A project ran by IFI Mark accredited facility, the Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders, which last year helped more than 1,300 able and disabled youngsters to play sport in Manchester and Cheshire has been awarded the 2009 BBC Power of Sport Award, supported by Sport England.
The Children’s Able and Disabled Sport programme (CADS), based at the Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders in Cheshire, provides sport and physical activity sessions for both able and disabled children in an environment designed to include everyone equally. Thanks to CADS, thousands of young people have taken part in sports activities, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.
The BBC Power of Sport award recognises real projects that have made a difference in the community and the CADS project is a leading example of this.
CADS provides young people, especially those with severe, complex and multiple disabilities, with the same opportunities to enjoy sport as other children their age. They work tirelessly to break down barriers of sports participation by creating a better understanding of disability issues amongst non-disabled participants. CADS has 35 different sports on offer including swimming, squash, football, cycling, cricket, rugby and gymnastics.
Michelle Flannery from Stockport has two children. Her daughter, aged six, is able bodied and her son, age nine, has Cerebral Palsy and a development delay. As a family, they have attended a number of CADS events in the area, together.
Michelle said:
"I have supported my son at every CADS event that he has attended. I have seen first hand how successful and beneficial they can be, not only for my own children but other children who attend. The CADS events allow my family to attend and experience the activities together. They have both had the chance to try so many different sports through the years and it has given my son a lot of confidence to try different things and to meet new friends."
CADS has proven to be a success in the area, and has inspired a number of similar projects across the rest of the North West. Other projects are now being set up and run in Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria as well as other parts of Cheshire and Manchester.
Collecting the BBC Power of Sport Award, CADS Development Manager, Steve Harp, said:
"We're honoured to have got this level of recognition. At the end of the day we're just a small charity trying to change sport so this means a great deal to us. We believe that sport can be played by anyone and should be enjoyed by all, regardless of ability. Hopefully winning this award will help us take our programme to thousands more children across the North West."
David Holdsworth, Controller BBC English Regions, added: "All of our Power of Sport award winners are making a real difference through sport to the lives of people in their communities. Finding and telling these fantastic stories back to our audiences across England are at the heart of what the BBC is here to do, so we're delighted to be part of these awards."
Sport England is supporting the BBC Power of Sport Award. Jennie Price, Sport England’s Chief Executive, said:
"This award celebrates the power of sport to improve lives and enrich local communities. The CADS programme proves just what can be achieved when you have great ideas backed by dedicated people."
