To address the loneliness epidemic - every person, step and action matters.

There are many small and large practical steps we can take if we ourselves are feeling lonely:

• Reach out to friends and family near or far - technology doesn’t need to be the enemy in this case. An online catch up totally counts.
  
• Look into and join community groups that pique your interest. This might include a men’s shed, language, dance, cooking or fitness classes, a chess, book, bushwalking or swim club, and yes, most definitely a table tennis club!
  
• Volunteer at a community organisation, tree-planting group or Toy Library - it's a great way to make new, social connections.
  
• Spend more time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine. Evidence tells us fresh air supports our body function and memory. Getting outdoors by ourselves or participating in outdoor community activities can greatly reduce our stress whilst simultaneously boosting our endorphins. It can also enhance our cognitive functioning as we interact with others.
  

Local governments are also a useful starting point to see what is happening in your local community. With an upcoming POPP event at the City of Armadale, we were inspired to see a proactive council delivering many different opportunities for their residents to engage and interact with their community. We will be at their upcoming youth event Let's Chill (on Friday, 19th of April, 4-7pm) where there will be food, music, face painting, skateboarding and table tennis on their HERO table - with help by POPP! If you’re around, come down and say hi - we’d love to have a rally and a chat!  






Location: Esplanade Plaza, Fremantle WA
Image credit: James Whineray

Location: Donnie Taco, West Perth WA
Image credit: John Durey


With outdoor table tennis, we see the intergenerational nature of the game, the low barriers of entry (age, skill or gender) and the ‘free-to-use’ aspect of POPP outdoor tables, as offering a wealth of opportunities for communities to be active, social, have fun and connect. The English national association for table tennis (Table Tennis England / TTE) also shares our passion and vision and have led many community based events to build engagement. One novel idea of TTE is Bat and Chat, a social session for playing table tennis in a relaxed environment followed by tea, coffee and conversation. We love this idea!

We hope this helps create more social connections in your community!