A huge thanks to The Yogscast for helping us launch our Life Changers appeal – with funds raised from the 2020 Jingle Jam and other donations we’ve now passed £175k total raised!

But we won’t stop here. We know so may disabled children and young people are being particularly hard by the pandemic and we need to continue doing all we can during lockdown to provide opportunities for people to stay active.

Throughout early 2021 we’ve continued delivering thousands of home sports packs that can be used to keep fit and have fun at home during lockdown. We’ve been keeping BMX tracks open with social distancing in place and we’ve been able to coach special needs groups from schools, acting as a lifeline for many during this crisis.

And as we emerge from the latest lockdown we’ll be helping our community clubs return as quickly as possible with whatever new safety measures may be required.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

 

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR LIFE CHANGERS!





Give the gift of sport 

You can help purchase a piece of vital sports equipment for a disabled child right now, please donate below or choose an item on our online shop.

Please select a donation amount (required)
Set up a regular payment Donate


Your donation will fund more inclusive clubs like EL Race Running so that children like Mia can enjoy taking part in sport




Why we need your help now

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, tens of thousands of disabled children across the UK were being denied the simple opportunity of taking part in sport and regular physical activity; as a result, suffering poorer physical and mental health than should be a basic human right.

The impact of the pandemic on these same children will be catastrophic – compared to their non-disabled peers, disabled people are more likely to be shielding and isolated, more likely to be experiencing financial hardship, more likely to have experienced a decline in physical and mental health, and more likely to die. (Activity Alliance 2020)

Most parents of disabled children are desperately worried for their child’s mental, as well as physical, health and what the future holds.


In this situation, a chance to exercise or play sport of some kind is even more important than before. Yet if you had nowhere to exercise or play sport before the pandemic, what hope is there now?

Thousands of community sports clubs were unable to welcome disabled children even before the lockdown; many of those that were equipped to do so have been unable to reopen; many will be in danger of being lost forever due to financial hardship, the longer the pandemic continues.


But it doesn’t have to be like this.


Prior to the pandemic, Access Sport was working with community sports clubs to create thousands of new opportunities each year for disabled children to participate.

Now, we are working even harder to support clubs to stay open or get back open with the necessary safety measures. We’re providing extra sports equipment, hand sanitisers and PPE equipment, and training and support to help keep these vital outlets open.


For example East London Race Running, where 13 year old Mia Martin, who has cerebral palsy, participates:

 I really love the fact that I’m able to move around by myself while I’m RaceRunning. I spend the majority of my time trapped in my wheelchair, so it’s magical that I can be free while I’m on the track every week.


In order to tackle this issue during 2021 and beyond, we are setting up the Jingle Jam Life Changers Fund for Sport.


We are not going to sit by and let disability-accessible community sport be lost forever. We are going to fight to keep disability-inclusive clubs going and we are going to set up more, working in new innovative ways to adapt to ‘the new normal’ and provide safe, accessible sport to children who, without it, will have drastically reduced life chances and life expectancy.


The Life Changers Fund is seeking to raise £500,000 to make this difference for 5,000 disabled children and their families


It costs just £25 to buy a hockey stick and ball to enable a disabled child to play hockey; and for £45 we can deliver a multi-sport pack to a household with disabled children who can’t get outdoors for any exercise.

On average it costs £5,000 to set up a new, fully inclusive sports club for up to 50 disabled children to play sport every week, with a chance for their siblings and families to participate too.

In this way the Life Changers Fund will enable us to reach 5,000 more disabled children and their families with life-changing opportunities in sport.

Together we can bring joy and health back to the lives of thousands of disabled children as quickly as possible during 2021 and beyond. Please give a gift this Christmas to help change the life of disabled child





You can also support the fund in traditional ways at any time of year


By doing a fundraiser of your own for Access Sport, or if you represent a company or a grant-giving trust, by talking to us about a partnership. To do so please contact Amy:

[email protected]



Please help, so we can help more children like Mia.

When I first heard about RaceRunning, I knew it was something I wanted Mia – and other kids with similar challenges – to try out. It can be so tough finding activities for young people to do when they have complex needs, and it can have a big impact on their fitness, confidence and self-esteem if they can’t get involved in sports, like their friends are. When they first get on their bikes, it’s amazing when they realise that their legs can move them around, as many have never experienced that freedom before. – Mia’s mother






Thank you to the fund supporters...