Medway
£255
Badminton
Disabled Children & Young People
The Organisation:
Kent Badminton works with clubs, coaches and players throughout Kent to encourage and engage people of all ages and abilities to play badminton. Badminton England recognises the lack of competitive opportunities for players with disabilities so clubs are developing a network of events around the country to cater for all abilities.
The Project:
Funding was used to support the hire of Medway Park to run a disability tournament to support the running of ‘Come & Try’ badminton sessions, looking to introduce people to the sport via a series of fun games and group challenges. Kent Badminton consulted with local clubs who run their own fully inclusive badminton sessions to understand how to run sessions, deliver on the day and signpost participants to local clubs.
Impact:
- Helped attract new participants
- New opportunities created for the local community
- Helped families be active together
- Increased awareness of local clubs
“Giving participants a racket and shuttlecocks gave them the ability to play badminton with friends in the garden after the festival or to join a club for structured coaching.“
Kent Badminton
Key Learnings:
People like me. Disabled people are more than half as likely to ‘see people like me’ participating, working and volunteering in sport and physical activity (Activity Alliance, 2024). Increase the representation of disabled people participating in and delivering activities on website and marketing materials.
Develop your workforce. Only 9% of disabled people feel they have the opportunity to become a coach (Activity Alliance, 2024). Recruit and train disabled and non-disabled volunteers and staff to provide support for disabled people to access and feel secure while engaging in sport and physical activities.