Lottery gives sporting chance to people with learning disabilities
8 May 2008 11:37 AM
Encouraging people with learning disabilities to get active and enjoy sport is the goal of a project in Sutton that has successfully bid for lottery funding.
The Active London project based in Wallington was today awarded £147,796 from the BIG Lottery Fund to continue and expand their vital work.
The funding comes from BIG’s Reaching Communities programme, which supports projects that improve the lives of local people across England.
Since 2005 Sutton Mencap has been helping people with learning disabilities to get more active and take part in a variety of sporting and physical activities. The aim is to improve not only the health of the participants – but also their confidence, social skills and employment prospects.
The participants are encouraged to enjoy a wide range of sports activities, including skateboarding, soccer, judo, karate, cricket, table tennis and swimming.
Rita, a carer of one of the participants, explained what the project means to the people involved: “Going to the gym has had such an influence on Steven, he is so enthusiastic—he loves all the exercise he does - and would love to go more often.
“He has also got back on track with his diet, which is helping him to reduce his weight. We feel it has been a tremendous help both to him and myself and in his words; ‘It’s fantastic! Tremendous! And great!’ He hopes it will continue to expand and help other people too.”
Tracey Hickey, Sports Development Manager for the Active London Project, said: "This grant will make a huge difference to the lives of adults with a learning disability. Thank you to the Big Lottery Fund for giving us the opportunity to help Sutton become more inclusive and our members more active within the community.”
The BIG grant will help Sutton Mencap to continue their work and extend the programme to increase the level of support available. This expansion will include a sports buddy programme that will involve more independent people working one on one or in groups with people that need higher levels of support. The aim is to build confidence in people with learning disabilities so they eventually feel they can access sports independently.
Debbie Pippard, Head of Region for London, said: “Our Reaching Communities programme is about supporting projects that care for the most vulnerable people in our communities. We’re delighted to be able to help Sutton Mencap get people out and active, with all the health and social benefits getting involved in sport can bring. Its obvious that people really enjoy the project and we’re pleased to be fund it to continue.”
Further information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102 030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website:
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
- The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £20 billion has now been raised and more than 280,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.