We are delighted to announce that later in 2015 will be the first year OnSide brings young people with a disability or an additional need together for a joint Youth Zone network CADS event.
It will be run at the Seashell Trust, the project partner, on Thursday 28th May 2015.
The unique fun-filled event forms part of the A Level Playing Field project – a unique partnership between OnSide, their network of Youth Zones, including Mahdlo, and the Seashell Trust, which aims to support over 1,200 disabled young people, aged 8-25 year olds.
The project was launched back in January 2014 to address issues of limited facilities or services close to home for families with disabled children. The focus of the project is for OnSide Youth Zones to get disabled young people involved in inclusive sports and recreational activities such as football, badminton, basketball, climbing, dancing and creative activities that leads to increased confidence, fitness, making friends and skills to independence.
In partnership with the Seashell Trust, a charity specialising in the needs of children and young people with the most complex communication difficulties, the award-winning Children’s Able and Disabled Sport (CADS) event will give young people with a disability a chance to shine later this month.
The idea of the event is to bring young people from all of the ALPF projects together to take part, enjoy and have fun in a one day opportunity. Swimming, Tennis, Football, Sensory Games and Music are just some of the sports the young people will take part in on the day – with the element of fun and enjoyment the key factor – not competition.
Stephen Pearson, OnSide’s A Level Playing Field Project Co-coordinator commented: “This event is about providing the opportunity to Youth Zone members with multiple or complex disabilities to meet new friends, have fun and enjoy taking part in sport. It is not competitive, but about trying new things and meeting young people from other Youth Zones with the support of staff and Seashell Trust. It does mean everyone gets to use the Seashell Trust’s swimming pool – and a big thanks must go to them for hosting the event!
“It will be a truly inspiring day and extremely rewarding for the young people. Throughout the year we deliver sessions that meet the needs of all young people and we deliver a continuum of recreational opportunities supporting the inclusion spectrum, with the aim that young people are able to participate in open access sessions alongside non-disabled peers. This Inter Youth Zone event compliments that agenda and brings people together under one event that has been modified to include every ability. There will be lots of fun being had and friendships made for life.”
The ALPF project is currently being rolled out across the OnSide Youth Zone Network. For specific information on the events or to register your interest to become a volunteer at Mahdlo, contact us on 0161 624 0111 or info@mahdloyz.org.
A Level Playing Field has been made possible through the generous financial support of £1,173,451 from the Big Lottery Fund and £154,000 from the St James’s Place Foundation.
Stay tuned for more updates ahead of this memorable CADS day, but until then please spread the word of inclusive sport with the Twitter hashtag #YoungPeopleCan.
