A free, multi-sport festival, in Birmingham, will showcase a whole range of disability-inclusive sports on offer in the city, expanding the opportunities for disabled young people to get active.
The charity Access Sport is running the event, in Nechells, in partnership with the region-wide My Tomorrow campaign, which aims to empower young people across the West Midlands.
Around 60 young people have booked a place and will be able to take part in judo, hockey, wheelchair basketball, badminton, climbing, boccia, cycling and many more drop-in, taster sessions which are all inclusive and adaptable.
Parents and carers will also be able to access information and support at a variety of stalls manned by staff from Midland Mencap, Aston Villa Foundation, Birmingham Children’s Trust, Sense, Limb Power and Activity Alliance.
The West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), which launched the My Tomorrow campaign earlier this year, is helping fund 10 My Tomorrow Sports Festivals across the region with support from their sport partner StreetGames.
Three more are planned for later this year, with each receiving a share of £5,000 from the VRP to pay for food and equipment hire.
Access Sport, which is a national charity, advocates to improve access to inclusive community sport by upskilling coaches and working with partners to set up new inclusive clubs. This My Tomorrow sports festival is the first Access Sport has run in Birmingham, after launching in the city in November 2023.
Senior Community Coordinator Charlotte Barnard said: “I am incredibly excited to be hosting a disability-inclusive sport festival! It will be a fantastic opportunity for local disabled children, young adults, and their families to come together and connect through sport.
“I know so many of them have been inspired by the start of the Paralympic Games, so now feels like a really important time to be talking about the barriers disabled children face when trying to access sport in their home towns and cities.
“We are proud to be doing this as part of the My Tomorrow movement which is all about ensuring young people’s voices are heard and those working to support them have the resource and funding they need.”
Lead organisation, Access Sport, in partnership with Midland Mencap, Sport Birmingham and StreetGames are delivering this Inclusive Multi-Sport Festival in Birmingham.
It is hoped that this continued joint working approach across sport system partners will lead to greater inclusive sporting opportunities for under-served communities in Birmingham.
The festival takes place at Nechells Community Sports Centre, Rupert Street, Birmingham B7 5DT from 10.30am-2.30pm. Anyone interested in attending can sign up here.
