A Grantham desk tennis coach has been named in The Queen’s New 12 months’s Honours checklist.
John Mapletoft, aged 84, has been named as a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for companies to desk tennis.
John is a long-standing servant of the Grantham desk tennis neighborhood, having helped set up Cliffdale Chandlers Desk Tennis Membership in 1997. He certified as an ETTA coach in 1970 and specialises in grassroots desk tennis.
Earlier than the coronavirus pandemic, John had been serving to victims of sicknesses, reminiscent of Parkinson’s and dementia, by utilizing desk tennis to assist them with their circumstances, as a part of a scheme with the Church of Ascension.
At Desk Tennis England’s most up-to-date AGM in July this yr, John was awarded Vice-President. In 2011, he was named because the Journal’s Volunteer of the 12 months.
John has additionally been concerned with the Grantham Desk Tennis Academy at Grantham School during the last twenty years and had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch in Mansfield in 2012 which he described as “wonderful.”
He stated: “You’ll be able to’t do it by yourself, it’s people who makes issues occur and I emphasised that my award for Desk Tennis England was for all of the people who have helped, particularly faculties.”
