Scale will bring inclusive sport to 300 disabled young people living in one of London’s poorest boroughs

We are looking for a partner to help us Scale our disability inclusion work in London and change the lives of over 300 young people.

Your support will go directly towards expanding our programme to one of the poorest boroughs in London - Tower Hamlets.

39% of people live in poverty there, so life is tough, made harder for disabled children¹. Through your generosity, we can improve 300 young people’s mental and physical health, ensuring they have access to the transformational power of community sport.

With your help, we can mirror the work we have already done with clubs like Inclusive Zumba in Bexley. With almost 70% of young disabled people in London feeling chronically lonely, this Zumba club was set up by Emma Lock, a local community organizer and Zumba instructor, to provide disabled young people and their families access to a safe and sociable sporting environment.

We upskilled Emma through our YMCA-endorsed Disability Inclusion Training and have funded the first term of sessions. With our guidance, Emma has created a community hub in Bexley which has radically improved the social connectedness of local disabled young people.

Emma Lock, Club Founder, said:

“I wanted to create an environment where no one would feel judged and everyone can be themselves.”

Before Inclusive Zumba, local disabled young people were isolated and had little opportunity to exercise. Through Emma’s hard work, these young people now have a real sense of togetherness. With your generosity, we can extend the reach of this work to the borough of Tower Hamlets, ensuring that local disabled young people have an opportunity to socialise through inclusive community sport. 

If you would like to discuss supporting this project please contact: [email protected]

References:

¹ Trust for London, London's Poverty Profile: borough-level poverty 2022

² Sense, Survey 2021