It’s ‘game on’ at both the BBC and Table Tennis England HQs today as the organisations are raising funds for Sport Relief.

At the BBC buildings in Salford, Manchester, producers Joe Bradshaw and Matt Parratt are aiming to complete a 24-hour table tennis challenge and raise a minimum of £1,000 for the biennial charity campaign.

They started the ‘So Long Ping Pong’ challenge yesterday (Thursday) at 4pm and will continue until 4pm today, with the help of other colleagues and celebrities at various points.

In preparation for the event, Table Tennis England’s very own Andrea Holt, who competed at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympics, has been coaching the pair.

More sporting stars from the table tennis world are also lending a helping hand – yesterday Paralympians Ross Wilson and Aaron McKibbin took to the table, and this afternoon Team England star and Commonwealth Games medallist Maria Tsaptsinos will join in.

Speaking yesterday evening, Joe said: “We’ve been playing so long I don’t even notice the sound of the table tennis ball now.

“I’m still feeling good and thrilled with the amount of money we’ve already raised.”

Matt added: “It’s a battle for survival right now, but we’re hanging in there.”

Click here to contribute to Joe and Matt’s challenge.

There’s also a table tennis takeover at the Table Tennis England and Badminton England HQs in Milton Keynes today.

Staff from the two National Governing Bodies are going head-to-head in a table tennis competition. Then they’ll be consuming all the calories burnt with a bake sale.

Sport Relief is a national campaign held every two years, encouraging ordinary people to get active and raise money through the power of sport. The money is used to fight poverty and inequality in both the UK and around the world.