August 10, 2020

The committee has agreed that we can proceed to play practice matches on Tuesday evening between 7.00pm and 9.00pm.  It will be one court only.  There will be no Sunday sessions

Nick Donovan has volunteered to take charge of Tuesday evening sessions.  His role will be to ensure that it is run properly in accordance with the guidelines set out by Table Tennis England.  ie ensuring set up in accordance with guidelines, cleaned, socially distanced etc.  He will keep a register of who plays each week with contact details, and ensure that everyone adheres to the guidelines.  All club members should have received guidance from Table Tennis England and I would ask that you all familiarise yourself with these before you play.

Play will be restricted to club members only and no visitors.  

Please note that you will have to let Nick know that you are attending.  You can contact Nick on 07540 627743 or by email on njdonovan@gmail.com

One question that was raised by a member was regarding ventilation and Westlands have already advised us that the fire escape doors can remain open.

The committee is very grateful to Nick for taking this on. 

​

For those who are playing, enjoy being back.

August 21, 2020

New guidance on where you can play table tennis

Author: 

Paul Stimpson

Publish date: May 11, 2020

Please note - this news article was published more than three months ago. Some of the information contained may no longer be correct.

Following the publication today of Government guidance on how England will begin to move out of lockdown, we have updated our guidance on playing table tennis.

First and foremost, any sporting activity must take place outdoors and within the safe travel and social distancing guidelines set out by the Government. Social gatherings are not permitted.

On Friday we outlined our staged approach which we felt would allow table tennis to return in a safe way, whilst still meeting social distancing and Government guidance. In addition to this, our guidance document created to support clubs and leagues in this first stage, can be downloaded by clicking here.

Stage 1 of our recommendations has now been adjusted following the Government announcement on Sunday evening and further information received today.

At the discretion of the landowner, from Wednesday May 13, outdoor public table tennis tables will be available again for people to use, with members of their household or one other person only. No more than two people at any one time should be playing on the same table.

This does not change the current recommendation about playing table tennis indoors – table tennis should only currently be played indoors in your own household and with members of your own household. Exercise in an indoor sports court, gym or leisure centre is still prohibited.

We have released a five-stage process for a return to club and competitive action, including guidance for clubs to help them plan through the weeks ahead – please click here to visit our advice page.

If you are in a position to play on an outdoor table, while abiding by government advice, you can find a list of the outdoor tables we are aware of by clicking here – please search by outdoor tables, and please be aware that some of these tables may be placed in areas that are inaccessible due to playgrounds/outdoor gyms still being closed.

Our guidance when using outdoor table tennis tables is:

• Players should wipe down the table before and after use with their own antibacterial wipes

• Players should bring and use their own bats and balls. This equipment should not be shared with others. If playing with a person not from their household, two different balls should be used (e.g. using two different colour balls) so players only need to handle their own ball

• A distance of 2m between players and others should be kept at all times

• Avoid handshakes or other physical contact

• If you are showing coronavirus symptoms, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating, you should stay at home and not use such facilities

• Players should use one side of the table and not swap ends

January 01, 2020

Table Tennis England

Author: 

Paul Stimpson

Publish date: June 11, 2020

Half of our members want to start playing again as soon as possible, while half have experienced a negative impact on their mental wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic, according to our Ready to Return player survey.

More than 1,800 people responded to the survey, which will help to shape our advice and guidance to our members as the current restrictions are slowly lifted, allowing play to resume.

Of those who responded, 54% said they were eager to start playing as soon as Government guidelines allow.

Others were keen on a return, but felt they would rather wait until they had more confidence in the longer-term picture, until the local league season begins or, because of underlying health conditions, until the government issues specific advice to them.

Around 60% said they would welcome a return to league play, even if it meant using different formats.

Encouragingly, only 0.6% of respondents indicated they were unlikely to return to play.

At a regional/national competition level, 40% of players are keen to return as soon as possible, while the same number indicated they are unlikely to return to regional/national level competition for a reasonable length of time.

