On Wednesday 3 August, table tennis returns to the city as the 2016 Ping! Festival gets underway at Smithy Row between 11am and 3pm. The festival will last until 4 September.

This year’s festival is sponsored by Datto, an innovative technology company and global brand*

Rob 'Ping!' Hood
Rob ‘Ping!’ Hood

The Datto Ping! Festival places tables complete with bats and balls in public spaces for people to use for free. 2015 was a record-breaking year for Ping!, with over 48,000 people in the city picking up a bat and playing table tennis at one of the 18 tables during the summer.

The Ping! festival is completely free, no catches, no hidden charges – all you have to do is grab one of the bats and balls provided at the tables, find a willing opponent and get playing!

The aim for 2016 is to go bigger and better and hit 50,000 Nottingham citizens playing! Nottingham’s Datto Ping! Festival will see tables popping up in familiar locations across the city including Nottingham Train Station, Wollaton Park, Nottingham Castle and new locations not explored in previous years such as Trinity Square and Nottingham Playhouse.
The festival will be even more accessible than ever those visiting or travelling around the city, reaching new audiences and encouraging even more people to play!

2016 welcomes new and exciting partnerships with NET Tramlink and Mellors Group. Tables will be available for free play available at the Deliveroo Nottingham Beach during the launch event and along tram routes for the duration of the project allowing easier access to free play! Why not grab a family ticket and try the tables all down the line?

During the school holidays one or two adults and up to three children can travel all day for £5 and under 5s go free.

Those travelling on city trams can find ‘tram hangers’, available to take away with a full list of the table locations across the city. A full list of tables and events can also be found at project website www.pingengland.co.uk/nottingham

As well as tables being hosted at popular locations across the city and along tram stops from Forest Recreation Ground to Clifton Central, the project will also be visiting popular events in Nottingham including Riverside Festival’s sports village (6-7 August) and Clifton’s Picnic in the Park (9 August 11 am).

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said: “Ping! Nottingham was so popular in the city last year, I’m really glad we are getting behind it again. There are more tables and more opportunities to play. It’s such an easy sport to get involved in and a great way to meet new people. It’s enjoyable at any level, and you can just grab a bat and get playing. Having tables for play right across the city is also a great way to experience some of our wonderful parks and city centre venues.”

Table Tennis England Area Lead – Mark Willerton said: “Free table tennis may be enough to get most people playing but others may a little more shy. My advice is to wade in and get involved. Come as a group or come on your own. There are lots of friendly folks on hand to come and give you a game and I’m certain we’ll hit our target of over 50,000 ping pong players in Nottingham this summer!”

The project is keen for players to join the social media conversation and upload their Datto Ping! photos and stories on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PingNottingham or Twitter on @PingNottingham

For more information please contact Donna Marshall, Communications & Marketing Officer donna.marshall@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or 0115 8764443

Notes to Editors

*About Datto: Datto is an innovative provider of comprehensive backup, recovery, and business continuity solutions. Datto’s 200+ Peta Byte cloud and family of software and hardware devices provide Data Protection for business data. More than five million customers trust Datto to keep their businesses running, no matter what happens.

About Ping!: Ping! is funded by the National Lottery through Sport England with the aim to get more people physically active. It is managed by Table Tennis England, the sport’s National Governing Body and is delivered through a range of partnerships with City Councils, Local Authorities, County Sport Partnerships, Volunteers, Arts Organisations and Sing London.

For further information, please contact Julie Snowdon, Ping! Marketing and Media Officer, on 01908 208879 or julie.snowdon@tabletennisengland.co.uk