Clare Flynn and Christine Dembry hosted a fantastic first women and girls’ day at the Walker Activity Dome in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne which is also the home of NETT Table Tennis Club.

The day included a range of coaching, match play, fun games and tea, coffee and biscuits which allowed the women who attended time to socialise.

Clare, who is part of the North East Local Organising Group, said that she wanted to create a safe and friendly space for women to come and play, to socialise and to have fun.

The session also allowed her to provide an extra opportunity for her players from the Brandon’s Women’s group to meet new people and play against players with different styles, as well as build a link between junior and senior players in the area.

She said it was also a great opportunity to get some of the mums involved who usually sit and watch sessions and that it had boosted the confidence of some of the parents, enabling them to now help out at sessions.

Clare said: “We need more women and girls engaging in the sport, and days like this are a friendly and informal way to achieve that.

“Many of the clubs are male dominated and women have expressed feeling intimidated to join in sessions because of this . . . if we continue to try and engage more women and girls then we can have more coaches, umpires, league players and most importantly role models.”

Clare is encouraging other clubs and activators to organise women and girls’ sessions and added: “My session was carefully planned to ensure that there was something for everyone. We kept it simple, but the outcome was very successful and enjoyable.”

If you are interested in attending a women and girls’ day, the next one will be on December 9, from 2-4.30pm at Brandon Hall, Durham, DH7 8PS. If you are interested in taking part, then please email Clare via [email protected]

Feeling inspired to deliver a similar event? If you are based in the North East and would like support to deliver a similar event, please contact [email protected] or for other areas, visit our Area Manager Network page.