"I would highly recommend" Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training
There is just over a year to go of Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training, the workshop that has enabled over 5,000 people to better support disabled people to be more active.
Delivered by County Sports Partnerships, sports coach UK and the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), the programme is designed to improve the skills and confidence of participants, and is a creative and informal development opportunity.
Volunteer support worker Rachel Lane first spoke to EFDS earlier in the year. Now, she explains how Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training has proved useful in her day-to-day work.
Are you an active person yourself?
At the moment I am about to enter my third year of my university degree which is Physical and Sport Education.
I am the President of the Basketball Club at the university and work part-time as a youth support worker, as well as a Physical Education teaching assistant as part of my degree.
How have you introduced some of the things you learned on the Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training workshop?
As part of my youth support worker role, my job is to create and run practical sessions which are tailored for all abilities and needs.
The way I incorporate the elements I learned from Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training is that I always ensure I relate back to the Inclusion Spectrum.
I run open sessions which are modified to the individuals who are engaging and taking part. I ensure they are inclusive and imaginative to allow for development.
And I use the S.T.E.P principle to ensure the correct spacing, task, equipment and people are used for each activity.
Have you succeeded in supporting individual disabled people to be more active?
One SEN session of basketball I delivered included a participant who used a wheelchair. To make the activity inclusive I made sure the ball was the preferred size for the wheelchair user, so this meant the others had to adapt to the needs of the individual which also meant that while they had the advantage of movement on their feet, the person using the wheelchair had the advantage of using the size of ball that they were most comfortable with.
I therefore balanced the abilities of all those taking part.
What elements of Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training have you found most useful?
Definitely the S.T.E.P principle, which has impacted my lesson and session planning. It allows me to think logically and ensure I have covered all areas.
Why do you consider it important to cater for disabled participants in sport?
Disabled people deserve the best sporting opportunities and every opportunity life has to offer.
Not only does it ensure a healthy and active lifestyle in terms of fitness, but sport also great for socialising. Sport creates opportunities for everybody, regardless of ability.
I myself have an invisible illness which is classed as a disability and on many occasions this has hindered me with regards to sporting and coaching opportunities.
People of all ages, regardless of whether or not they have a disability, have the right to participate, if not competitively then even just for fun.
So you would recommend other people take part in Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training?
I would highly recommend the workshop as it opens up people’s minds and eyes to see how the smallest changes in planning sessions can create a huge impact.
If the programme can make sure that even one more disabled person is able to participate in sport because of the changes the programme helps coaches and organisers make then I think it has been a success.
