New funding to boost disability participation in ice skating
Following a significant award from Sport England, British Ice Skating have launched a major disability participation initiative.
More than £170,000 has been invested into a three-year pilot project that will grow the opportunities for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to engage in social, recreational and competitive skating, building on significant recent progress in the area.
The launch of the project is the latest milestone in an ongoing move by British Ice Skating to broaden access to the sport. In 2023 they introduced sweeping changes to their official learn to skate programme, Skate UK, with inclusive learning pathways designed in collaboration with Activity Alliance.
Similar initiatives have already met with success; Slough-based charity SPICE, for example, have been developing ice skating opportunities for children and young adults with additional needs since 2002. The new investment will allow British Ice Skating to build on these successes by supporting existing projects, bringing similar opportunities to communities across the country, and embedding change for the long-term.
Stef Reid, former paralympic athlete turned Dancing on Ice star and now an ambassador for British Ice Skating, said of the changes:
"I didn’t start skating until I was 37 because I didn’t think it was an option for someone with an artificial foot. It’s why I love the new Skate UK dispensation scheme - it gives skaters and coaches the freedom to learn and teach skills in a way that is right for them, and it means even more people can get involved."
On the importance of the pilot project and the investment that has made it possible, British Ice Skating President Robin Cousins:
"British Ice Skating has been working hard to embed inclusion at the heart of our sports; this investment not only recognises that work but will help us enhance it on so many levels.
"The progress we make will be important both for our current members and for new learners venturing into the ice skating world for the first time. We want to make sure we can turn challenges into opportunities, so that everyone who wants to can experience the joys that skating of all kinds can offer."
The investment was secured via a successful bid to a Sport England Pilot Fund, and will fund accessibility equipment and resources, staff training and volunteer support, plus Equality, Diversity and Inclusion staff to support the delivery of the project and greatly enhance British Ice Skating’s capacity for progress in these areas.
Image credit: Sport England
