The BAT design team, working with neuroscience specialists, have created the World’s first table specifically devised to enhance the Table Tennis Therapeutic Experience for those living with dementia, and their carers.

The BAT Therapy Table, designed by one of the Charity's Founding Trustees, Creative Director, Ian Craigton-Chambers FRSA and his Sports Science Team, is an all-in-one, foldable lightweight table tennis table, with wheels for easy movement and storage. The white playing surface, together with the opaque innovative & interactive side panels, induce a clinical placebo effect, establishing a 'comfort zone' for the players, whilst significantly enhancing the effects of the holistic exercise intervention therapy.

Please note that the tables from the initial Mk II Limited Edition series have now all been allocated to Hospitals, Care Homes & Community Centres and are no longer available to purchase.

However, the upgraded Mk III version is currently on the drawing board and will be unveiled at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, of which the Charity is a proactive partner, together with a range of bespoke bats specifically designed for players challenged by Alzheimer's, other forms of Dementia, and Parkinson's.

Whether you are a care setting or a health body wanting to buy a table for your facility, a community group keen on donating a table to a local care home, or a corporate organisation looking for a charity partner to support your local dementia-friendly community with a BAT Mk III Therapy Table, register your interest below today and your name will be entered into our draw list, the winner of which will receive a special customised Mk III Table to be presented at the Commonwealth Games.

• Acquire a BAT Therapy Table: if you're a care setting or health body who would benefit from a BAT Therapy Table and activity programme, register your interest and we'll contact you to chat in more detail.
• Donate a BAT Therapy Table: if you're a community organisation looking to make a positive impact for those living with Alzheimer's, register your interest and raise funds to help donate a BAT Therapy Table to a care setting local to you.
• Sponsor a BAT Therapy Table: if you or your company are looking to make a difference in the lives of those with Alzheimer's, register your interest to find out more about our corporate partner opportunities.

The BAT Therapy Table's ground breaking design is the culmination of years of development between BAT and our key partners at Butterfly, Inclusion, University of Stirling, and King's College London, resulting in the world's first table tennis therapy table packed with unique features to support and boost the benefits of playing table tennis for those living with Alzheimer's The table has been devised specifically to enhance the therapeutic experience of table tennis for those with Alzheimer's, whilst also countering the visual deprivations that are experienced in the early stages of the condition; including visual field deficit, loss of visual processing speed, visual field defects, contrast sensitivity, colour discrimination, reduced visuospatial processing, and minimal foveal representation.

Visual Enhancement

One of the goals in optimising the BAT Therapy Table concept, at the earliest intervention, is to arrest and potentially reverse, in the short term, these cortical changes and to slow the progression before irreversible cortical damage ensues. There are several ways the table supports this:

• The table's clinical white playing surface, utilised with bright orange balls, enhances contrast.
• The attached side panels increases spatial awareness, creates a secure, non-distracting and comforting play zone, and enhances peripheral vision.
• The extended borders emphasise perspective and aid visual field map organisation.

Physical Stimulation

Another aim in the development of the BAT Therapy Table is to multiply the activities benefits for the physical condition of the user, which is already known to be strong through such an intervention. The tables design enhances these in numerous ways, including:

• Increased play duration provides a longer intervention, which in turn means additional sideways motion, amplifying the benefit around balance.
• The added aspect of playing against the side panels creates a need for more changes in users body position, which supports their upper body strength.
• The subtle adjustments in paddle placement brought about by changes in ball direction assists in improved fine motor skills.

Continued Development

The BAT Design Team is also currently augmenting the BAT Therapy Table's enormous potential with an initial series of eight interactive therapy activity programmes, together with specialist equipment in collaboration with Stirling University's highly acclaimed Dementia Services Development Centre. These will be incorporated into a comprehensive training curriculum for care setting Activities Managers, health body Therapy Providers, and anyone who works with or cares for those living with Alzheimer's. In the meantime take a look at our Resources page, where you'll find a series of activities, exercises, and games all downloaded able for free.