A new table tennis club based at Aquinas College has taken off almost as fast as the game itself thanks to a grant received from Life Leisure’s David Hopkins Foundation serving the Stockport Table Tennis Academy with a brand new top of the range table!
Left: Daniel Clarke playing for Aquinas Collage in the Silver-Bronze decider match of the British College Sports finals against Brockenhurst College
Since its arrival, over 20 regular players are enthusiastically attending the weekly training sessions run by professional coaches from the Academy and creating a growing number of up and coming players including William Gregson, aged 12, who is ranked in the top 50 nationally and Aquinas College student Daniel Clarke who recently won a silver medal in the British College Sports National Championships.
Rob Clarke, volunteer and coach at Stockport Table Tennis Academy comments:
“It’s brilliant to see that table tennis is still a popular sport with the younger generation. It’s so good for health and fitness and for building confidence. We are delighted to see that many of the college students are trialling the game for the first time, what’s more, many of these students may not otherwise be participating in any form of sport.
“The David Hopkins Foundation and Life Leisure’s generous support is helping to widen sports opportunities for young people in Stockport. With their help we have been able to buy a top quality piece of equipment that will last for decades. It’s an investment that will serve the community for years to come and we want to encourage more young people to have a go at this exciting sport.”
Giving students a break!
Students at the College are also given access to the table during class breaks and as an extracurricular activity. The College now has a new junior team in the Manchester Table Tennis League and have got off to a cracking start in the competitive arena.
Mandy Waller, spokesperson for the David Hopkins Foundation run by Life Leisure is impressed with what the club is achieving locally and added,
“The clubs aim to provide opportunities for youngsters to develop healthy lifestyles and positive attitudes toward sport and fitness, is one we are also passionate about at Life Leisure. We completely endorse their enthusiasm for the sport and increasing participation, Life Leisure wants to give everyone the chance to get more active. Through the Foundation we are able to reach out and support even more people in the Stockport community.”
The David Hopkins Foundation – is supporting local charities and other good causes that help people to become more active and participate in sport or physical activity. Applications for up to £500 are invited from individuals living in Stockport and for up to £1000 for registered charities or clubs that are based in the Stockport Borough.
Apply for a grant…
The grant application form is simple to complete, so if you would like to apply for funding for your activity or project from the David Hopkins Foundation please visit
www.lifeleisure.net/enterprise/charity or call 0161 482 0900.
For more information and how to take part visit www.stockporttabletennisacademy.co.uk
1) Daniel Clarke playing for Aquinas Collage in the Silver-Bronze decider match of the British College Sports finals against Brockenhurst College
2) Team photo of the full Aquinas College team (L-R Dan Davies, Daniel Clarke, Tom Belsham).