The responses also showed that:

• 54% of players have experienced negative impact on their mental well-being since the outbreak

• 86% of players have exercised to help manage their physical health

• 52% of players are exercising less than previously

• 4% of players have introduced a household member to table tennis

• 21% are interested in volunteering more, while 23% are likely to do less volunteering when the game returns

You can find out more about these statistics and others by downloading the report attached at the bottom of this page.

We will complete our analysis of the survey in the next few days and intend to release guidance based on the responses next week.

Greg Yarnall, Head of Development and Volunteering at Table Tennis England, said: “We’d like to thank the more than 1,800 people who responded to this important survey.

“It is encouraging that a majority of players are keen to return and willing to be flexible and adaptable in how they play.

“We will be doing all we can to support and reassure players to make a safe return to the sport we all love, within Government guidelines, and will be updating our advice to members as often as possible.”

May 14, 2020

W

New guidance on where you can play table tennis

Author: 

Paul Stimpson

Publish date: May 11, 2020

Following the publication today of Government guidance on how England will begin to move out of lockdown, we have updated our guidance on playing table tennis.

First and foremost, any sporting activity must take place outdoors and within the safe travel and social distancing guidelines set out by the Government. Social gatherings are not permitted.

On Friday we outlined our staged approach which we felt would allow table tennis to return in a safe way, whilst still meeting social distancing and Government guidance. In addition to this, our guidance document created to support clubs and leagues in this first stage, can be downloaded by clicking here.

Stage 1 of our recommendations has now been adjusted following the Government announcement on Sunday evening and further information received today.

At the discretion of the landowner, from Wednesday May 13, outdoor public table tennis tables will be available again for people to use, with members of their household or one other person only. No more than two people at any one time should be playing on the same table.

This does not change the current recommendation about playing table tennis indoors – table tennis should only currently be played indoors in your own household and with members of your own household. Exercise in an indoor sports court, gym or leisure centre is still prohibited.

We have released a five-stage process for a return to club and competitive action, including guidance for clubs to help them plan through the weeks ahead – please click here to visit our advice page.

If you are in a position to play on an outdoor table, while abiding by government advice, you can find a list of the outdoor tables we are aware of by clicking here – please search by outdoor tables, and please be aware that some of these tables may be placed in areas that are inaccessible due to playgrounds/outdoor gyms still being closed.

Our guidance when using outdoor table tennis tables is:

• Players should wipe down the table before and after use with their own antibacterial wipes

• Players should bring and use their own bats and balls. This equipment should not be shared with others. If playing with a person not from their household, two different balls should be used (e.g. using two different colour balls) so players only need to handle their own ball

• A distance of 2m between players and others should be kept at all times

• Avoid handshakes or other physical contact

• If you are showing coronavirus symptoms, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating, you should stay at home and not use such facilities

• Players should use one side of the table and not swap ends

May 08, 2020

Yeovil Table Tennis Club AGM will be on Tuesday 7th July at 7.30.  On anticipation that meetings such as this will still not be allowed and that some members will still be self isolating, the AGM will be held using ZOOM. Please put this date and time in your diary.

May 01, 2020

Chairman’s message: How we’re tackling coronavirus impact

Author: 

Sandra Deaton

Publish date: April 30, 2020

Hello everyone. Firstly, I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe at home during these unprecedented and uncertain times and that you all continue to do so.

Although we all miss playing our sport, I’m sure we would all accept that the suspension is the right thing to do as we play our part in helping society as a whole to tackle the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The main reason I am writing is to update you on the impact of this situation on table tennis, what we are doing to support coaches, clubs, leagues and our wider membership, and how our members can continue to support our work.

In common with organisations up and down the country, our first principle throughout this period has been to act in the best interests of the health and wellbeing of our staff, athletes, members, volunteers and the other organisations we work with – while always following the guidance of the Government.

This has meant taking some decisions which a short while ago would have seemed unthinkable – the cancellation of all our events, competitions and courses for the remainder of the season being the most far-reaching.

We have this week confirmed the cancellation of the few national league-based competitions which had outstanding fixtures and published guidance to local leagues on the options available to them for finalising their seasons.

