Last week, Access Sport hosted the Ignite Bristol Multi Sport Festival, with over 100 participants and their families joining us at Merchants Academy Sports Centre in Bristol.

Bringing together 15 inclusive Bristol-based sports clubs, it was a brilliant opportunity for coaches and volunteers to host taster sporting activities for local disabled young people.

With the support from WECIL, Cerebral Palsy Plus and the University of Bristol, we were able to host our most impactful event yet! Activities included a 7ft climbing wall, wheelchair basketball, Kinball, wrestling, tandem bike riding, bowls, Pentathlon, yoga and much more! Informative stalls, a pizza food truck, and plenty of enthusiastic volunteers and staff were also on offer!

All the clubs that attended on the day were part of Ignite Bristol - a unified network of community organisations and clubs, spearheaded by Access Sport, dedicated to supporting inclusive community sport and physical activity in the area.

Without inclusive festivals like this, many disabled young people would miss out on the life-changing benefits of community sport. These festivals provide disabled young people with the opportunity to try new sports in a welcoming environment, with the hope of engaging them in community sport long term.

The Ignite festivals are part of our wider plans for community sport in Bristol. Over the next year, we want to expand the reach of our work in the region and create an effective feedback loop with local disabled young people. This will better allow us to address the views and needs of the young people we work with.

Fran Burns, Community Development Officer at Access Sport said:

“Being at the reception desk and seeing young people arrive and then leave, it is amazing to see the boost in energy and excitement the participants got from the activities. This change is most noticeable in participants and their families who have never attended the multi-sport festival. It was clear that the day had exceeded expectations!”

A parent of a participant said:

“We really enjoyed the opportunity to try a variety of sports at the festival. The coaches and volunteers have been excellent! These festivals allow us to truly relax, without any fear of judgement. Our girls loved it, and so did we! We loved that we could do the sports with them too. We also loved the communication beforehand, it helped manage everyone’s expectations which is a huge part of being able to enjoy any event”

To find out about this event or future events like this, please contact:
[email protected]

For direct information on the Ignite Bristol network, please follow the link below.
Ignite Bristol >