In July, the Jersey Community Foundation awarded grants to the Arts, Culture, Heritage, Sports and Science sectors from the CI Lottery proceeds. The change in how the CI Lottery proceeds are awarded means that 50% of the proceeds go to local charities and good causes via the Association of Jersey Charities and 50% to the Arts, Culture, Heritage, Sports and Science sectors via the Jersey Community Foundation. This change in how the lottery funds are distributed will enable a wider range of organisations to apply for funding.
One organisation on the receiving end of a grant for £4,725 was the Jersey Table Tennis Association who are using the funds to operate after-school coaching session from this month for budding table tennis players.
These sessions will provide table tennis coaching, 5 days a week in term time with each session lasting 90 minutes and led by a fully trained and experienced coach. Sessions take place at 4pm until 5.30pm in The Geoff Reed Table Tennis Centre at FB Fields in St Clement and are available for both beginners and improvers. Keen players will then be encouraged to become junior members of the association and potentially future Island, world or Olympic table tennis champions!
Paul Routier, President of the Jersey Table Tennis Association said: “In 2020 we ran a very successful short “School to Sport” course with Jersey Sport and Plat Douet School using volunteers. The popularity of this programme helped us to recognise that there was an opportunity to engage with children after school and for them to become motivated and interested in table tennis. The funds awarded by Jersey Community Foundation are being used to have suitable coaches to help the children who attend these sessions to improve their game and are an invaluable support to our association. We hope that the extra training will not only help us to develop future successful sportspersons but also provide the children of Jersey with a fun and safe environment to learn how to play at whatever level they choose.”
Anna Terry, CEO of the Jersey Community Foundation commented, “The CI lottery proceeds are there to benefit the whole of our island community and we are delighted that the Jersey Table Tennis Association is already putting the funds they were awarded to good use.
“The next closing date for applications is the 4th of October and we are currently accepting online applications, so I would encourage other organisations to contact us to see if they can also benefit from the grants available.”