Widening Access & Opportunity Case Study

GLL joins forces with Tower Hamlets to raise awareness of disability sport in the borough

GLL and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets hold an open day and set up events to promote disability sport in the borough.

Elite disability sports teams hold 'taster' sessions

Giving people the opportunity to watch elite disability sports teams in action, the open day also ran 'taster' sessions in a range of activities from archery, swimming and goal ball to wheelchair basketball and fitness training.
The joint-funded project saw GLL work together with the LBTH Active Communities team, Tower Hamlets Sports Development and Youth and Community Services to provide transport, refreshments, marketing and general support. 

Paralympic sport

With a long-term goal of improving the health and well-being of disabled users, the open day also highlighted paralympic sport and opportunities for competition at a high level.  On-the-day consultation with non-disabled users also took place to try and pin-point barriers to accessing sport and physical activity - with the aim of increasing general participation in sport across the borough and integrating mainstream and disabled activity.
Now in the calendar as an annual event, the open day was recognised by the London Sports Forum when awarding Tower Hamlets Sports Development the Local Authority of the Year in March 2007. 

What a Sports Development Officer says

"The day was a success.  It was the most well attended event of this type so far in Tower Hamlets.  It allowed a number of people to try out sports that they may not have had access to before.  It was an opportunity for a number of partners to work together in order to offer more activities and accessibility.  The day has also taught us, as organisers, some valuable lessons on which to build event of this type in the future.  It will be bigger, better and most importantly, more accessible next year.  Watch this space."  Taibah, Sports Development Officer.