“My daughter attended this tonight. She has autism, adhd and several other disabilities. Just in case anyone wondered what it was like - she absolutely loved it!"

Access Sport has been working with Streetenvy, a Bristol dance school, to offer pan-disability street dance sessions for three different age groups.

From November to December, Access Sport has funded free taster sessions targeted at six to nine year-olds, ten to seventeen year-olds and adults with the aim of encouraging more disabled people to try street dance. Access Sport has also helped the dance school to promote the sessions, including featuring them in the new Ignite Bristol Directory and encouraging the club to attend the recent Ignite multi-sport festival.

Jonny Fenner, Community Coordinator at Access Sport says
“Street envy got in touch with Access Sport with the idea of offering pan-disability sessions and it’s been fantastic to work with the team to get these sessions off the ground. As well as funding the taster sessions and safeguarding course for coaches, we’ve also helped with marketing and administration tasks – which ensured that the Streetenvy team could focus on delivering fun and high-quality sessions. In the New Year we’ll continue to support Streetenvy with the aim of ensuring that the new pan-disability offer is sustainable, now that we have more participants keen to get involved!”

News of the new sessions has been well-received by the local community and a group from Elmfield School for deaf children have been enjoying the taster sessions, along with other local children and young people.

“My daughter attended this tonight. She has autism, adhd and several other disabilities. Just in case anyone wondered what it was like she absolutely loved it! The dance teachers were so considerate. There were deaf children, children in wheelchairs and my daughter was allowed to wear her ear defenders. Really happy with what I saw tonight and would recommend though I acknowledge it was only the first session.” - Parent

Community sport is proven to improve physical and mental health, as well as improving life prospects, creating a sense of belonging and strengthening communities. Access Sport has been working to transform the community sport offer in Bristol since 2008.

To find out more about our work in Bristol visit the webpage:
Changing Sports, Bristol