Almost everyone has played table tennis – at some time – and many still do. Low profile it may be here – it’s rarely in the news – but table tennis is one of the most popular and widely played sports anywhere. In this country and across the rest of the world. Estimated number of players worldwide is beyond 300 million.
It’s also very popular here, in and around Marlborough as well. The main centre locally for table tennis is in Lockeridge, at the Kennet Valley Hall where there has been a thriving club – the Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club for years. And it’s getting ever more popular driven on by the resource and commitment of Richard Ramsden who took over the reins from Brian Rayment and Colin Watts – who started the club in 1979 – some six years ago.
A member of the club had nominated Richard for a ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award in the recent “Table Tennis England” nominations. As well as presenting Richard with his Nomination Award Certificate, club members had discretely organised an additional Award to recognise all the voluntary work that Richard does for the club. A ‘thank you’ presentation to Richard for everything he’s done to take the club forwards, and build on the strength of the club that Colin and Brian had steered and driven to successes for many years.
Richard’s efforts across the past six years has seen membership grow to approximately one hundred members today. But Richard’s input isn’t just to the club: he also coaches two sessions a week at St John’s, two Junior club sessions on a Friday evening at the village hall, plus a dedicated Ladies session on a Tuesday afternoon. And arranges weekly practice sessions at the hall on Wednesday mornings plus Sunday evening Social Table Tennis for All. In all, a total of seven different regular sessions each week.
On a more ad hoc basis, he also arranges training camps available to Club members during holiday periods involving Wiltshire’s leading Coach. He also attends the Marlborough Sports Forum to promote the sport locally.
Amongst a long list of other table tennis duties he performs, Richard is on the South West Local Action Group which meets to help develop table tennis in the South West. He has recently taken over as League Secretary for the local Devizes and District Table Tennis League, and immediately set up a new website for the League. For the current season he added a 3rd Division, principally as a ‘Development’ League for keen players but with basic abilities. This 3rd Division now has eight teams and is about to be won by one of Richard’s Junior sides of ‘c.14 year olds’.
Overall the Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club has eight teams, three of which are primarily Junior based plus one dedicated Ladies team. To ensure all new league players ‘know the rules and etiquette’ he has developed and runs a course designed for new players to the League
Some of the recent achievements resulting from Richard’s inspiration include: the St John’s KS4 Secondary School team winning the Wiltshire Inter-School Games and the KS3 team coming second. There are five junior members of the Kennet Vale Club playing for Wiltshire in their age groups this year, and club members made up the majority of the Wiltshire Cadets Team who recently won the Division 1 Cadet British Clubs League at Waterside 2024/25.
In addition to these activities for Club members, Richard still finds the time and enthusiasm to play himself. (And create suggestions for developing the sport further – as we recently featured on the 1st of April!). He is truly devoted to the sport.
To thank Richard, a collection was discretely organised, and a surprise presentation evening was recently held at the club. Brian Rayment, the patriarch and one of the early members of the club, gave a speech about Richard in front of approximately thirty of the club members. An Apple “fitness watch” was then presented to Richard bought from the money raised, together with a unique trophy crafted by a Junior member’s parent out of wood. Some of the club’s Ladies Team members [and friends] provided home baked cakes, helping to make the Presentation a successful social occasion.
It’s a great sport, fun to play, indoors so no weather breaks, but great also for keeping fit. And age – everyone, of any age. Interested? Drop Richard an e-mail at richard.ramsden@gmail.com.
Former Davis Cup players to bring ‘Bright Ideas for Tennis’ to Marlborough