Our AGM is due to be held on July 18th and we are currently exploring options around this taking place online, while retaining all the essential elements of transparency and engagement with our Company Members and wider membership. We will share more information on this as soon as we can.

Our Head Office in Milton Keynes has been closed for more than a month, but the majority of our staff are working from home to serve our members. We made the decision to furlough – with their agreement –a small number of employees whose workloads had significantly decreased during this period. Those employees whose roles are funded by Sport England or UK Sport are not eligible to be furloughed.

The focus of our staff has been on supporting clubs, coaches and players and making sure that we are ready as a sport for the return to activity which we hope will occur in the second half of the year.

Here are just some of the things we have done:

• Launched the TT Kidz Afterschool Club to keep kids active and playing table tennis during the lockdown

• Launched a series of knowledge-sharing webinars for our licensed coaches. Five have taken place so far with over 350 attendees.

• Launched a series of club webinars on a variety of topics, including providing information on how to access Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund and how we can support them in their applications for funding

• Increased the amount of funding available through our Be TT programme, which will support clubs and leagues impacted by the coronavirus pandemic to help ‘activate’ their table tennis activity once restrictions have been lifted

• Set up a Play at Home section on our website to provide information and tips to players who are playing the sport at home for the first time

• Set up an at-home programme for young players in our performance pathway, helping them to maximise this opportunity to develop their skills and fitness

• Launched our weekly Team England takeovers on social media, where England’s elite players set challenges and create content to keep us entertained!

• Launched the Ready to Return fitness programme. Led by technical director Alan Cooke, the programme aims to help ensure players maintain a level of fitness during lockdown to help them play table tennis again post-lockdown

• Released recordings of the England games from the Team World Cup 2018, where England’s men won bronze, and released all the matches from Finals Day of the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships 2020

We will continue to work to support everyone during and beyond this uncertain period and ensure clubs can thrive and people continue to play. We also hope we’ll have a surge in people wanting to try the sport more formally for the first time – after all, online retailers are reporting high demand for table tennis tables and equipment.

We are also discussing, internally and as part of wider discussions between the authorities and sports governing bodies, what steps we may need to take before we can resume activities, and how we can best support clubs, leagues, coaches and players when that time comes. We will of course share this with our members at the appropriate time.

We recognise that this is an incredibly challenging time for all of us within the table tennis community and that there has never been a more important time for us all to pull together and to remember what we always say – you’re more than a member, you’re part of a bigger picture. Here are some of the ways you can support our work:

1. Continue to refrain from all table tennis activity outside of your home until the guidelines are relaxed by the government, in order to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone and to support the NHS to save lives. We know many of you are missing the sport and are eager to get back, but it’s important to wait for official guidance on how this can be done safely.

2. Try to do everything you can to support the table tennis economy. Many clubs, venues and coaches will have suffered from loss of earnings during this period. Our community is small and those who make a living from table tennis have been key in helping the growth of the sport over the years, and are essential to our healthy future. Have a think about how you could help to support them. If you were planning to take a course that was cancelled, can you re-book it for later this year? If you were planning on paying for some coaching sessions, can you still do so, or will you be able to as soon as you start playing again?

3. Membership renewal season begins in August, so please ask: are you still able to support us by continuing your membership with us? We cannot yet predict the impact this situation will have on us, and what will happen come membership renewal season this summer. We hope we can count on your support to help us through this unprecedented time, and ask that if you can afford to, that you renew your membership as normal this year, regardless of whether or not the season has started. For a reminder of how vital membership fees are to us as an organisation, click here. Next week we will announce plans for the 2020/21 renewal process.

We will continue to do everything we can to support our brilliant community and encourage you to stay in touch and involved.

Make sure check out the great things coming up over the coming weeks, including member quizzes, exclusive content and a live Q&A with England’s leading players. You can keep up to date by reading news on our website, following us on social media or reading our weekly newsletter, Over the Net.

Finally, we’ve enjoyed seeing the creative ways in which clubs are engaging with their members and the inventive ways in which many of you are still playing table tennis at home – keep posting on social media and don’t forget to tag @tabletenniseng

Stay safe and well – we will get through this together.

