A TABLE tennis club has launched a food hub to support communities during the coronavirus crisis.

Volunteers at Brighton Table Tennis Club (BTTC) are distributing food parcels from the club’s car park in Upper Bedford Street every day between 1pm and 4pm.

The ping pong club, which is a registered charity, is also delivering food and cooked meals to individuals across the city.

BTTC founder Tim Holtam said: “Our volunteers were asking if we could put our minibus to good use and at first we weren’t sure as we’ve never done anything like this before.

“We realised there’s a lot of pressure on other charities at the moment – there’s three times the number of people using food banks and that’s only going to increase.

“Our food hub has only been going a week and a half but every day it’s growing and we’re taking more referrals from the council.”

The club is working closely with the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, which is providing donations for food parcels through its Hungry At Home crowdfunding campaign.

The Real Junk Food Project is also providing cooked meals from its kitchen in St Luke’s Church in Old Shoreham Road, Brighton, for BTTC to deliver.

The club is taking referrals from Brighton and Hove City Council, but Tim said people in need can turn up any day between 1pm and 4pm or call the club to arrange a delivery on 01273 670145.

Food has already been distributed to more than 100 homes to support hundreds of people.

Tim said: “Getting it up and running so swiftly is down to the adaptability of our incredible volunteers.

“The club also has a brilliant grassroots network and good relationships with other groups in the city like the Real Junk Food Project and the Sussex Gleaning Network.

“It’s all about mucking in and helping each other during an unprecedented time.”

Tim said the service is providing BTTC volunteers with a sense of purpose during the crisis while the club remains closed.

He said: “We’ve even got a 77-year-old who was desperate to help but can’t because of his age.

“We have potential access to funding, so there’s a possibility it could be scaled up.”

To donate to the scheme through Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hungry-at-home-2020.