Table Tennis England and Goals are collaborating to provide opportunities for children and young people across England to play table tennis.

Through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) funded holiday activity programme delivered by Goals, table tennis will be delivered to more than 1,000 children and young people across England, introducing them to the sport.

Participants at each holiday activity programme will also design a table tennis bat that brings the sport to life and celebrates the WTT Star Contender London, which is at the Copper Box Arena from 21-26 October. A selection will be picked and turned into trophies that will be given out at each holiday programme. A number of free tickets to the Star Contender will also be distributed to children taking part in HAF camps in London.

Andrew Wilesmith, Director of Development said: “We are excited to be working with Goals to bring the sport to life at the HAF camps and also to use art to bring to life the sport and celebrate the WTT Star Contender coming to London.

“We will see some of the world’s best players coming to the Copper Box in October and it’s crucial we work with local partners to bring this to life in local communities across England. This is the start of a wider and larger social impact programme around major table tennis events being hosted in this country, to bring the sport to life across England and create a positive impact on the lives of people.

Martin Cassidy, National Football Development Officer at Goals, said: “During our HAF camps over the past year, I noticed that table tennis became one of the most popular activities we offered. It was fantastic to see parents getting involved too – many joined their children for a game while picking them up, which really brought families together. The response was so positive that we now offer table tennis at all of our HAF camps across England.

“I saw first-hand how infectious the fun was at some clubs, we even needed to bring in extra tables to meet the demand!

“This summer, we’re launching a ‘Design a Table Tennis Bat’ competition, inspired by the success of our previous football kit design contest. The winning bat design will be turned into a bespoke trophy that the child can keep forever — a special memento of their creativity and involvement.

“We’re delighted to be working with Table Tennis England at such an exciting time for the sport.”