March 17, 2020

Coronavirus statement

Author: 

Paul Stimpson

Publish date: March 17, 2020

Last updated 17th March 2020 at 11am

Please note, this is a fast moving situation and our advice may change at short notice. We recommend that you check our website regularly for the latest advice.

The health and wellbeing of all our members, volunteers, suppliers and staff remain the key priority for the Board of Table Tennis England at this time of great uncertainty.

Following the latest advice from the Government announced yesterday evening, the Board has reached the following decision:

In light of the Prime Minister’s advice yesterday evening and in the interest of the safety and well-being of all members of our community, it is with regret that we are announcing the cancellation of all sanctioned Table Tennis England events (i.e. tournaments on the Table Tennis England calendar) and the postponement of sanctioned Table Tennis England leagues (British Leagues, County Championships, NJL/NCL) with immediate effect from now until April 30th 2020.

Click here to see a list of cancelled or postponed events

Entry fees for cancelled Table Tennis England events within that period will be refunded. These comprise Wolverhampton Grand Prix, Cadet National Cup and Under-12 National Cup. The Jack Petchey Individual Finals are also cancelled and refunds will be issued.

Among the other events to be cancelled are the Butterfly Schools Individual Finals, the zonal round of the English Leagues Cup Competitions (ELCC) and, as a result, the ELCC finals.

In the coming days we will look at each of the national league-based competitions and consider whether or not it is feasible to postpone to later dates.

We will communicate directly with the Regional Committees. The Inter Regional Qualification events are cancelled but as the Inter-Regional Finals currently fall outside of this period we will consider with the Regions an alternative to the qualification process.

We will keep this end date under careful review and make a decision regarding events in May and onwards no later than April 17th. The Board will meet on Wednesday (March 18th) and further updates may be posted.

Scheduled coach education courses in this period will be postponed with new dates identified as soon as possible.

We would also strongly recommend that local leagues and clubs suspend activity for the foreseeable future in line with Government advice to restrict all non-essential social contact. However we do also strongly back the position that physical activity is important and encourage all our members to stay active in a safe and healthy way.

We acknowledge that the cancellation of domestic competitions and gatherings will impact greatly on the table tennis community but we are all in uncertain times together and we must put the health and safety of our families and communities first.

We also recognise that this statement will raise a lot of questions and we will respond to these over the next few days and update our guidance as regularly as required.

If you have any questions, please email help@tabletennisengland.co.uk

General Guidance

For general queries related to Coronavirus, please follow government guidance. The latest information can be found using the links below:

www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-action-plan

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

ITTF suspends all activities

The ITTF Executive Committee met yesterday and announced that it was confirming suspension of all activities until the end of April 2020.

The Executive Committee will meet again on Sunday March 29 to evaluate the situation and to consider if the suspension of all ITTF events and activities needs to be extended or not.

In a statement, the ITTF said it was considering potential options for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifying process, given that the qualifying events scheduled for April will no longer take place.

In addition, the ITTF is to look at a back-up plan to hold the World Team Championships in South Korea, provisionally moved from this month to June 21-28, later in the year.

Table Tennis England will continue to liaise with the ITTF on this situation.

March 17, 2020

LEAGUE TABLE TENNIS CANCELLED

The Yeovil & District League Committee  feel that for the safety of all our Members,  they are cancelling all Yeovil and District Table Tennis Matches and events as of today March 17th 2020.

At present they have no idea how this Season`s results will be decided but when the Government advises us that it is safe to resume normal activity. They will call a Committee Meeting and will make a decision.

March 24, 2020

Due to essential electrical works, there will be no table tennis on Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th March as the centre will be closed.

September 02, 2019

If you have played table tennis in the past would like to get back into the game, why not come along to our open evening on Tuesday 3rd September 2019 between 7.00pm and 8.30pm.  Everyone Welcome.

June 10, 2019

It you have previously played table tennis and would like to take it up again, why not come along to our open evening, which is specifically for returners to the game.  Tuesday 11th June between 7.00 pm and 8.30 pm at Westlands Sports centre

No need to register. please just come along.

