Ping in the Community

Get your community playing and enjoying ping pong!

Get your community playing table tennis!

We have a range of table tennis packages designed to kick-start table tennis in your community, help bring members of the community closer together and inspire them to lead more active and sociable lifestyles, irrespective of ability or background.

We’ve teamed up with Sport England and equipment suppliers to offer superb table packages.

The packages include tables, bats, balls and additional resources to advertise and activate table tennis, along with advice to help along your journey – whether that’s through social play sessions or adding some coaching or informal competition to your sessions. What’s more, you can save as much as 50% on normal retail prices if you meet the *eligibility criteria!

Packages start from £275 (*with subsidy), and include:

  • Table tennis table, bats and balls
  • Printed resources, including rules poster, ladder boards, knock out cup posters and certificates
  • Games manual
  • Storage bag

Benefits of table tennis

Getting active brings a whole wealth of health and well-being benefits. Social table tennis connects people from different walks of life, creates friendships and a sense of community.

Our insight has shown that 89% of people introduced to social ping pong report an improvement in well-being, and 75% become more active. There’s mental health benefits too, with as little as 10 minutes of activity improving mental well-being. Table tennis can help reduce the risk of depression, reduce stress and anxiety and improve self-esteem and cognitive function.

Table tennis can improve hand-eye co-ordination and develop mental agility. It’s a fun and engaging way to get active that engages different parts of the brain simultaneously, increasing cognitive awareness and function. With 6.4 million people over the age of 55 currently inactive, table tennis is a perfect activity to introduce to those wishing to get active and stay that way!

We know that table tennis improved mental well-being, cognitive function and can build confidence and self-esteem. It’s an adaptable activity for all capabilities and limitations, so people with a disability don’t have to be left out! Table tennis doesn’t require a change of clothing and can be delivered in flexible short bouts. We know that 1 in 5 people in England have an impairment, and 70% of those want to be more active – what better way to do so than ping pong?!

Young people like the idea of a challenge, particularly one they can do with friends, but it needs to be enjoyable. They don’t’ want to worry about being good at an activity, this is where social table tennis is a perfect fit! With many pressures in young people’s lives, table tennis can help them enjoy a social activity in a relaxed, informal setting. By creating an enjoyable experience for young people, we can increase their confidence and self-esteem and ensure that they continue to keep fit and healthy throughout their lives!

Research shows that the overall participation rate in sport for ethnic minority groups is 6% lower than the national average. Social table tennis has a proven record of connecting people and building communities and engaging hard to reach groups in physical activity.

We know that 2 million fewer women than men regularly take part in sport and physical activity and that lots of them really want to get more active. Practical and emotional barriers prevent them from taking part, such as lack of time, low confidence, cost and cultural factors, that’s why women’s only sessions are a great way to engage them in a safe, appropriate environment. Social table tennis can help overcome barriers that women and girls face, with female only sessions being a great way to take away the fear of judgement, work around cultural beliefs and build confidence.

Regular physical activity can treat and prevent mental illness, including reducing the risk of depression, reducing stress and anxiety and improving self-esteem. Table tennis is a great activity to improve mental health, whilst also acting as a platform for people to get together and talk about any problems they are facing, making it a fantastic peer support activity.

We are able to customise tables branded with your organisation’s logos and colours. Please contact us for a quotation.

Eligibility
In order to be eligible to receive a 50% subsidy for a Ping in the Community full-size indoor table tennis package, your project or organisation must meet the following criteria:
  • The package must be available in a community based location, for example village halls, youth clubs, community centres, religious buildings, parks and open spaces, not for profit retirement homes, hospitals, not for profit leisure providers
  • The package must be available for participants to access and use at least once a week, with the project running for a minimum of one year
  • The package cannot be purchased to replace old, tired or worn tables and must create new or enhance existing table tennis provision
  • Organisations who order a package must return monitoring and evaluation information when requested by Table Tennis England
  • Your organisation must align to Table Tennis England’s commitment to equality and diversity, ensuring table tennis opportunities are inclusive and accessible to all. See our Level the Table strategy for more information
  • The activity must be available to participants for free or at very low cost, not to make a profit

Click here for more information

Please note organisations can only receive a maximum of two subsidised packages. Ping in the Community is not available to private individuals for home use or to schools.

If you are not eligible to purchase a Ping in the Community package, or represent a school, please follow the links below.


How to order your package

It’s easy to choose the table that is right for your venue and needs.

  • Pick from the indoor and outdoor tables below or go for a flexible option if space is tight
  • All our full size tables are wheelchair accessible
  • Indoor and outdoor tables are 2.7m long, 1.5m wide and 76cm high and we suggest you at least double these dimensions to give you a suitable playing area (ideally you’d have 8 x 4 metres) with a firm floor
  • If you wish to claim a 50% subsidy for the Ping Indoor Table Package please visit our Eligibility Page for more information
  • You can pay for your order by PayPal or card payment at the time of ordering, or request to pay by invoice

Outdoor Table Tennis Guide Download


Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what some of the participants and organisers of the Ping in the Community social sessions had to say:

Being able to get pensioners, some disabled, out of their homes and into an environment where they are clearly able to enjoy themselves…

Improving confidence and self esteem to people who thought they could not play and learnt that they could

Companionship, getting fit, making me feel positive

Gives me confidence and improves my physical exercise tolerance

We have provided an inclusive environment where people have met casually yet for most for the first time. One member of the group said that he had lived in the village for 30 years without making friends.  He had learnt new social skills and now meets twice a week with the same inclusive group who he considers to be his lifetime friends

I’ve made some new and lasting friendships through taking part in the sessions

I enjoy playing table tennis, the social interaction and positive mind well being/fitness