St Mary’s Expands Community Badminton Provision

St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, has grown its community badminton provision after launching its first competitive badminton club earlier this year. Sport St Mary’s launched the new club in January, building on the success of its existing ‘No Strings Badminton’ initiative for adults who want to play the sport on a casual basis, and its SIMMSport programme for children. The club has been created by Sport St Mary’s in conjunction with the Community Badminton Network and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Since its launch, the club has grown to nearly 40 members, with students, staff and members of the community keen to take part. It is the first competitive adult badminton club to be offered at the University College and is aimed at those who are beginners in the sport, but who would like to improve and develop their skills in a competitive environment. St Mary’s Sports Officer Tegan Pickles commented, “We are delighted with the popularity of the club in just a few months. It provides a fantastic transition from our recreational No Strings Badminton sessions, to a more competitive environment. It has been great to see the club grow and develop over the last few months, and we hope to see more members join next season.” This September, the club will enter the local Hounslow and Staines League, continuing the success of the first season and attracting more aspiring badminton players. Training takes place on Thursday evenings at St Mary’s performance hall from 6-8pm from September. For more information about SIMMSport, No Strings Badminton or the Adult Club, please contact a member of the Sport St Mary’s team on sportsvillage@stmarys.ac.uk or call 020 8240 4132.