We are delighted to have secured the continued support of St James’s Place Foundation throughout 2015. Their £50,000 grant provides us with the funds to continue to offer 16 sports activity sessions per week at Greenbank Sports Academy, including boccia, wheelchair handball and basketball, cycling, table tennis and multi-sports, for disabled people aged 8 and above.
Sport Development Manager Mark Palmer said “The St James’s Place Foundation started to fund the ‘Choices for Disability Sport’ programme at the Academy in 2012, when we were selected nationally as one of their seven ‘Sport for Good’ projects. The security of this core funding has made such a difference to the range and variety of sports and activities that we can offer. We are extremely grateful to The St James’s Place Foundation for continuing to support us in this way and allowing us to offer sporting opportunity for local people. I would encourage disabled people to make the most of what’s on offer and get involved in an activity of their choice, visit www.greenbanksportsacademy.co.uk/sports/ for more information and contacts”.
The St. James’s Place Foundation Manager Mark Longbottom added: ‘We are thrilled to continue to support the fantastic work of Greenbank’s. Choices programme which offers tremendous sporting opportunity to disabled young people in Liverpool and the surrounding area and we are proud to be able to extend this partnership.’
From 2012 to September 2014 the Choices Programme achieved its four aims:
- Giving disabled people the right to choose which sports they play – 10 disability sports are now offered via clubs and sessions at the Academy
- Organising a regional multi-sport event – Choices NW Regional Games held in 2013 and 2014, with more than 180 disabled participants
- Offering training for coaches and teachers of disability sport – 190 people have received training through the programme
- Providing a first class facility for disability sport
This work can now continue throughout 2015 thanks to The St James’s Place Foundation.