SUTTON Table Tennis Club has seen a turnaround in its fortunes -- after teaming up with St Helens Council.

For just nine months after joining forces with the local authority to promote table tennis to youngsters, the club has doubled its junior membership and won a £3,830 'Lottery Awards for All' grant. The money will be used to buy new equipment and to fund coach and teacher development courses.

During 2001 a junior table tennis tournament will be launched as part of a festival of youth sport to be held at Sutton Leisure Centre on March 31. From this event a team will be selected to represent St Helens at the Merseyside Youth Games in July.