Well known local MP Julian Lewis declared the new Waterside Table Tennis Centre open on Saturday and symbolically served the first ball in the officially opened new centre as he did so.
The opening was a culmination of a huge and sustained effort by all the partners involved to provide a table tennis centre of the highest standards. The Waterside Club, an ETTA "Premier Club" and "Clubmark" certified club received funding support from Sport England through the English Table Tennis Association, New Forest District Council and Testwood Sports College to enable this to happen. The £250,000 building project included modification of the Testwood Sports College sports hall to add large table tennis storage, disabled facilities, refurbished entrance, a social area and kitchen facilities and most importantly high quality lighting to enable table tennis at the highest level to be played at the facility. The lighting in the centre is of such a high quality that it meets the lighting requirements to play the Olympic table tennis final. The club was also recently awarded £9500 from Awards for All to equip the centre with 12 new rollaway tables, court surrounds and other equipmen. The club are grateful to Jarvis Sports who made sure that despite short notice they had 12 of the top class Donic Delhi Rollaway tables delivered from Germany in time for the beginning of the Southampton Table Tennis Association Premier Division league program which has moved to this exceptional new venue.
The Official Opening Day was a huge success with the centre open from 2pm and free table tennis on offer - 16 tables were full most of the afternoon with participants including young and old. The cafe ably run by the parents of one of our young players was hectic all day with it being very much an integral part of the community focus of the club. On the tables players from the age of 7 to 80 strutted their stuff and a delightful family atmosphere pervaded the occasion. As expected not only did we have people attending from the immediate locality but also from a wider area of Hampshire with one group travelling down from Basingstoke to take part in the opening celebration.
As the day progressed people attending changed with some leaving and new ones arriving. As 7pm approached and the official party appeared to open the facility the attendance figures had gone well into 3 figures.
The official party were Julian Lewis MP, Diccon Gray (ETTA National Development Manager), Councillor Les Puttock (Deputy Chairman, New Forest District Council), Councillor Di Brooks (Totton Councillor and Portfolio Holder for Leisure, New Forest District Council) and Jamie Burton (Sport and Youth Development Officer, New Forest District Council).
Waterside Table Tennis Club Chairman Colin French introduced the Official Party and gave an overview of the project. Diccon Gray the ETTA National Development Manager spoke about the project and the Waterside Club. "The Waterside Club are well known to us at ETTA, they always do things the right way" Diccon went on to say that the ETTA had great confidence in the Waterside Club and was sure that they would go from strength to strength now that they had a wonderful new venue.The evening progressed then with Julian Lewis MP daring to go where politicians and performers fear to tread and took to the table with 11yr old Chrissie Slot. Julian paid tribute to the club and and all those who made the project happen before declaring the centre open and playing the first ball in the officially opened centre by executing a successful serve to Chrissie.
With the centre now officially opened events continued and John McBeath and Brian Hayes gave a short exhibition match for the assembled guests and members and Waterside's Head Coach Ken Macleod conducted a short Multiball Workshop for coaches. Councillor Les Puttock stepped up to take part and very quickly was feeding a reasonable multiball pattern. The relaxed friendly atmosphere at the opening typified the atmosphere that has been present since the facility was completed and that the club is actively encouraging.
