Famous faces help celebrate Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training
BBC presenters joined participants from across Greater Manchester last night to celebrate Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training. The workshop is part of a weeklong promotion for the programme that has supported thousands of disabled people across the country to lead more active lives.
BBC Radio 5 live sports broadcaster George Riley, who also presents Football on 5 every Saturday on Channel 5, joined volunteers and staff from local community organisations in a lively and informative three-hour workshop at Oasis Academy in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays.
The workshop in Manchester, one of hundreds which have taken place across the country this year, also marked the start of Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training Awareness Week (24-28 October) where the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is calling upon people to:
- Encourage disabled people to take part in your activities – it could be an adapted sport, a challenge conquered or an activity made more accessible.
- Consider whether you, a colleague or a friend might want to take the training and contact your local County Sports Partnership to discuss options.
- With 12 months of the programme remaining, book a place on one of the workshops, taking place every week of the year all across the country.
- Share your examples of disabled people being more active by using the social media hashtag #AK4A.
Carers, support workers, parents, volunteers and community groups and organisations all benefit from the creative and informative training.
Last night, George Riley said:
“I really enjoyed this evening. There were participants from all backgrounds, of all ages and with all sorts of different reasons for attending. We adapted rounders and other activities to make them more accessible as well as learning about the STEP principle and discussing local disability sport opportunities.
“As the workshop came to an end I realised just how valuable this training can be for those people who want to improve their delivery of inclusive sport and physical activities. Upskill yourself to include everyone in activities and feel more confident as a result. It’s a great opportunity to be able to make a real difference, supporting disabled people to become more fit, healthy and happy.”
Also in attendance on the evening was Nick Hope, BBC Sport’s OIympic and Paralympic broadcaster. Having recently returned from covering both Games in Rio de Janeiro. He welcomed the group and discussed his career as a journalist, his love of swimming and the vital role grassroots participation can play in the lives of disabled people.
He said:
“I know how important grassroots participation is to the health of the nation. We’ve just enjoyed a great summer of sport with particular focus on ParalympicsGB at the Rio Games. But not everyone wants to be an elite athlete winning medals, and that’s where EFDS plays a vital role. I urge you to support the charity’s fantastic work and make active lives possible.”
GreaterSport, Greater Manchester's County Sports Partnership arrange the Salford Quays workshop. Rachel Peers, Workforce Officer at GreaterSport, said:
“We as an organisation value this training as we aim to change lives through sport and physical activity, making it accessible for all. From my point of view it’s all about upskilling those who feel they have no, or limited, confidence when it comes delivering sport or physical activity to disabled people.”
The stark statistic is that only one in five disabled people take regular activity, but EFDS research shows seven in ten disabled people want to do more.
Over the last 18 months, EFDS has been documenting the positive experiences of many who have participated in workshops. During the Awareness Week EFDS, who deliver the programme in partnership with sports coach UK, will highlight success stories and demonstrate its continuing impact.
Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training was established in 2013 through a £1 million National Lottery grant from Sport England.
For more information about Sainsbury’s Inclusive Community Training and support on how you can help disabled people to be more active, visit www.efds.co.uk/inclusivecommunitytraining.
