Contrary to a recent statement by the editor of the UK’s top care home industry title that, ‘ … those in residential care or care homes aren’t up to playing ping pong in my book.’ St Anne’s Care Home (part of Forest Care Ltd) in Finsbury Park North London, proves the contrary and opens its doors this Easter to invite family and friends to come and join their residents, all living with advance stages of dementia to a T3 3-a-side ping pong session!

Mayor of Islington Cat Fletcher was one of the first to accept the invitation to this Good Friday session. ‘I’ve seen the table in action amongst able bodied players and how much fun they have had, so it was great to hear that those living with dementia needing 24 hour residential care could experience some of the fun too!’

It is the initiative of Senior Heath & Wellbeing Manager, Jay Patel, who is an avid supporter of the drug free benefits of playing ping pong in the fight against dementia and Alzheimer’s, having seen them first hand at his last care home ‘Trees’ where T3 is currently carrying out stage three of their research into the benefits of T3 seated ping pong amongst the elderly.

Jay describes ping pong and in particular T3 3-a-side ping pong as ‘…the best thing I have ever seen in ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and I don’t know why there isn’t one in every care home in the UK.’ He adds ‘It’s not just about the obvious physical engagement the participants get from it, but the over whelming emotional and social benefits that are so clear to see.’

For over a decade now ping pong has been known to not only delay the onset of dementia but now it has also been established that it can even reverse it. Not surprisingly it has been named the number one ‘brain sport’ globally. No one knows exactly why it’s only ping pong that has this ability, perhaps it’s the speed of the ball, the fact that the short bat closely mimics an extension of the human hand so provides a more direct hand to eye experience, the weight and size of the ball compared to other balls used in racket sports, or perhaps it’s all of the above and more…

Digi Berry, Founder of T3, added ‘...with the results of our stage two research we were able to design a special bat for senior players that allows them the freedom of movement that is not currently possible with standard table tennis bats. We will be revealing them for the first time at St Anne’s on Good Friday – I can’t wait! The joy, interaction and now growing benefits we have observed among our senior participants in over a year, still continues to surprise me. Each week the same participants will tell us they have never played ping pong before but there actions are improving and they start to remember us and even proudly mention when they had been practicing in the week when it was not on the session day! It seems the more chance they get to play, the more engaged they become.’

Quotes from Care Home Managers and Health & Well Being Coordinators on seeing their residents play seated T3 ping pong;

“I came over to see what all the noise and laughter was about. I’ve never heard such a racket! Wonderful to hear”

“Residents were able to play from their seats, which meant they could compete for longer periods”

“Great to see how they responded so well to the game, smiles all round”

“Straightforward, simple and easy to use, designed to cater for disability”


Stage three of the T3 research into the benefits of seated ping pong amongst those living with advance stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia, will be completed at the end of May this year by the T3 Foundation (a not for profit organisation working to further promote the use of ping pong as a drug free therapy that can improve quality of life for those living with dementia.) www.t3-foundation.org.uk


For more information, images or to attend the Good Friday T3 ping pong session, please contact;

Michele Lucato:
email: michele@t3-foundation.org.uk
Tel : +44 (0)203 637 6282