With over 80 participants from four schools across Manchester, City in the Community’s (CITC) second annual Disability Awareness Festival was a great success.
The event, held at the National Cycling Centre on 9 March 2016, aims to inspire participants to raise awareness of disabilities and promote positive attitudes towards disability within the community.
With all the attending schools having participated in our Premier League funded School Sports programme and ‘One City’ Disability Awareness programme, the Festival highlights the impact these projects are having in the local community.
Participants engaged in the various disability sports they have experienced as part of the Disability Awareness project, including boccia, goalball and sitting volleyball.
They also had the opportunity to play Amputee football with coaching from GB Amputee Player-Manager and Captain, David Tweed. In addition, the pupils were also introduced to some of the GB Paralympic Cycling team, who were training at the Velodrome on the day.
The day was supported by pupils from Newbridge Specialist Support School and teacher Andrew Greenway said: “It’s brilliant to see the number of children accessing disability sport and gaining such a positive attitude towards disability.
“Our school have benefited so much from today and every week from the provision City in the Community provide in and out of school for our disabled pupils.”
Similarly, Victoria Grzelak PE Co-Ordinator at Crossacres Primary School said: “Once again, this event has been fantastic, the children have really enjoyed the day and accessing sports they wouldn’t normally think of engaging in without the ‘One City’ programme.
“I have heard our pupils talking about the upcoming 2016 Paralympics in Rio with excitement which is such a surprise.”
The day was rounded off by the CITC Disability Football Apprentice; Thomas Lawson and Manchester City mascot Moonbeam handing out medals and certificates for all participants who took part in the day.
Thomas said: “Today has been really good, it’s great to see so many smiling faces and children engaging in disability sports but also forgetting they are doing disability sports, so many children have left today’s event with a far greater understanding of disability and that is ultimately our key aim”.
