A new national course “Building a Grassroots Community” has been developed by Brighton Table Tennis Club and is about designing and collaboratively building a new model of community in action.
Known widely for its innovative social outreach using table tennis, BTTC has based the course on its own experience, but with the aim of sharing participant ideas and aspirations towards building resilient communities.
Phase One is open to members of grassroots community organisations as an introduction to the BGC programme and lasts one hour online.
Phase Two of the programme uses a modular framework with one and a half hourly sessions.
The target group is for leaders and decision makers of grassroots community organisations and those invited from Phase One.
The first five modules of Phase Two cover:
“ Breaking the Mould: innovative ways of working”
“Being Outward Facing: building referral networks”
“Rapport, Relationships, Reflection and Retention”;
“ What does Integration mean?”
“The BTTC Axes of Grassroots and Performance.”
The final module invites participants to share an outline of a new and potentially innovative idea, inspired by the course, to develop in their own organisation, and they receive feedback and suggestions from other course members.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic:
“BTTC is so much more than being about table tennis and this course will help you unlock, and understand their approach which can be applied beyond sports settings since it’s all about embedding grassroots approaches in a way that celebrates everyone’s contributions. “ Paul Richards. Gig Buddies.“
“Advice, communication, and a great sense of community! Thank you for the encouragement to continue our journey” Christina Saunders, Nam Yang Martial Arts.
“Totally loved the course. Engaging, inspiring, humbling and lots of fun. So great to meet other grassroots organisations with community at the forefront of their plans.”
Sam Byford-Winter. Nam Yang Martial Arts.
BTTC Director Tim Holtam said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sport England have seen the BTTC model and want it shared across different sports clubs and beyond. It’s really exciting to work with some inspirational organisations and we hope many more will get involved.”
For more information please contact info@brightontabletennisclub.com.
BTTC is so much more than being about table tennis and this course will help you unlock, and understand their approach which can be applied beyond sports settings since it’s all about embedding grassroots approaches in a way that celebrates everyone’s contributions.
Paul Richards. Gig Buddies.
Advice, communication, and a great sense of community! Thank you for the encouragement to continue our journey
Christina Saunders, Nam Yang Martial Arts.
Totally loved the course. Engaging, inspiring, humbling and lots of fun. So great to meet other grassroots organisations with community at the forefront of their plans.
Sam Byford-Winter. Nam Yang Martial Arts.
Building a Grassroots Community in action
BTTC with local grassroots community organisations that have taken part in the BGC programme (Nam Yang Martial Arts, VYD Football, Amazonas Arts and others) since the summer of 2020, after conceiving the idea of working together have delivered seven weeks of multi-activity holiday programmes for 70 – 100 young people a day at Moulsecoomb Primary School.
Building a Grassroots Community Participant Organisations
Phase 2 – May / June 2020 (Online)
Phase 2 – August 2020 (Online)
Phase 3 – August 2020 (Face to Face)
Phase 1 – November 2020 (Online)
Phase 1 – November 2021
Phase 2 – January 2022 (Online)
Phase 2 – May 2022 (Face to face)
