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Inclusive and Active Plan

Mayor boosts disabled sports participation in London with Sport England and LSF

To download the Inclusive and Active Action Plan, click here

To download the Inclusive and Active Action Plan Executive Summary click here

Tuesday 11th September 2007, Sport England, LSF and the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone today published ‘Inclusive and Active’ - an action plan designed to help increase the number of disabled people in London participating in any sport at any level.

Disabled Londoners currently have fewer opportunities or choice of sports and sports activities and facilities that others already enjoy leading to fewer than one in five of disabled adults in London regularly taking part in any sport and physical activity.

The action plan jointly commissioned by the Mayor, Sport England and London Sports Forum for Disabled People sets out ten key priority action points to tackle the inequalities that exist and to help increase both sporting participation and success at every level. These include recruiting and training more disabled people as sports coaches with £500,000 funding already committed from the London Development Agency and increasing the number of existing sport and leisure facilities that are fully accessible and inclusive to disabled people.

inclusive and active

Mayor Ken Livingstone, Ade Adepitane, Sean Holt and Trevor Wood at the Inclusive and Active Launch

The Mayor said:

‘This report will address any concerns people have that disabled people will not reap the benefits of the London 2012 Games legacy.

‘By working together with boroughs and national and local sporting associations to deliver the plan we can make a difference to the lives of disabled people before and after 2012, and create a sports legacy for disabled people of which we will be proud.’

Trevor Wood, Chair, London Sports Forum for Disabled People added:

‘Inclusive and active is a powerful document that has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of disabled Londoners. It is designed to ensure that good practice in terms of providing inclusive sport and physical activity is recognised and replicated.’

Sean Holt, Director of Sport England London said:

‘Sport England strongly supports Inclusive and Active and we are fully committed to playing our role in tackling the challenges and barriers that disabled people face with regards to taking part in sport and physical activity.

‘The recent Active People survey showed that 9 per cent of disabled Londoners aged 16 and above participate in 30 minutes of sport or active recreation at least three times a week, compared to 21.3 per cent of Londoners without disabilities. It is imperative that we use this plan to encourage at least 1 per cent more disabled people to regularly participate in sport and physical activity year on year, in order to start narrowing the gap. This is a demanding target as this means 8-9,000 more disabled people participating each year or 40-45,000 between now and 2012.

‘Inclusive and Active provides a perfect opportunity to open the debate with partners and stakeholders in order to raise the profile and secure much needed investment and resources for this key area.’

Ade Adepitan, former British Paralympic wheelchair basketball player said:

‘What is particularly exciting about Inclusive and Active is that it strives to ensure that Disabled Londoners have many more opportunities to access the sports of their choice. I am sure that it will be the catalyst for a whole new generation of disabled people enjoying actively taking part in sport, some of which I am sure will be the champions of the future.’

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

1) ‘Inclusive and Active’ also responds to the 2006 Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee report ‘London Olympic and Paralympic Games – A sporting legacy for people with disabilities’ - that identified weaknesses in the provision of sport for disabled people in London.

2) ‘Inclusive and Active – a Sport and Physical Activity Plan for Disabled People in London’ can be found at www.london.gov.uk

3) The report is jointly funded between the GLA and Sport England. London Sports Forum for Disabled People will take the report’s actions/recommendations forward with partners across London.

4) The top ten priorities set out in the plan are:

1. Start the Inclusive and Active debate

2. Implement an Inclusive and Active advocacy and profile-raising campaign

3. Develop an Inclusive and Active network of nominated sports officers, leaders, coaches and teachers

4. Increase the number of existing sport and leisure facilities (indoor and outdoor) that are fully accessible and inclusive to disabled people

5. Develop an Inclusive and Active web portal

6. Develop more inclusive mainstream sports clubs providing high-quality sports opportunities for disabled people

7. Improve the sporting pathways for disabled young people and adults

8. Recruit and train more disabled and non-disabled people as sports coaches

9. Train more teachers

10. Workforce training for decision makers, service providers and volunteers

5) The LDA will be providing £500,000 funding for ‘Coachability’ a new programme outlined in the action plan that aims to recruit and train more disabled unemployed Londoners as sports coaches.

6) Sport England exists to sustain and increase participation in community sport. It is a non-departmental public body and Lottery distributor. Their ambition is to get two million people participating more in sport by 2012 by promoting, advising and investing in community sport. For more information visit www.sportengland.org

7) London Sports Forum for Disabled People is London’s strategic development agency with overall responsibility for ensuring disabled people have the same access to sport and physical activity opportunities as non-disabled people. London Sports Forum for Disabled People has a dedicated team of development officers who support existing sport and physical activity clubs and providers to ensure that the opportunities they provide are fully inclusive and accessible. For more information visit www.londonsportsforum.org.uk

8) Ade Adepitan MBE was a member of the British Paralympic basketball team that won Bronze in Athens. He is also a 2012 ambassador

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: For out-of-hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the duty press officer.

Press information is available from Richard Brookes or Alison McDonald on 020 7983 6550/4020 (numbers not for publication); email economicdesk@london.gov.uk

GENERAL PUBLIC/NON-MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Call the Public Liaison Unit at the Greater London Authority on 020 7983 4100.

Alison McDonald

Mayor of London's Press Office

Tel: 020 7983 4020

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY

www.london.gov.uk

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