18 September, 2024
Alison Thompson was raised on the principle that ‘time costs nothing’ so it’s no surprise she is hesitant to believe her multi-decade commitment to badminton at both the national and local level is worthy of celebration.
Thompson has been an invaluable member of Elmfield Badminton Club for the last 40 years, first as a player, then club secretary and later as unofficial club captain, all while balancing a career as a nurse.
The North East native has been hitting shuttles for as long as she can remember, influenced by her father, Jack Maughan, who ran a junior badminton club in her hometown of Hartlepool for much of his life.
Despite moving north to Newcastle, Thompson could not shake the badminton bug that her brother also inherited from their father, and credits the sport’s family feel for keeping her in the game.
“My brother and I got so involved because of my father,” she said. “My life has always been filled with badminton, I don’t think there’s any way I could repay the amount of pleasure I have experienced from supporting, watching and playing this amazing sport.”
Thompson first joined Elmfield Badminton Club as a player aged 20 and has since become part of the furniture as a long-serving committee member – a role she sees as much of a privilege as her paid job.
“My brother and I were always brought up to believe that ‘time costs nothing’,” she said. “We were brought up to believe everyone can afford to give some of theirs every now and then.”
It is no surprise then that Thompson took on the role of club captain – booking courts, keeping players in-the-know and making sure the whole club continued to run smoothly – without ever being formally asked.
“As the older members stopped playing, my role as secretary evolved into taking over the unofficial duties of club captain,” she added. “Our true captain for many years was Foong Tham, an amazing volunteer who set up the Anglo Scottish League in 1997.
“Les Hodgson, now in his 80s, has also been president from my first days in the club and still retains an active interest in how things are progressing.”
In true unsung hero style, Thompson is reluctant to acknowledge the long-lasting impact she has personally had on her Newcastle-based club, but cannot skirt the fact she has been the one to keep the cogs turning even in the toughest of circumstances.
Last month Elmfield Badminton Club lost its last hall and was forced to look for an alternative home for local badminton fanatics, but Thompson played a pivotal part in ensuring the club’s survival.
“Things were not looking great for the future,” she said. “I spent many sleepless nights thinking we wouldn’t survive beyond year 99, but we weathered the tough times and reached our 100th Anniversary.
“Many thanks to Newcastle High School for Girls who came good at the last hour. So many members helped us to find a new venue and I feel with a community like that we will continue to thrive.”
As for Thompson’s on-the-court contributions to the sport, she has represented Northumberland as a player for over 40 years, crediting her fellow teammates for a lifetime’s worth of memories.
“Representing Northumberland for the last 40 years has been such a rewarding experience,” she said. “It’s given me a healthy respect for the hours put in by others to allow our County teams to turn out for matches several hundred miles away.
“I also know there are many people with unpaid roles involved in Northumberland Badminton Association and further afield today, who do far more than myself.
“There have been highs and lows but I wouldn’t give up the memories for anything.”