport for the not-so-young to play.

Brendoncare Clubs is part of registered charity The Brendoncare Foundation and runs over 90 clubs for older people across Dorset and Hampshire.

These clubs offer a wide range of activities from indoor kurling and singing to cinema evenings and even clubs which meet in local pubs. This is the charity’s first table tennis club in Dorset and it will run initially for six weeks with the support of Table Tennis England, the governing body for the sport.

Locality Manager for Brendoncare Clubs, Cindy Walker, commented “We are delighted to have the support of Table Tennis England for the launch of this new club and we hope lots of people from the local area will come along and join in. We hope to be able to make this a permanent club, if there is enough demand. We know from experience that people live happier and more fulfilled lives if they are able to enjoy the companionship of like-minded people, stay mentally and physically active and mix with friends, so table tennis is an ideal activity to offer.”

The new club will start on Wednesday 22 March and run until early May (with a break for Easter) between 10.30am and 12pm. The club will meet at Strouden Park Community Centre, 31 Vanguard Road, Strouden, Bournemouth, BH8 9NU. With a cost of only £3 per week, refreshments will be available throughout the session for those wanting a break from the action.

The charity is also looking for volunteers to help the run club. No previous experience is necessary – just a sense of fun and the desire to help others. All volunteers receive training and support from Brendoncare, which is accredited with the ‘Investing in Volunteers’ award.

Anyone interested in finding our more about the table tennis club can call Brendoncare Clubs on 01962 852133 or visit the charity’s website www.brendoncare.org.uk/clubs.