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“I will definitely be using Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training'

Plenty of sessions of Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive Community Training are already scheduled for the New Year. And with over 3,100 people now having benefited from the practical, informative and enjoyable workshop, now is the time to consider it for you or your organisation.

One group completed two of their own Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training workshops in 2015 - Severnside Housing, based Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Under the guidance of an experienced tutor from sports coach UK and organised by Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, the workshops were a product of a new relationship forged between the not-for-profit company and the County Sports Partnership.

Jessica Lightwood, Shropshire Inclusion Officer, said:

“A new partnership was developed with Severside Housing to complement their Learning Programme for their residents, and members of the public within the local community.

“This partnership has enabled us to engage with members of the community and recruit new volunteers.”

Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training, part of Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All, is a creative, informal and informative workshop. It is designed to improve the skills and confidence of those who support disabled people to be more active.

Amongst those from Severnside who attended the workshop, half said they felt that their confidence, skills and knowledge in the inclusion of disabled people in sport or physical activity was either poor or very poor prior to the workshop.

But having taken part in the three hours of practical training supplemented by online resources, 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they had learned about practical ways to support inclusive delivery.

Ejiro, a Community Development Officer at Severnside Housing, said:

“I found Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training very beneficial, with lots of simple and effective ways that I can make sports activities inclusive, adaptable and comfortable for everybody.

“I will definitely be using these methods in my sessions.”

Ejiro’s positive experience was echoed in the post-workshop feedback from participants, with eight in 10 saying their confidence in inclusion had been significantly improved.

Severnside Housing have committed to further Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training workshops in 2016.

Megan Ripley, Community development and Resident Involvement Support Officer, said:

“Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training, organised by Energize, helped our tenants by teaching valuable skills, such as teamwork and a flexible way of thinking, which they can then translate into their working environments.

“It is also great to be able to introduce tenants to activities from which they may previously have felt excluded - inclusivity is extremely important to Severnside.”

For further information, please contact EFDS, email AK4A@efds.co.uk or telephone 01509 227751. Find us on Twitter @Eng_Dis_Sport, Facebook and LinkedIn.