Outdoor ping pong coming to resort!

Blackpool has been selected to be a flagship location for Ping!, a free street ping pong festival which takes place in 24 towns and cities across England.

A national launch event will take place on Wednesday June 14in St John’s Square

Both residents and visitors will have the chance to play table tennis for free throughout the summer – all they will need to do is grab a bat and ball from the side of the table and get playing.

The six week programme starts in June with semi-permanent and fixed tennis tables in iconic locations including the Winter Gardens as well as community areas such as Stanley Park and Moor Park in a drive to help more people feel able to take part.

Trained volunteers will be on hand to oversee the management of the tables as well as providing information on the locations of the ping pong tables.

John Blackledge, Director of Community and Environmental Services at Blackpool Council, said: “It’s fantastic that Blackpool has been chosen for the launch of this year’s Ping! Festival.

“This initiative has been very successful in other parts of the country and we are looking forward to see it come to Blackpool during the summer months.

“We are hoping that the tennis tables will appeal to both residents and visitors alike, and encourage the community to become more involved in fun and free activities.

“Table tennis is the most popular racquet sport in the world and we are hoping to capitalise on this in Blackpool. Anyone can enjoy playing the game irrespective of age or ability so we are hoping to see lots of people getting involved.

“All people need to do is turn up to the chosen locations across the town, pick up a bat, and most importantly have fun.”

Ping! is funded by Sport England and managed and delivered by Table Tennis England in partnership with local authorities and a wide range of creative and cultural organisations.

Last year, more than 750 tables were placed in public places of 21 towns and cities, with 1.8million visits to the tables over the summer.