Did you know table tennis is good for the mind as well as the body?

Halton Borough Council and Halton Table Tennis Club are celebrating national #tabletennisday on Wednesday, serving up the benefits of ping ponging your way to health.

On the day itself there is an over 50s ‘Come & Try’ 11am-12.30 at Halton Table Tennis Centre, Select Security Stadium, Lower House Lane, Widnes all participants need is training shoes as bats and balls will be loaned. Cost is just £2 per session.

In the evening 6pm-7pm ‘Come & Try# for young people aged seven-to–18 years cost £1.50 with fun games and coaching.

Halton TT Club has more than  600 members. It is the leading clubs in the North West as a Table Tennis England Centre for Excellence.

In competitive play the National Under Ten Champion is a member Louis Cheung-Turner, Under 13 girls number four Niamh Scarborough while 20 other Juniors are on the England Ranking List.

Jack Hunter-Spivey is in GB Para TT Squad; Joe Davies and Grace Williams are in the Para Futures Squad; while Mark Allen and Jade Carr play and regularly win medals in British and European Transplant TT Events.

St Augustine’s School will be celebrating National TT Day for the first time with the opening of the new outdoor Table Tennis Tables at 1 pm in presence of North West Chairman Table Tennis England Karen Tonge MBE.

The dedicated day creates a focal point and an opportunity to do something as a community. It’s also about helping to raise the profile of the sport and to reach out to new participants, volunteers and officials.

Table Tennis England introduced National Table Tennis Day for the first time in 2014, with clubs, schools, businesses, players and fans rallying together to celebrate our sport with a series of spectacular events, including open days, outdoor table events, fancy dress and celebrity involvement.

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of table tennis

•Playing improves hand-eye coordination and it stimulates mental alertness, concentration and tactical strategy. …
•Develops mental acuity. …
•Improves reflexes. …
•It’s easy on the joints. …
•Burns calories. …
•Offers a social outlet. …
•Keeps your brain sharp. …
•Improves coordination

For more information on tablet tennis in Halton contact k_tonge@sky.com