Disability History Month 2022
Disability History Month takes place between the 16 November and 16 December 2022. The month-long event focuses on the history of Disabled people’s struggles for equality and human rights.
At Brentford FC Community Sports Trust we hold a variety of sporting activities which are accessible and inclusive to people of all ages and abilities.
In the UK, one in five people have a disability. The Trust recognises the importance of providing an inclusive range of projects for children and adults with disabilities – helping them to tackle any existing obstacles they face playing sport.
Over the last 12 months we have delivered 481 sessions to 617 unique participants. This comprises a variety of activities, including football, multi-sports, gymnastics, cycling, watersports and even day trips.
In addition to this, the Trust partnered with Leicester City in the Community in October 2021 to host a football showcase event at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub for participants with learning difficulties, additional needs, and mental health issues. Offering increased opportunity for the whole community to participate is at the core of the Trust’s values, and events like this enable us to engage with more people across West London.
Since 1987, when Brentford FC delivered football in the community, we have been committed to running football sessions for children and young people with disabilities.
Following support from Sport England in 2005, the Trust was able to employ a Disability Project Co-Ordinator who created a strategy and a team, to grow and develop our Disability Sports Department. We moved from solely football sessions to a range of sports and physical activity programmes tailored to the needs of the participants. Over this time we have delivered sessions including:
- Hounslow Short Breaks, supporting children with disabilities through sporting and educational activities.
- On the Ball, supporting children and young people with social and communication difficulties through sports activities and whole family support.
- School Sport sessions for children and young people with a wide range of disabilities.
- Local disability football clubs.
The Trust is proud to offer such a varied and inclusive range of Disability Programmes. Chris Tribe, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust Disability Manager reflects, “It’s incredibly important for the Trust to be able to provide opportunities for local people with disabilities to take part in a wide range of activities. We aim to provide a supportive, welcoming environment at all of our sessions, which promotes the chance to take part in new activities, learn new skills, and develop new friendships for both young people and parents or carers.
Our disability programme has grown significantly in the last few years, but we still see plenty of opportunities to keep developing the breadth of our work, and will strive to do so in the future.”
For more information about any of our Disability Programmes please click here, or email: ctribe@brentfordfccst.com
