"The project would not have succeeded without the support of key stakeholders and a skilled management committee" – John Gale

Una Hempell 56, a four-year veteran of Keen-Agers social table tennis in Bairnsdale, and her husband Ron, 70, are taking a break as table tennis balls fly around the Bairnsdale Leisure Centre and hearty laughter punctuates the air.

 
“Some people look forward to this so much that they try and make all their appointments around the sessions,” says Una.

Keen-Agers Table Tennis is for older residents and retirees in local communities and is promoted as an enjoyable physical activity in a friendly social setting. There are 16 Keen-Agers groups throughout the state, with more in the pipeline.

Support from VicHealth through two years Active Participation funding has enabled the program to grow from its humble beginnings in Bairnsdale. News of the success has spread.

State Government is interested in the program, along with peak Victorian agencies that support older adults. John Gale is the driving force behind Keen-Agers. A regular player for several years in Mornington, he moved to Bairnsdale in July 2001. Four months later the local branch of Keen-Agers was up and running.

While John has been the energetic whirlwind behind Keen-Agers, he says the project would not have succeeded without the support of key stakeholders and a skilled management committee.

Groups involved in falls prevention, cardio rehabilitation and other health services, for example, have become fertile recruiting grounds – professionals recognise the benefits of encouraging people to attend their local Keen-Agers. Many people who attend Keen-Agers have experienced the benefits of getting involved in regular physical activity.

For wider development John has deliberately engaged local government and regional sports assemblies because they have networks and can offer support. Taking the time to identify key stakeholders and develop good working relationships with these groups and organisations has been essential to the successful development of Keen-Agers.

While these groups and organisations can help provide players, contacts and the all-important media coverage, it is the stadiums where the table tennis sessions are held that, in many respects, are the life force or the death knell of the project. They are also often the hardest to lock in.

“I’m always trying to identify the right place and the right people to see if they are friendly and if we can find the right time,” John says. “Ocean Grove had a false start because they could only play at night.”

He looks for availability of the same spot, a price people can afford, secure storage space, an area courtside where people can sit and have a cup of tea and a chat, good parking and an easy location for people to get to. He says that when assessing the suitability of a venue, it’s a good idea to establish a good rapport with the venue manager so that some of these things can be more easily negotiated.

“Just bear in mind, you can’t expect staff from the stadiums to get involved in your program. They want you to run everything. It is their business, but you have to run things,” he says. “Everywhere we have gone we have found a stadium that needs money and is under-utilised, especially in the morning. In the afternoon they might be flat strap, but in the morning there is silence.”

The support of the stakeholders, including local organisations and the stadiums themselves, is vital. To maintain their interest John has found that it has been important to have at least one extrovert on each Keen-Agers committee.

“There has to be someone with confidence who can relate to others to help the atmosphere and to keep members and stakeholders interested,” he stresses. “Look for people who have some energy. You only need one and the others will follow.”

Careful planning, and ensuring all relevant stakeholders have been included in the planning, has been a recipe for success for Keen-Agers. However, John admits that he hasn’t found the magic formula for supporting stakeholders and that there have been some stumbling blocks along the way.

One major challenge has been how to work with Table Tennis Victoria – the peak body for the sport. Being a small organisation, Table Tennis Victoria is limited in the support it can offer. However, it does promote Keen-Agers where and when it can, and continues to lobby the national table tennis body to have a more accommodating structure for social players.

The sound of laughter and the smiles on Keen-Agers’ faces suggest that, in spite of these hurdles, participants really enjoy their involvement.

While John acknowledges that the social side of the groups has become an essential element of the success of Keen-Agers, that wasn’t the main aim to begin with. “Friendships have been one of the unexpected and beautiful things to come out of it.”

Back at courtside, Una Hempel is very enthusiastic about how Keen-Agers has enriched her life. “I’ve met a whole new range of friends. You can always find someone of your own ability here and are guaranteed to get a hit.”

She even takes table tennis with her on holiday. “We take brochures and bats when we go camping. We tell people about this concept. It works,” she says with a smile before pitching in with the cleaning up as another sessions ends.

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  Fun, friends and a wicked top spin

Need more info?

Check out Keen-Agers website www.keenagers.org.au

Tips for engaging stakeholders

• Work with agencies who have networks that can support your project
• Seek organisations that can link you with potential participants
• Tap into organisations who can assist with securing a local venue
• Take the time to develop relationships
• Be prepared for the odd knock-back