A BADMINTON club is hoping Gazette readers can help it buy new kit for the first time in four years.

The Marske Badminton Club, which boasts over 100 members across three groups, hasn’t been able to provide new kit for junior members in years and hopes the Gazette’s Wish Sport campaign can help.

The Gazette has again teamed up with Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation to offer sports groups across Teesside a chance to raise money for their clubs and associations.

There’s £30,000 up for grabs and every group on our Wish List is guaranteed a share of the cash, depending on how many tokens, printed in the Gazette soon, they collect.

Marske Badminton club hopes to use the money to purchase new kit to help build the future of the club and the sport through the younger members.

Ruth Farrell of the club said: “The Wish Campaign would enable us to progress the junior section of the club.

“The junior section is the lifeblood and future of the club; without it the club would not be able to continue and grow.”

The adult section of the club was first established more than 25 years ago, with the junior section about 10 years later and it has continued to grow ever since.

As well as new kit, the club needs to invest in new equipment such as shuttlecocks to keep its impressive track record going.

The club is the only Clubmark badminton club in the Redcar and Cleveland area and is the lead club for the Teesside Badminton Performance Centre where it has members in all of the squads.

The club has more than 100 members, aged six to 65, and welcomes anyone who would like to play, regardless of age or ability.

Ruth Farrell said: “The club tries to be as inclusive as possible, giving players different level of practice in order to stretch the players without overwhelming them”

The money will benefit the junior section and will help provide equipment and training for the club’s coaches, all of whom are volunteers.

This is very important as the club tries to keep costs to the children as low as possible.

Paul Davison, commercial director of Erimus Insurance Broker, corporate patrons of the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, said: “Erimus Insurance Brokers are delighted to back this great campaign, joining other businesses to help make Teesside an ever better place where sport and teamwork thrive.

“Support for initiatives like this that make a real difference for Teesside is exactly why we’re proud to be patrons of the Foundation.”

If you are interested in taking up badminton, the club meets on Sundays, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

For details about sessions and joining the club, email Paul.Hensby@pxlimited.com.