English Learning Disability Sport Alliance celebrates at Activity Festival
Autumn has been another incredibly busy period for Special Olympics Great Britain, with one of the season’s highlights taking place at the end of November. When over 200 young people from London with intellectual (learning) disabilities enjoyed trying out a variety of sports at a free Activity Festival held at The Copper Box Arena at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Special Olympics GB organised the event to raise awareness of the English Learning Disability Sport Alliance (ELDSA). A breakthrough partnership between Special Olympics GB and Mencap, created to reach and support individuals aged 8 years and up with an intellectual (learning) disability in becoming and staying active.
As part of Sport England’s £2.1 million National Lottery fund, the ELDSA were delighted to be recognised and awarded funding to help increase participation in sport for disabled people. Over the next three years Mencap and Special Olympics GB will receive £401,153 to help boost sports participation for people with learning disabilities.
At The Copper Box Arena some of the participants took part in one hour sessions in athletics, basketball, badminton and boccia. While others enjoyed trying out indoor rowing and canoeing, tennis and a variety of other sports. The London based event was also kindly supported and funded by the Greater London Authority.
As part of the day’s festivities, ELDSA launched a new, free Easy Read Let's Get Active Guide to support people with intellectual (learning) disabilities to find and access sporting activities in their local area.
Over the next three years Sport England will fund eight National Disability Sports Organisations (NDSOs) to advise, support and guide other sports bodies as they create more opportunities for disabled people to take part in sport.
Karen Wallin, Special Olympics GB Chief Executive Officer said:
“We are delighted to have received this funding from Sport England. Participation rates for people with a learning disability are significantly below those of the general population and this will help us to address this."
Karen continues:
"This award is also recognition of the importance of the ground-breaking partnership between Special Olympics GB and Mencap in forming the English Learning Disability Sports Alliance to create equality of opportunity for people with a learning disability.”
The funding that the English Learning Disability Sports Alliance receives will benefit people with learning disabilities by:
- Creating local ‘Delivery Networks’, bringing a range of organisations together to work in partnership and offer new opportunities for people with a learning disability to regularly participate in sport.
- Give support and training to mainstream sports providers to help them include people with a learning disability within their clubs.
- Ensure that people with a learning disability, their families and carers are aware of the benefits of living a healthy and active lifestyle.
- Signpost people with a learning disability to local opportunities to participate in sport.
Special Olympics GB is the largest registered charity providing year round sports training and competition opportunities for people with learning disabilities in England, Scotland and Wales.
For more information on Special Olympics GB, visit their website here.
Mencap Sport works with the governing bodies of sport and other sports providers to promote sporting opportunities for people with a learning disability at all levels. Mencap believes that people with a learning disability should have the same opportunities to participate, enjoy and excel in sport at all levels.
For more information on Mencap Sport, visit their website here.
