Table Tennis England has launched a new product aimed at encouraging older people to play table tennis.
The new product, Bat & Chat – part of the Be TT programme – has been launched to support clubs and leagues to run successful programmes aimed at the 55+ market.
It was produced after research revealed that targeting this age group with a relaxed, social session can help clubs and leagues attract new members.
Chris Brown, National Be TT Lead, said:
With hall space often difficult to come by and more expensive in the evening, a day time Bat & Chat session helps to create more playing opportunities for existing players, as well as being a great way of attracting new participants into the sport.
It can also be a source of income for the club, as well as a potential source of new volunteers and league players.
One league to already launch the programme is Castleford and Pontefract. The league started a Bat & Chat session it to address the steady decline of members in recent years, and after anecdotal evidence revealed existing squash club members would enjoy a different racket activity. The session was advertised through a flyer and the local press.
Dennis Shaw, league press secretary, said:
Numbers at the sessions have been consistently high and most of the players have been either new to the sport or returning from playing previously.
Most have been signed up as associate members and a few are progressing to the League in September.
The Bat & Chat product is free of charge to PremierClubs and Leagues, and £15 to Associate clubs. It provides organisers with guidance and tips on how to set up a session, and marketing materials to help recruit participants.
Before downloading or purchasing the product we suggest you read our good practice guide on customer experience, which forms a key part of our objective to improve the experience of all those playing our game. The good practice guide can be found here.
To request the product, fill in our online form below.
Once completing our request form and confirming you meet some basic criteria for delivering the programme, you will receive a digital download with the product guide and marketing materials. We will also then post out to you 20 glossy A4 customisable posters, a set of flyers, and a hard copy of the guidance document. We will also add your session to our table tennis finder website tool, and you will become part of a wider network of clubs and leagues delivering the Bat & Chat programme.
If you are not a club or league, but are interested in delivering sessions to the 55+ age group, you may be interested in our Loop in the Community product which can be found here.