THE MAN who saw his dream realised when a new state-of-the-art table tennis centre opened in Okehampton earlier this year has said cheerio to the club he founded.

Colin McLean, who was also the face of community transport in Okehampton, has moved to Poole with his son Mark.

Okehampton Table Tennis Club was started by Colin 12 years ago and just a year later he became the first co-ordinator of Okehampton and District Community Transport Group.

In the past he has won a 'Sterling Salute' and the Okehampton Rotary Club's Vocational Award for his community work.

Committee member of the table tennis club Maureen Venton said when Colin founded the club, members first met in the old police station in Barton Road, then the old primary school followed by the Market Hall.

'All the time he kept saying he would like us to have our own purpose built centre — well in April this year the Riverside Table Tennis Centre in Castle Road was officially opened,' she said.

Grants from the National Lottery and the Foundation for Sports and Arts provided the major funding for the £328,000 centre.

It is considered to be the best in the South West and earmarked to host national table tennis tournaments.

Mrs Venton said: 'Colin was thrilled with the new facility and we will all miss him because he did so much for the club,' she said.

Members made a special presentation to Colin before he left which included a picture of Hound Tor, Dartmoor and a National Garden token and his son Mark was given some money towards his first driving lesson.

Colin asked everyone to give the club full support to make sure the centre was a viable enterprise and to open the premises daily to encourage all those who were interested in table table to play.

In his capacity as community transport co-ordinator, Colin, who was disabled himself, started the Ring and Ride bus service for elderly and disabled people in the area.

The service has gone from strength to strength and picks up around 3,000 passengers a year who have difficulty using the normal bus service.

Okehampton and District Community Transport chairman Judy Pride said without Colin ring and ride would not have been as popular as it was today.

'He did all the ground work and he has handed over the reins at a really exciting time for the group,' she said.

'We have recently had some money from Okehampton Town Council to start a new bus service which will be open to people living in rural areas, especially parents with young children,' she said.

Colin's successor will be Sandra Hucker from South Zeal.

The new chairman of the table tennis club will be Fred Phillips from Tavistock.