April 24, 2019

Please note that lWednesday night table tennis has finished for the season.  Wednesday night table tennis will commence again at the start of the new season.

Tuesday nights will continue during the summer from 7.00 pm until 10.00 pm. It is free for Yeovil Table Tennis Club members.

 The social table tennis will continue on Tuesdays and is available to anyone . Non members are charged £4.00 per session

Sunday table tennis continues throughout the summer between 10.00 am and 12 noon.  Cost is £3.00 for YTTC members and £4.00 for non members.

April 24, 2018

    The five week of sessions will commence on Weds 25th April until Weds 23rd May. Each two hour session will start at 7.30 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. and there will be a charge of £6:00per person per session. The £30:00 fee for the full five week course will be required to be paid prior to the first session on Weds 25th April.  

    The sessions will be based on the coaching of the four basic shots concentrating on the nine technical points. Those nine technical points really are the foundations that the basic shots are built on and will result in an improvement in your game. 

    Each shot will be demonstrated and described clearly and players will be given adequate table time to practice the newly learnt technics and to ask questions at varies times during the evening. I will also demonstrate the advantages of multi-ball as a learning tool. There may be those of you who would like to use multi-ball at there club sessions. 

    I will be in attendance this Sunday 15th April at the Yeovil Closed Tournament where I will attempt to answer any questions you may have regarding the forthcoming coaching.

    I can also be contacted by phone or e-mail if you wish to either receive more information or would like to enrol on the upcoming course.

                   E-mail address :- balaiamicky@aol.com      Mobile :- 07990518608   Land Line :- 01460 61301

    I have been fortunate enough to have been coaching now for over thirty years. During that time I reached Level3, coaching at Local League, County and Regional Level and Tutoring at National Level. I still look forward to using this experience again to help as many Yeovil players to improve their game as I can.

                 Yours Mike Dinmore

April 14, 2018

There was a great turnout at the one day tournament.  Well done to Steve Smith for organising it and also to all the winners and players for taking part

March 30, 2018

Please note that Wednesday 18th April weill be the last Wednesday for this season.   Club members can continue to play on Tuesday'sbetween 7.00 & 10.00.  Non members will be welcome for a charge of £3 per session.

April 14, 2018

Following the postponement of the one day tournament on 18th March due to the snow,  it has been re-arranged for Sunday 15th April.

Steve sent out the following message

''       You are automatically entered into the rearranged Yeovil tournament on the 15th April, same events and doubles partners.

Steve has done it this way so you don’t need to send in another entry, for events and doubles partners etc

Please can you -

Let Steve know if you can’t or do not wish to attend the new date,  steviethemuffin@aol.com; 

If you entered someone else or specified them as a doubles partner, please contact them and pass on the above information

Shirley will be sending out another email to offer everyone a chance to enter, you can ignore this invitation if you are reading this due to the above

Hopefully we won’t lose too many of you due to the reschedule and get a few new entrants as well

Please let Steve know if you need any further info''

January 01, 2020

Unfortunately Westfield Enigmas have had to withdraw from the league.  This will leave some gaps in the division two table

July 01, 2017

Yeovil Table Tennis AGM will take place at the Bell Inn, Ash, on Sunday 2nd July 2017 at 1.00 pm

June 24, 2017

Sunday Table Tennis at Ash Scholl is now finished unril the beginning of September

May 12, 2017

Yeovil Table Tennis Club are participating in an open day at the Westlands Sports Complex on Saturday 13 May between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm.  Anyone who plays table tennis or is interested in playing can come along and play for free.

February 23, 2017

From 28th February, Junior coaching will be weekly every Tuesday between 7.00 & 8.30/ and from 24th February on Fridays between 5.30 & 3.00

Open sessions for adults is every Tuesday from 7.00 until 8.30 pm

See poster for details

January 07, 2017

Marc has had some club shirts printed up and already has orders for around 12 people. 
They are available in all sizes including kids and female,in a round neck or Polo shirt,they are royal blue and are made of polyester dry fit material. 
 They are really comfortable to wear.

