This important three-year programme will create sustainable change locally, improving the lives of current and future generations of underserved young people

Access Sport is delighted to announce a new 3-year partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund aiming to give all D/deaf and disabled young people in London equal access to sport and physical activity.

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

The grant will enable Access Sport to expand its Changing Places London project to Bexley, Bromley and Croydon, creating genuine inclusive opportunities where disabled and non-disabled people can participate together.

Access Sport will train, empower and support volunteer-led community sports clubs to deliver a wide variety of sustainable inclusive sports and physical activities, including athletics, boxing, cheerleading and yoga.

A legacy will be created in each Borough, ensuring that inclusive activity is embedded and that inclusive networks are formed that are locally owned with peer-support networks committed to driving long-term improvements for the lives of local disabled people, spanning the education, health, disability and sport sectors.

RAW Tennis in Bromley are one of the clubs being supported by Access Sport to deliver pan-disability inclusive tennis to 6–11-year-old children. The coaches and volunteers at RAW Tennis have completed Access Sport’s accredited Disability Inclusion Training and are currently planning their delivery for April 2022.

Jacob Johnson, Head Coach and Director of Coaching said:

"Our partnership with Access Sport is providing us with an opportunity to establish and maintain a strong link within our community to deliver a dedicated pan-disability inclusive tennis programme. Without Access Sport and their expertise this would be much harder to orchestrate. We have already scheduled disability groups within our timetable and we are eager to make tennis accessible to everyone"

Access Sport are also looking forward to hosting community consultations in March to meet many of the new organisations in Bexley, Bromley and Croydon and exploring new and exciting opportunities.

Helen Rowbotham, Access Sport CEO said:

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the National Lottery Community Fund to empower and support sports clubs in Bexley, Bromley and Croydon to transform the lives of D/deaf and disabled young people in their local communities. This important three-year programme will create sustainable change locally, improving the lives of current and future generations of underserved young people"

If you are a club, volunteer or community organisation in Bexley, Bromley and Croydon and you’d like to find out more, please email Sophie Epsley – [email protected] or call 020 7993 9883.

Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for their support