TT club nets a grand

RESURGENCE: David Winterbottom, centre front, and fellow club members

AN OLDHAM table tennis club is staging ding-dong matches thanks to financial help.

Watersheddings side Pollards will start the new season with £1,000 worth of new kit, a new table and a training robot.

David Winterbottom, founder of the club, sees the much-needed support by Forever Manchester, a charity which tackles grass-root community regeneration, as a great boost for the club.

The builder (51), from St James, said: “I used to play table tennis years ago, and only got back into it last year. At the beginning I thought the club would only attract the youngsters but it’s amazing how many people my age have turned up for our sessions keen to get back into a sport they haven’t played for years.

“Our members are all ages, from 12 to 68. The sport is definitely making a real comeback, with around 60 teams in Oldham alone, and it’s great to be able to get people from St James’s involved. This money will go a long way to helping the sport in Oldham.”

The club began after David spotted potential in the rooms of Oldham Sports and Community Club, at The Pollards, Broadbent Road. After much effort he found support through an Oldham Council grant for £500 which got the club off the ground.

A year on, and the club, which is run on a voluntary basis is being used four nights a week — with three of those nights hosting Oldham and District League games.

Wednesdays are used as a drop-in session for local people of all standards attracting up to 20 players a week from 7pm to 9pm.

Gary Loftus from Forever Manchester said: “This club is a fantastic example of the community spirit we find regularly in our area. David saw an opportunity, felt he had the skills to lead it, and with a bit of financial help from the council and us has got it up and running.”