Table Tennis England is committed to grow and retain participation among those living with a disability and/or long-term health condition. For this reason we have developed partnerships with organisations such as Parkinson’s Table Tennis UK (PDTTUK), with the aim to promote and enable more opportunities for players to engage in the sport, and for those who wish to do so, to feel comfortable to progress through to competitive play.
A review has recently been conducted, summarising highlights of the journey of this partnership, showcasing case studies of how people living with Parkinsons’ have benefitted from playing table tennis and looking to the future how we can engage new audiences.
The journey of TTE and PDTTUK
The journey with PDTTUK commenced nearly 2 years ago, since then we have featured in three PDTTUK webinars hosted by and for People with Parkinson’s, and have been able to provide information about support available, through grant schemes, Ping in the Community and memberships.
We’ve also supported the first UK Ping Pong Parkinson National Tournament held at St Neot’s Table Tennis club last summer and a team of 14 UK representatives competed at the 2021 ITTF Parkinson’s World Championships in Berlin last September, taking home 2 Gold medals, 1 Silver medal and 5 Bronze medals – an incredible achievement.
We’ve also supported the setting up of sessions specifically for People with Parkinson’s at table tennis clubs and community groups, including Rowhedge TTC, Britannia TTC, Peterborough, Leyland, and Barnet.
Through our new 5-year Diversity and Inclusion Strategy #LevelTheTable, we are commitment to tackling inequalities and ensuring that everyone involved in our sport is treated fairly and equitably, with dignity and respect.
Going forward we want to continue to connect with partners such as Parkinson’s UK and PDTTUK, and work to engage and reach new audiences through Ping in the Community packages and #LevelTheTable funding opportunities, supporting even more groups and venues to set up more table tennis sessions for People with Parkinson’s.
If you’d like to get in touch regarding a partnership opportunity please contact us here.