THE BOX OFFICE SMASH
Ping’ s sixth summer spreading table tennis nationwide was a groundbreaking success.
T hough it initially began as a tool to bring table tennis to the streets of London in 2010, Ping! has grown into a huge nationwide hit, attracting an estimated 1.5 million people to its free tables this summer.
Sport England claim it as one of their most successful participation projects and with cities like Nottingham and Leeds welcoming well over 50,000 Ping! participants, the project is bound to return in 2017.
The most successful ventures all managed to become an integrated part of their cities: in Nottingham they organised tables at most tram stops in and around the city centre, while Ping! tables were to be found in almost all of Leeds’ indoor shopping centres.
‘ In Leeds, where we’ ve had 36 public tables around the city, having the council onside has been a big help,’ conceded Peter Thompson, Leeds Ping! Activator.
‘ They’ ve seen it’ s cheap, inclusive and easy to get a few minutes enjoyment from, so have been great at creating joint events like Active Parks, putting concrete-bedded tables in three big city parks.’
The new in Newcastle
Although there have been free tables up in Newcastle for two years, thanks to the council’ s NE1 project, this was the first time Ping! had been brought to the city, with 15 tables available to Geordies and visitors alike.
Melissa Marshall, Ping! Newcastle Activity Officer, agrees that, like Leeds, they were right to look at getting involved in joint projects.‘ Working with existing organisations like NE1 and Lane 7, a bowling alley with table tennis, meant we only had to do half the promotion and didn’ t need so many tables.
‘ With Lane 7 for example, they ran a scheme where if you quoted Ping! over the phone when you booked a table, they’ d give you a reduced rate,’ Marshall explained.
‘ We also looked at what existing events venues had on. For example, the Discovery Museum ran themed days during the school holidays, so we’ d make sure we were there with the Ping! tables for those and were set up to expect youngsters.
‘ Tailoring the coaching for the age and ability of those there was really important,’ Marshall advised.‘ We’ d set up things like target practice with cardboard boxes for kids, rather than expecting them to get involved in rallies.’
Thompson was keen to make the argument for Ping! being more than just a casual event:‘ For those who want Ping! to be more about getting involved in the sport, they can look at working with local leagues,’ he suggested.
‘ We’ ve had the President of Leeds Table Tennis League come down to one of our shopping centre projects and we’ re looking at maybe starting a social league, which could be based in a shopping centre, attracting different people but still making it about competing and properly getting into the sport.’
Mark Willerton, Ping! Project Leader for Nottingham, added that clubs have to invest time in Ping! to get the best out of it.‘ If the club has been involved locally and supported for example a Ping Pong Parlour, or