Ashley Butler is this year’s winner of the Braintree Table Tennis League’s Martin Bawden Award for service or achievement.

The award recognises Butler’s dramatic improvement when the 16-year-old was asked to play for Felsted RBL A in division two after a season in division three in which he won only seven of his 30 singles matches.

Already this season his average is above that even though he is playing in a higher sphere.

See this week's paper for the full version of this story and news of more junior table tennis awards.