A chance meeting at the Commonwealth Games has led to a lasting community partnership which has supported inclusive table tennis in Birmingham.

It was 2022 when the city hosted the Games and representatives from Continental Stars TTC and Central Co-op Membership found themselves at the same promotional event.

It kicked off a partnership which is still going strong and this year earned Central Co-op Membership our Partner of the Year accolade at the Cloudathlete Pride of Table Tennis Awards.

The citation for the award-winners reads:

Central Co-op Membership has provided targeted funding and developed a deep, hands-on partnership with Continental Stars TTC, supporting the delivery of inclusive table tennis activity within the local community. Through an adaptable and proactive approach, they have enabled access to a flexible community facility through keyholder status, while also contributing in practical ways – including donating equipment, prizes and supporting events – helping expand activity such as sessions for older people and creating a genuine family atmosphere around the club.

James Knight and Shaz Rahman from Central Co-Op Membership were presented with the award during the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, when they also got to watch some of the action at OVO Arena Wembley.

James said: “We met Continental Stars during the build-up to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. We went to an event where we were promoting Our Co-op and the membership that we do because it’s close to one of our stores in Birmingham.

“We bumped into Continental Stars and the partnership grew from that, just from a simple meeting of playing table tennis in a park in Birmingham to a member group that has 30 to 40 participants taking part in table tennis every Monday night.

“So, a brilliant relationship, brilliant growth in table tennis, but I think, for me, the greatest growth is seeing the diversity of young people, old people, different ethnic cultures just coming together on a Monday night playing table tennis in an environment that’s just so happy and vibrant.”

Shaz said: “Table tennis is a very accessible activity and you don’t need a lot of equipment, a lot of space to do it. We’ve got our room in Great Barr and what it means is that people who sometimes couldn’t access quite expensive sports get access to a sport that basically they can play three or four times a week.

“They can make time with their friends, they can actually have a group activity that gives them a really, really strong sense of community.

“It feels really good to win the award. We visit the table tennis group regularly and play table tennis with them. It’s really gratifying to see how the group has grown over the last couple of years, and how it makes a massive difference to the local community.”