Table tennis players complete 24-hour marathon for The Hummingbird Centre

A team of 26 table tennis players have completed a 24-hour marathon match in aid of The Hummingbird Centre, raising more than £3,000 so far for the cancer support charity.

Players aged from eight to nearly 80 kept the game going around the clock at the charity’s headquarters in Launton, near Bicester, starting at 8pm on Friday 10 April and finishing at 8pm on Saturday 11 April.

The challenge brought together players from Fritwell Table Tennis Club and the Banbury and Oxford table tennis leagues, with supporters, friends and family dropping in throughout the day and night.

One player even managed to complete a Rubik’s Cube during the marathon.

Friendly contest with a competitive edge

Organiser Ian Critchley, of Fritwell Table Tennis Club, said the event had been both exhausting and enjoyable.

He said:

“What a brilliant event. It even got a bit competitive at times, though the scoring went a bit awry in the middle of the night.

“Overall, it was really good fun and there was a lot of laughter from the beginning to end. We are delighted to have raised over £3,000 so far, but we would love to get this figure up to £5,000. There is still time to donate to our JustGiving page.”

Community support for a local charity

Paul Harris, one of The Hummingbird Centre’s trustees, said the marathon had brought people together and introduced new supporters to the charity’s work.

He said:

“We had many supporters, friends and family pop in and say hello. Some had never heard of the centre before, but came along after hearing about the challenge to take part and show their support.”

Zoe Draper, Centre Manager, said everyone involved should feel proud of what they had achieved.

She said:

“Everyone involved should be incredibly proud. It was a fantastic event and a great opportunity for members of different clubs to meet and play together.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone for their time, commitment and brilliant fundraising. We really appreciate it.

“The money raised from the 24-hour table tennis marathon will enable us to keep supporting people with cancer and their families. As a volunteer-run charity, we are extremely proud of what we do.”

About The Hummingbird Centre

The Hummingbird Centre opened in 2014 after founder Mechelle Harris made a promise to her late father, Raymond Hurcombe, to create something positive out of her family’s loss.

The charity supports people with cancer and their families across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, offering therapy, counselling, activities, a lymphoedema clinic and children’s services.

It relies entirely on donations and volunteers to operate.

Still time to donate

Donations are still being accepted, with organisers hoping to increase the total to £5,000.

For more information or to support the fundraiser, visit the charity’s JustGiving page or see thehummingbirdcentre.org.uk.