We have decided to sell all shirts across the board at £15 so any money made will go back to the club. 
If anyone is interested please contact Marc on 07521982228 or mdw1974@hotmail.co.uk,

Marc will require payment when ordering, via bank transfer. or by cash in person. Details have been circulated to members.
The picture is of a round neck style playing shirt

January 07, 2017

We have three tables avaialbe to play table tennis for free at Westlands today and tomorrow between 10.00 am and 4.00pm.  Volunteers from the club are required to help out

January 01, 2017

First photo of the new sports hall.  Thanks to all who helped set it up.

We are moving back to Westlands after a season and a half at Westfield Academy.  Ww are very grateful to Westfield as without their help, the club could not have continued.  With our new venue and having 6 tables available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the club can continue to grow.

December 15, 2016

Junior coaching begins at Westlands Leisure Centre Sports Hall weekly from Wednesday 4th January between 5.30 & 7.00pm. Cost £3.00.  Also on Fridays between 5.30 and 7.00 pm. Cost £3.00

Open sessions begin at Westlands weekly from Tuesday 10th January between 7.00 & 8.00pm. Cost £3.00

​

If you would like a copy of this poster to display in your workplace, please contact Gill for copies.

October 24, 2016

On Tuesday 25th October 2016, Joe Walmsley was nominated for a JUNIOR STAR SPORTS AWARD by South Somerset District Council for the magnificent progress he has made up the England Junior Table Tennis rankings. Also, equally important, the help he gives our other Junior players to improve their game and a great example of how hard one has to work to improve ones game.

The photo was taken at the OCTAGON THEATRE YEOVIL, where Joe was recognised for his achievements.

August 25, 2016

With three days of ''Some- Ping''  at Yeovil Recreation Centre our two new outdoor tables have got off to a good start with plenty of interest from both adults and children

August 16, 2016

The adult coaching has really taken off on WEdnesday evenings.  Three people turned up on or first night and now there are regularly more than 10 new players new players being coached by Geoff and Segan

August 23, 2016

Tonight in front of many players Geoff has coached over the years, he received his honourary life membership of Yeovil Table Tennis Club in recognition of his services to the club and for his many years of coaching many of our members.

​

GEOFF ARGENT has been a dedicated member of Westlands / Yeovil Table Tennis Club for over 35 years. For the last 20 years or more he has been the go to person if any new person arrived at the Club and they wanted some help and advice. His unassuming, pleasant and professional manner should be an example to all of us. I think, his first pupils were Ian Dicker and Caroline Berkley with whom he spent many Saturday evenings at Mudford Hall helping them to improve their game. Both pupils joined Westlands Club teams and went on to play for the County and gain top hundred England rankings. Caroline is still with us Captaining the Whips in the First Division. Geoff then went on to gain his Coaching Badges and I would not like to say how many youngsters and adults he has coached over the years. Definitely over a hundred, who have enjoyed the game of Table Tennis as a result of Geoff`s dedication and love of the sport that he enthuses to anyone who meets him. He is still currently coaching pupils at Ash School and Veterans from North Cadbury, some of whom I`m sure will join our club. Yes, over many, many years Geoff Argents` ceaseless, and immeasurable effort in time and commitment has helped  make Yeovil Table Tennis Club the flourishing success that it is..

August 24, 2016

This is the rota for supervising the free table tennis.  Any further volunteers welcome

Thursday 11am - 1pm Gill Thorne

Thursday 1pm - 3pm  Geoff Argent

Friday 11am - 1pm Janet and Martin

Friday 1pm - 3pm Terry Austin

Saturday 11am - 1pm Gill Thorne

Saturday 1pm - 3pm Tom Stokes

August 24, 2016

FREE table tennis between 11am until 3.00pm every day at Yeovil Recreation Centre.

​

Equipment is available from the Galley refreshent kiosk

August 26, 2016

Come and try table tennis at Yeovil Recreation Centre on Saturday 27th August 2016 between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm.

​

ITS FREE

May 23, 2016

Photo of the doubles & presentation evening

March 13, 2016

Yeovil Table Tennis Club provided some of the equipment