Who are we?
Thornbury Table Tennis Club is a very friendly place for people to come to and play table tennis. People come to play for fun or to improve their game, or both! We run a number of teams in the Stroud League but the Club isn’t just about the teams. The club is different from many others, as we welcome players of all abilities, encourage mixing of players so that the less experienced get useful support from the more experienced, and there is usually socialising after the club sessions to help build friendships. We are proud to have a good representation of women and children, and proud of having a couple of players well into their eighties!
We have close links with the local University of the Third Age (U3A) organisation, helping a number of more senior people to get involved in the game, which is known to be one of the most accessible sports, helping both physical and mental agility for all ages. We have a number of juniors who have now joined our league teams, and are developing very quickly! We are looking to develop links with the local school to encourage wider participation.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Our club nights are becoming increasingly popular, but despite the additional numbers, our fee income does not quite cover the hire of the hall, let alone provide any surplus for future improvements such as buying replacement tables. We have been keeping our fees low, to encourage a broad range of people to come along and this is reflected in the great mix of individuals at the Club.
We have seven good table tennis tables, two other tables that can be used and another three that are damaged and no longer fit for use. We are looking to replace the damaged tables so that we can provide a better experience for players and provide more tables for more players. We are also looking to fund some additional coaching to help develop our players, particularly the juniors and newcomers to the club and to run a trial session for pupils at the school whose sports hall we rent out.
Sport England has very generously given us a grant of £2.3k towards the purchasing of tables and additional coaching. But this grant is conditional on us raising the same amount through Crowdfunder, to result in an overall total of £4,595. So please give what you can to help us achieve our part of the target.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project really happen:
1. Make a donation. We have ten weeks to raise the money, so please don’t delay if you’re going to support us!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell your family, friends, colleagues and local community to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by making a donation, or donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will make sure you are publicly thanked!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – perhaps your own sponsored table tennis activity, or something else – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. We are interested in any good ideas, and setting things up is very easy!
Conclusion
With your help we can continue to provide a vibrant, welcoming space for all who share our passion in the game of table tennis. Whether you can give a little or a lot, every contribution brings us closer to achieving our goal. So thank you so much from all of us at Thornbury Table Tennis Club for any donations. We really look forward to being able to offer a better playing experience for our members and to encourage newcomers to get involved in this wonderful game!