A GROWING sports club are table-toppers after being named finalists for this year’s prestigious Local Club of the Year award at the Scottish Sports Awards.

Haddington Table Tennis Club – also finalists for the same award last year – have had an incredible 2017, promoting the sport throughout East Lothian and “changing people’s lives”.

The club has introduced table tennis tables to almost every primary school throughout the county, as well as sending extra equipment to secondary schools.

The club, founded in 2002 after a small article in the Courier, prides itself on allowing anyone of any ability to take up table tennis and boasts a healthy membership, with ages ranging from primary school to 95.

Joan James had not lifted a bat in more than 60 years until the club brought a table to her Haddington sheltered housing accommodation – she is now the club’s oldest member.

Martin Hayman, the club’s treasurer, said: “I’m not sure there are many other clubs who have a member of that age.

“Joan played table tennis in her youth but she had not hit a ball for over 60 years until we took a table into her sheltered housing site. She’ll be coming over to the awards ceremony and if we win she will be coming up on the stage!

“For Joan, the lounge at her sheltered housing used to be a place where people went to moan and complain, but she says now they go there to laugh. That reinforces why you do it.

“Another young member suffers from cerebral palsy, I was having a hit with him the other day and he managed to get the ball over the net twice in a row. He was grinning, he was cheering, it was unbelievable. That’s why we do it – it changes lives.”

With the help of direct club investment from sportscotland, the club, which is based in the town’s Corn Exchange, came up with a five-year plan to increase membership and promote participation.

Local welding firm Hab-Fab agreed a £15,000 sponsorship deal and the club won £50,000 through the Big Lottery People’s Project in April.

This has quickly accelerated its growth.

Now the club is up for an award once again, with the prizes handed out on December 7 at Glasgow’s Doubletree by Hilton Hotel.

Martin added: “When we won the People’s Project, basically what it allowed us to do was continue the process we started with sportscotland’s direct club investment.

“Winning the People’s Project allowed us to complete a five-year plan within a year, all the after-school activity, all the new clubs and it’s continuing.

“What we’re trying to do is get clubs set up in their own right; we have [clubs in] Dunbar and Musselburgh set up already and more will follow.”

And he added: “What we are creating is a Table Tennis East Lothian [organisation]; at the moment it sits within Haddington because six months ago they were both basically the same thing.

“Haddington is the vehicle for all clubs to come together and, going forward. it will become part of Table Tennis East Lothian.”