“Don’t change them, change the world for them.” – Sarah Bern

On Wednesday 18 March, we welcomed guests to Harbour House in Bristol for our Powered by Community Sport fundraising dinner.

Hosted by our brilliant Ambassador and former England Netball player Pamela Cookey, the dinner brought together guests for a memorable evening of inspiration and generosity, raising an impressive £13,000.

This year’s dinner highlighted the remarkable progress being made across Bristol to ensure that disabled and disadvantaged young people across the city can experience the joy and belonging community sport brings.

In Bristol, we work closely with disabled and disadvantaged children and young people to ensure they can access the life-changing benefits of sport. The funds raised at our dinner will directly support this mission. Every pound we raised will be spent in Bristol - creating new sporting opportunities, helping community clubs create inclusive offers and ensuring young people have access to empowering environments.

We were delighted to be joined by two exceptional guests, Sarah Bern and Wesley Newman, who generously gave their time to attend our annual dinner, including:

Wes, a member of our National Youth Board and club leader and coach of Swindon Shock Basketball Club, shared his powerful story with our dinner guests. As a teenager, he lost access to sport after becoming a wheelchair user, quickly became inactive, socially isolated and his mental health suffered. Finding an Access Sport-supported basketball club at 15 changed everything, giving him confidence and independence. Wes is wheeling the London Marathon for us this April, inspired by a desire to show other disabled young people that sport is for everyone.

“This marathon isn’t just about finishing a race. It’s about widening access, changing perceptions, and making sure that sport can be a place where everyone belongs.”

Sarah, World Cup winning Red Rose and Bristol Bear, reflected on growing up as a neurodivergent young person and how sport became the space she felt she belonged. She shared her own perspective on why inclusion really matters within community sport and how it shaped her journey to elite success and World Cup victory!

Their contributions were among the highlights of the night, each offering a powerful reminder of why inclusive community sport matters more than ever.

The evening also featured an exciting auction, offering guests the chance to bid on unique experiences and exclusive sporting opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the auction contributed significantly to the funds raised.

To everyone who attended, bid in our auctions and helped make this event such a success, thank you. Your commitment to inclusion is changing young lives.

If you were unable to support the event but would like to contribute, you can still support us by becoming a monthly supporter. Click the link below to find out more.

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