A table tennis club has been forced to relocate to Teignmouth after being priced out of its former Dawlish home.

Dawlish Table Tennis Club will relaunch as Teignmouth Table Tennis Club on Monday June 9 in its new base at Alive Fitness on the Teignmouth Community School (TCS) site.

The move was prompted by continued increases in the costs of hiring courts at Dawlish Leisure Centre.

‘Teignbridge District Council have put up the prices at least once a year,’ explained the club’s PR and marketing officer Pete Chadwick. ‘We’ve been priced out of being able to stay there (Dawlish Leisure Centre).’

The club began looking for other premises. ‘We were desperate to stay in Dawlish,’ Pete noted. ‘But there was nothing suitable with enough space, storage and access from 6:30pm.’

After drawing a blank in Dawlish, Pete reached out to his former PE teacher, Mr Douglas, who suggested the sports hall at the TCS Alive facility. ’The school has table tennis on the curriculum and has everything the club could ask for,’ Pete said. So, after more than 30 years of being based in Dawlish, first in a school hall at the top of the old town and, for the last 20 years, at Dawlish Leisure Centre, the club opted to relocate to Teignmouth.

While the club is sad to be leaving Dawlish it is excited about launching in Teignmouth. ‘Everyone in the club is on board with the move and we’ve not had anyone say they won’t be coming across,’ Pete said.

Alive has more space and tables so the club can double its capacity.

‘It’s a really addictive sport and anyone can play,’ Pete enthused. ‘You don’t have to be the fittest or the tallest or the strongest.’

The club welcomes all ages and abilities, although minors will need to be accompanied by an adult.

Teignmouth Table Tennis Club opens on Monday June 9 and will run every Monday from 6:30pm-9pm.