Thriving Staffordshire ping pong club for over 60s is scoring top points
Members of a thriving seniors table tennis club are proving they are no push overs. The Cheslyn Hay Bat & Chat group for over 60s is scoring a big hit in the community.
The club which started six years ago with four members and is growing from strength to strength with between 30 and 40 players attending sessions twice a week at Cheslyn Hay Village Hall in Pinfold Lane in Cheslyn Hay.
Club secretary John Quinn explains how the spin off initiative launched by Cheslyn Hay Table Tennis team got going with the help of a £2,000 grant from Table Tennis England which was spent on tables, nets, bats and balls as a kick start.
"We started at 2019 due to a Table Tennis England initiative called Bat & Chat for beginners aged over 60. We started with four people and now we getting between 30 and 40 players. We think it's taken off because it reduces isolation and loneliness for the people who come.
"People like to have a game and meet people in friendly atmosphere. Bat & Chat is a non-profit activity and all money raised goes towards outings and meals. We also organise social activities, such as, horse racing nights and dinners which have a popular following of up to 60 players and friends.
"It’s giving people quality of life. Some are widowed and some have mental health issues. The most important thing we're seeing is the laughter that comes out.
“We all love it. Its grown and every person who comes says this is a part of our life and look forward to coming.”
Its Christmas gathering at Hednesford's Olive Grove restaurant attracted 80 people.
"We started just before Covid hit and we were able to stay open during the pandemic. We sanitised the equipment and followed the government guidelines. We created player bubbles of six to a table and that worked. We cleansed everything and provided masks to keep everyone safe," John says.
The group meets 1.30am-3.30pm on Wednesdays and 2.30pm-4.30pm on Thursdays. The cost is free for first week and £3 thereafter for admission, games, hot drinks and biscuits.
John, aged 76, a retired gardener set up the club with Barry Merrett, John Short and Ray Avry.
They are members of the main table tennis club which is based at Salem Church in High Street. The thriving club is celebrating its 51st anniversary this year.
More more details about Cheslyn Hay Bat & Chat group phone the organisers on 07846-496715.
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