"Watching the kids break out of their shells and experience something new has been incredible. You can see their confidence building in just a few weeks, which is amazing."

As part of our expanding Changing Places London programme, we have connected with the Rathbone Society, a youth provision for disabled and disadvantaged young people in Lambeth, to run weekly skateboarding sessions across South London.

Aimed at young people who would otherwise lack opportunities to exercise and be sociable during the summer break, these sessions were a fantastic opportunity to learn a new sport and meet new friends.

Throughout the summer, it was clear that these regular inclusive sessions boosted the young people’s self-confidence at a time when their mental health would normally suffer. The summer holiday can be a challenging time for disabled young people without the support they receive at school.

After five sessions the progress was clear. Their skills grew each week and by the end, many young people no longer needed the coach's assistance to skate freely. None of them had skated before, but their improvement was remarkable. The feedback from the group has also been overwhelmingly positive.

Faith, a Youth Worker who supported the project, shared:

"The kids enjoy the sessions and are fully engaged. It's something they've looked forward to every week. They've learned valuable skills that they'll carry with them. Jamali, one of the participants, has gained confidence week by week. His progress has encouraged other kids to get involved because they've seen their friends participate, which helped them build the confidence to give it a try."

Working closely with the coaches, we strove to make the sessions as inclusive as possible. By allowing the young people to learn at their own pace we created an environment where they wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. Every session involved interactive games to keep everyone engaged while learning fun new skills.

Coach Humza shared his thoughts:

"It's been wonderful to see such a diverse mix of backgrounds and needs. Watching the kids break out of their shells and experience something new has been incredible. You can see their confidence building in just a few weeks, which is amazing."

Youth Worker Jaykoda also expressed her thoughts:

"They are learning valuable skills and finding a sense of purpose. Being in a group with non-SEND children allows them to learn about each other’s differences, and a sport like skateboarding teaches them in ways they wouldn't normally experience. It’s heartwarming to see the kids from different areas come together and interact."

Moving forward, we will continue to fund and organise projects like this to provide disabled and disadvantaged young people with sporting opportunities during the summer holidays! Working locally with clubs and organisations, we will ensure that these young people’s mental health isn’t affected by their time off school.