LOVE YOUR PLACE
A Northolt resident
is using his sporting
prowess as a platform for
helping others, reports
Quinton Drawbridge. His
table tennis coaching is
proving a big hit.
SERVING OTHERS
N
icko Anderson, 23, reached
the heady heights of a world
ranking of 38th in Paralympic
table tennis. But as well as
being a very talented sportsman, Nicko
has also taken the time to get involved
in his community by offering free table
tennis classes for local people.
“I started playing table tennis when
I was 11,” Nicko said. “It’s like playing
chess but at 100 miles per hour. I
played at a high level for 10 years,
including representing Great Britain.
“I started playing just as a hobby
to get some exercise, but the
opportunities the sport has given me
are astounding – it opened a lot of
doors for me. I got to travel all over
the country and abroad.”
22
around ealing April/May 2019
Nicko was a winner at Ealing
Council’s recent ROAR Awards, which
recognises residents who have gone
above and beyond with volunteering
in their community. Nicko used his
prize money to buy more table tennis
equipment for his classes, which are
growing in size all the time.
He explained: “I took a table tennis
coaching course and volunteered
with a coaching company to pick up
more experience. When I saw a poster
about community activities in Ealing,
I offered to start a table tennis club.
The first session was in last summer’s
school holidays, and the
classes have been
very popular.
“Table tennis
has given
me so much
and I want
other people
to be able to
access those same
benefits.”
Councillor
Bassam Mahfouz
is Ealing Council’s
lead member for
finance and leisure. He said: “Helping
people to find activities where they
can Get Moving is one of the council’s
priorities and there are so many great
opportunities to not only improve your
health by becoming more active – but
also, as in this case, to find a new
hobby, too.
“Nicko has done a great job building
enthusiasm for table tennis locally and,
having played a game with him, I can
testify to his impressive talents! People
like Nicko should be commended for
getting young people involved in sport
and for being such an active part of
his community.”
Read the full story at
ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
features/nicko
MORE INFO
Visit the Do Something
Good website at
dosomethinggood.org.uk
for opportunities to get
involved in your community
or to promote your own
community project.
Councillor Mahfouz joins in at one of the sessions