Table Tennis England is delighted to offer the Ability club support scheme to help our clubs attract new disabled people to play table tennis.

It is estimated that around 9.4 million people in England have an impairment (Census 2011). Reports carried out by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) show that six in ten disabled people claim that a lack of available activities is what prevents them from taking part in physical activity.

The scheme is aimed exclusively at our PremierClub Ability Clubs (PremierClubs who have completed the free disability awareness training as part of their membership) and is designed to allow clubs to work with us on a one-to-one basis to develop and fund new disability or inclusive projects.

We want to create suitable opportunities for people with disabilities to get involved in table tennis and we are therefore helping and inspiring our clubs to offer these opportunities in their local communities. The focus is on the over-16 age group.

The main aims of the Ability Club Support Scheme are:

• To attract and keep players with disabilities into the sport
• To support clubs to run sustainable disabled and inclusive sessions.
• To share examples of good practice between clubs.

As well as working closely with clubs to provide support we will also offer clubs the opportunity to apply for grants of between £300 and £1,000. The funding can be used for a variety of activities such as secondary venue hire, training, specialist coaching and equipment adaptions. However, we will not fund capital development, consultancy work or multi-sport sessions.

Clubs are invited to apply to be part of the scheme. Please click on the links below for the guidance pack and application form.

Ability Club Support Scheme Guidance Booklet

Ability Club Support Scheme Application Form

Clubs who wish to apply will be sent a resource pack once their application has been assessed.

The resource pack may include the following materials:

• Template posters
• Disability coaching manual
• Disability-specific organisation contacts
• Information sheet on how to effectively market and communicate to disabled groups

This resource pack will also be made available to those not requiring a grant.

It is likely we will follow up each club application with a phone call so we can gain a more concise idea of their support needs.