The New Milton Table Tennis Club recently achieved CLUBMARK re-accreditation from SPORT ENGLAND in conjunction with the sport’s National Governing Body, the ETTA (English Table Tennis Association).

The club was initially awarded its CLUBMARK status back in August 2010, but all clubs have to apply for re-accreditation after three years. If anything the re-accreditation process was more onerous than the original application, but the small team led by Club Treasurer and Press Officer Malcolm Floyd was more than equal to the challenge. After a few month’s of hard slog, the club’s Evidence File, which contained nearly 100 assorted documents including Action Plans and the de-rigueur Risk Assessments, was initially submitted to the ETTA’s Regional Development Officer, Lisa Williams who praised the quality of the submission when signing it off.

The Evidence File was then forwarded to the ETTA headquarters in Hastings where it was signed off on behalf of SPORT ENGLAND and the prestigious certificate issued to the club.

Club chairman Shaun Newcomb reiterated his comments made after the initial accreditation: “Attaining CLUBMARK accreditation has many benefits to the club, including sharing best practice across the board, helping our successful expansion, being listed as an Approved Club and opening the door to potential funding streams. Parents may be assured that their children belong to a safer club, and members can be assured that the club is a well-managed club, striving to offer the best in coaching and sports development”.

Pictured above, Chairman Shaun proudly shows off the club’s new Accreditation Certificate flanked by Treasurer & Press Officer Malcolm and Secretary Bev. Not included on the picture is Club Welfare Officer & Lead Coach Julie Smillie who gathered a lot of the information.

In terms of the ETTA’s own PremierClub star ratings, the New Milton club has a 4 STAR rating (5 STAR is the maximum rating) and is the highest rated PremierClub in the Bournemouth and District League. There is still quite a way to go for the club to achieve the maximum 5 STAR rating but the club is already nudging in the right direction.