PING PONG POWER

Poetry in motion is how assistant nurse

Simon Craske describes table tennis.

Aleague player himself, he believes the game’s universal appeal is down to cheap kit, simple rules and the therapeutic sound of bat hitting ball.

At Windsor House adult mental health inpatient unit staff are using the sport –with an outdoor concrete table funded by Mersey Cares charity – to help people with enduring mental health issues to socialise, get fit and learn a new skill.

Simon, (above left with opponent Theresa), has also witnessed patients concentrate and relax more. “It’s a great way to focus the mind. I remember a lady who couldn’t settle. I asked her if she’d played table tennis and challenged her to a game. She could really play; she had great hand eye coordination. We were still playing an hour later, and she said she felt much calmer.”

Simon recalls a patient who had a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease.

“He’d played table tennis in the past, so I challenged him to a game. He’d been struggling with his mobility but when he played, he was amazing – he was like a different person.”

Teresa, who often challenges him to a game or two, says it’s about much more than winning: “I like it that we don’t really play to any rules – it’s just good fun!”

By Jo Henwood