Disability Sport Yorkshire launched an ambitious new employability project, at Shelley Community Football Club which aims to engage young disabled adults who are not in employment, and provide training related to the various roles involved in running a community sports club.

One of the project aims is to create the first community sports club run by disabled people, and in doing so, create real exit routes into employment.  

Recently, Sam Firth, Football Development Officer (SHCFA) delivered an ‘introduction to coaching and refereeing’ session to the group.  “It was fantastic to see how enthusiastic everyone was across the session and great to hear that some are now interested in attending an FA Level 1 course in the near future”.  

The project will also allow people to attend bespoke training sessions where they can help out across various areas of running a club; these include pitch marking and maintenance, programme selling, car park stewarding, social media promotion and website management.  Training will also be offered around customer care, first aid, and managing finances.  

The project, which has already been backed by Garfield Weston Trust and Awards For All, is in currently in a pilot phase gathering evidence with a view to a consortium bid for a three year funded project.

“This is a really exciting project, and it comes as no surprise that many organisations have already committed to being part of it. The ambition is to create a sports club where disabled people are at the forefront. Where disabled people find opportunities. We want to develop a model that can be replicated in other areas. It would be especially poignant to do this initially on the same site (Storthes Hall) that was once a place where disabled people were locked away, out of sight of the local community.” (Project Lead, Fiona Hall)

Disability Sport Yorkshire are looking for further clubs to work with in the future specifically in the South Yorkshire area. For further details on how to get involved as a partner, or as a volunteer, please contact, Fiona Hall on 01924 3723782