Table Tennis England Hosts Members' Day: Listening and Commitment to Action

Table Tennis England, the national governing body for table tennis in England, recently held its Members' Day – an annual event bringing together members from across the country to review the 2026-26 season, share views and contribute ideas. This was not a tournament but a dialogue forum between the leadership and the community, focused on listening to members' voices and recognising contributions to the sport's development. Speaking at the event, Chair Clare Briegal emphasised: 'We are delighted to see such enthusiastic participation from members. The views and ideas put forward today will help shape our future priorities.' Chief Executive Sally Lockyer confirmed: 'Our focus now is on turning those discussions into action. We want to ensure that members' voices are not only heard but also make a real difference.' A highlight of Members' Day was the awards ceremony honouring outstanding contributions. The Ivor Montagu Award was presented to Tony Dias, a member of the County Championships Committee, for long-standing service to county-level competition structures. The Vice President Award was presented to Eli Baraty, recognised for 'service to club and coach development nationally, particularly through his work with eBaTT TTC'. These awards reflect the organisation's recognition of quiet but important contributions from volunteers and development workers. Notably, in his acceptance speech, Eli Baraty delivered a blunt message: 'I am an even bigger advocate for action. I want to see a true focus on implementation.' This remark, despite the warm context of the awards ceremony, served as a reminder that previous discussions may not have been fully converted into concrete outcomes. It is the most significant governance signal, coming from a respected figure and indicating that members' expectations for delivery are running ahead of the organisation's demonstrated pace of action. Members' Day was designed as a soft consultation layer, with no binding decision-making power. There were no resolutions, no financial reports and no board elections. This differs from the Annual General Meeting (AGM) – where formal accountability matters are handled. However, the absence of attendance figures, quantitative targets and specific reporting-back commitments raises questions about the transparency of this consultation format. Another notable aspect was the complete absence of elite athletes as honoured guests. No top players, no national team coaches and no performance targets were mentioned. Instead, the focus was on grassroots development, coaches and clubs. The awards to a county championships committee member and a club/coach development worker suggest that the organisation's recognition currency is currently weighted toward service and development rather than elite competitive achievement. This may reflect a deliberate strategy to strengthen the foundation before aiming higher, or it may indicate that elite performance is not yet a top communications priority. The biggest risk lies in the gap between consultation and implementation. Members are told their views will 'help inform future priorities', but no mechanism, timeline or accountable person is specified. The commitment to 'turning discussions into action' is positive, but without a 'you said – we did' report within 3-6 months, member trust could erode. Eli Baraty himself implicitly warned of this by calling for 'a true focus on implementation'. This signals growing pressure from the community and the need for concrete steps to prove that consultation is not merely a formality. In the context of English table tennis, Table Tennis England is one of the founding nations of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in 2026, but its current competitive standing is not mentioned. The event was entirely inward-facing, with no international comparisons, no rivals and no medal targets. This suggests a governance approach focused on building member relationships and ensuring compliance with governance requirements, possibly to meet the expectations of public funding bodies. In summary, Table Tennis England's Members' Day was a constructive event demonstrating efforts to listen and engage with the community. The awards were well-deserved recognition of quiet contributions. However, the event's true value will only be proven if the ideas raised today are translated into concrete, measurable actions with clear deadlines. Only then will the commitment to 'listen and act' become reality, and the optimism expressed at the event have a solid foundation.