Table Tennis England is delighted to announce Andy Wilesmith as our new Head of Table Tennis Development – Andy will take up his post on Monday 9 January 2023.

Andy is a highly experienced senior manager with 15 years’ experience in the sports and physical activity sector at both delivery and strategic levels.

He joins us from Ipswich Borough Council, where he is part of the senior management team and leads on sport and leisure, and health and wellbeing services, overseeing programmes and facilities which support hundreds of thousands of people taking part in sport each year.

He has developed, maintained and grown partnerships with multiple organisations across the sport and health landscape, as well as leading political engagement with Councillors to manage the local impact of national policies.

Previously, he was Service Manager and Head of Education at British Judo, and he also has more than 10 years’ experience of coaching and managing elite players and building pathways from club to academy in rugby union.

Adrian Christy, Chief Executive, said: “Following a robust recruitment process we are delighted to have appointed someone with Andy’s background and experience. Our new strategy, Table Tennis United, is very clear about us working with a range of partners which create opportunities for everyone to take part in table tennis, within a thriving community.

“Andy could demonstrate his success in building successful partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders, to support strategic goals. That, alongside his clear passion for sport and experience within other governing body programmes, means we are excited for how he will lead and shape our ambitious programmes.”

Andy Wilesmith said: “I am delighted to be joining Table Tennis England at what is an exciting time for the organisation. It’s a great sport which so many people love playing and is a truly accessible sport which can create so many opportunities to be active for those who don’t currently have access to those opportunities.

“I am also excited to be able to work with the clubs and volunteers which make the sport happen and to provide help and support to make our clubs as strong as possible. The future looks bright for the sport, and I hope to be able to contribute towards this future success.”