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Barrow Table-Tennis
Centre opened in 1993 as a result of much campaigning
and hard-work by a team of volunteers, spearheaded by
the then league Chairperson and Millom stalwart John
Reid, and Parkview school teacher and organiser of the
school's table-tennis club, Roger Harris (who would
later succeed John as Chairperson).
The two had a
vision of transforming an old school gym which was set
to be demolished into a high-quality table-tennis
facility from
which the whole area could benefit.
Much hard-work
ensued as the laborious but necessary hard work in
obtaining grants, planning permission etc. took place; a
process made easier by assembling a team of dedicated
volunteers which eventually culminated in the centre
opening its doors for the first time some years later.
Since then, many
improvements have been made, including the addition of a
lounge area, a proper kitchen, disabled access and
facilities, and high quality changing facilities
including showers.
The centre has been
used to nurture the talents of many youngsters, some of
whom have progressed into International players in their
own right. It regularly hosts County School tournaments
under the CSTTA banner (Cumbria Schools' Table-Tennis).
A highlight in
recent years was the hosting of an International match
between England and Holland in 2005. The squads
practised in the Table-Tennis Centre, putting on a
demonstration for excited school-children, and then played
their matches in another Barrow venue to accommodate the
550+ crowd who had come to witness the thrilling
spectacle.
Another highlight
came in 2006 when the Barrow and District Table-Tennis
Centre was awarded the prestigious ‘Premier Club’
status, in recognition of the considerable work
undertaken by a number of directors, not least the then
Community Coach, Duncan Crawford.
The Barrow and
District Table-Tennis Centre aims to provide
opportunities for all without prejudice.
As a Premier
Club, the Table-Tennis Centre is always looking
forwards, exploring new avenues with its current
Chairperson, Mike Yardley, and its team of dedicated directors:
Eddie O'Hara, Duncan Crawford, John Farrer, Keith
Edwards, Ray Schwer and Keith Allen.
Why not visit one
of the North's top table-tennis facilities and try
your hand at this popular sport?
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