First I want to pass on my sincere hope that you are all keeping well – in body and mind – and finding ways to cope with these unprecedented times.

Our sport, like every other aspect of our daily lives, has been disrupted beyond recognition as we all try to create the safest environment possible for as many people as possible during this Coronavirus pandemic.

At Table Tennis England, we have to balance many priorities and responsibilities and I want to use this message to explain our current decisions and where we might go in the future.

We have been sending out regular emails and website updates about competitions, staffing, coaching, events, progress, opportunities, clubs and leagues – and I would please ask all those people who have access to the wider table tennis community, such as through their League websites or Club mailing lists, to help to disseminate these updates.

I would urge you all to keep following our announcements here

Table Tennis England’s Board and Senior Leadership Team are holding regular conference calls to make decisions in the light of our changing landscape – and we will continue to pass this information on.

To give some idea of the context of these decisions to date:

Competitions: We have cancelled or postponed a series of our events in the next month, and strongly advised organisations operating independent competitions to do the same. This is very much in line with Government advice about numbers of people congregating and in support of the policy of self-isolation for many. Our forthcoming events will be reviewed on a regular basis but it must be recognised that all medical and scientific advice is suggesting that this will be a longer-term issue.

Staffing: We recognise we have a responsibility to the people we directly employ. I am so grateful for the professionalism and dedication they have shown. All our Table Tennis England employees are working from home. We have made arrangements for phones to be transferred and emails to be monitored, so we hope it will be ‘business as usual’ in the circumstances. In addition, they will be making arrangements to support as our members and volunteers in the coming weeks and months.

Volunteers: We are so grateful for the on-going support we receive from our volunteers. We recognise that some of you will be in the higher risk groups and will be concerned at this time. We hope that everyone will prioritise their health and well-being, stay safe and return when all this has passed.

Clubs, leagues and coaches: We know that clubs, leagues and coaches will be following the advice of Government and sporting bodies and are suspending all group activities. We recognise that this could cause particular issues for some, and Sport England is collating information to gauge the impact. At Table Tennis England, we want to support our clubs, leagues and coaches, and will be sharing information and updates. Again, please check our emails and the website for updates.

Members and players: Many of the opportunities to play table tennis in a group situation have been suspended, but we hope you can find other ways to continue to enjoy our sport, either in the family environment or in a more restricted capacity.

Opportunities: Keeping fit and exercising is still a part of all our health and well-being regimes, and here table tennis can play a role. Our team are working on creative programmes and activities which can help.

Finally, none of us can predict how or when this will end. We are certainly living in exceptional times. At Table Tennis England, we will do our very best to support our sport, our members, our volunteers, our staff and everyone in our table tennis family.

Please keep sharing information and supporting each other.