Two local organisations have come together to bring solar powered table tennis to the Highlands, in a first for the region.
Inverness-based renewable energy company Ri Cruden has created nine specially made table tennis tables out of solar panels, which have been kindly donated to leading local social enterprise, New Start Highland.
The initiative represents a creative, and slightly more unusual step forward in sustainability for the company. To repurpose solar panels no longer suitable for rooftop installations and find an environmentally friendly solution, the team at Ri Cruden came up with the idea to transform the panels into functional table tennis tables.
Director at Cruden, Callum Cruden, commented, “At Ri Cruden, we are always looking for innovative ways to do things, and what better than when it benefits a fantastic charity like New Start Highland?
The solar panel table tennis tables represent something new and slightly unique for us as a team, but we were genuinely excited about the idea of taking materials that weren’t doing anything and transforming them into something fun, all whilst maximising sustainability.
Constructed in our warehouse by some of our current apprentices, the project has been a real talking point within the office and something entirely different for our team to be involved with. We are incredibly proud to play a small part in supporting an organisation that is so essential to our region, and we look forward to following the journey of the brand-new tables to their new homes.”
James Dunbar, Chief Executive at New Start Highland, said, “We are deeply grateful to the Cruden team for coming up with this inspiring idea to repurpose solar panels into table tennis tables, something none of us here have ever seen before. They look so good and we’re sure they will be a hit with our customers.
Partnerships like this are all part of the bigger picture, supporting our local community. Our removals team collected the tables, our retail team are selling them, and our logistics team will organise delivery to customers. These teams all support volunteers who are at New Start Highland to learn employment skills or find strength in community and a sense of purpose at a time in their lives they might need it most. Profits made from the tables will be reimbursed back into New Start Highland to fund our charitable services.”
The tables can be found at New Start Highland’s pre-loved retail units on Carsegate Road, Inverness which is open Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm and Sunday 10am – 4pm.