Paralympic stars Will Bayley and Bly Twomey were delighted to be able to give back to the club that helped them achieve success at Paris 2024.

Bayley, who won silver in the men’s C7 singles, and Twomey, who won two bronzes, both returned to Brighton Table Tennis Club to help inspire the next generation of sporting stars.

The pair were celebrated in a special homecoming but were keen to put the praise back on their club, that has a long-standing record of making a social impact through table tennis.

It is something both are determined to continue through the ChangeMakers programme post-Paris, and Bayley believes its special ethos is what has delivered such incredible success.

The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, ParalympicsGB, Team GB and UK Sport to support athletes who want to help projects they are passionate about – with many Paralympic stars being closely connected to important social causes that have affected them personally throughout their life.

“It is great to be involved in ChangeMakers,” said Bayley, who earned his fifth Paralympic medal in Paris.

“Brighton Table Tennis Club does so much for so many different types of projects. It works with people with disabilities, has an immense social impact and helps people that need it.

“There are a lot of free sessions, for people who are homeless, and for people with different disabilities. To be able to coach and help them is an absolute honour. It is a special club.

“There’s 1500 members at the club and Tim Holtam prioritises people that can’t afford to play or people who are having a difficult time. I think that’s pretty rare, those who can’t afford to play are given five star treatment.

“I think it says a lot about who he is and it says a lot about the club, it is determined to help people that wouldn’t get help otherwise. I think that’s why the club is so successful.

“Hopefully bringing my medal back is going to inspire people to keep playing. I want to go to local hospitals and schools and get people with disabilities in and personally coach them.

“Hopefully we can bring some more Paralympians through. I don’t think it’s lucky we have got Bly, we can keep producing top players at the club because of the coaches we have and the understanding of the game that we have. We can still create more Paralympic champions in the future at this club.”

Bayley has worked as a coach with Twomey for the past two years, and the 14-year-old sensation revealed it is the ethos of everybody helping each other out that was key to both of their successes in Paris.

“It has been incredible,” she said. “Brighton Table Tennis Club helped me and Will so much.

“Their support was massive because they sent 150 people to Paris and that really lifted me up and made me a better player. Will has been an incredible mentor and I couldn’t have done it without him.

“I am hoping to get other children into sport and make them know that if you play sport you can achieve anything, you can reach your goals if you just keep going.”

The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, has backed the ChangeMakers scheme through its £1m Social Value Fund and athletes can apply for a new ChangeMakers Fund grant to create their own projects.

(Image: Steve Bardens)

And Tim Holtam, the founder and director of the club, highlighted the role funding from The National Lottery, which has been made possible by everyone who plays The National Lottery, has made in allowing him to create such a bustling community in Brighton.

He said: “The National Lottery have been our major funder for the last six or seven years. They have been really supportive of the club. I don’t think any of the successes in Paris could have been possible without that support.

“It’s an amazing team and give it another four years and see how many more players there are here. As well as producing top players, it’s about an environment. Everyone just loves it, it’s colourful, vibrant, there’s diversity. I just don’t think many other sports clubs have that level of community.

“Everyone is given the opportunity. Some people can come and play and have a bit of fun and it will just be that, but if everyone is given the opportunity, some will go as far as Bly has.

“We feel like we haven’t even started yet. It’s exciting to think about the young players we haven’t even met yet.”

The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport to support Great Britain’s athletes to make a positive difference to social impact projects they are passionate about.