3/1 To Win
On the EFL Day of Disabilities, the Derby County Community Trust is celebrating this year’s achievements, which has seen 734 participants take part in Disability sessions, along with 16 SEND schools and nine care homes across Derbyshire joining in sport and physical activity.
Working with participants from four to 103, the Trust ensure that taking part in sport and physical activity is made as accessible as possible for everyone.
This year has seen fantastic success within the Derby County Community Trust Disability department, including five England call-ups and a second successive FA Disability Cup win, amongst many individual success stories.
Our Deaf Futsal participants have had a great year, with two of the players, Joel Ash and Henry Bowe, being called up to represent England at U21 level, and the Girls U16 squad defending their FA Disability Cup title in a prolific 9-0 win at St George’s Park this summer.
Our Cerebral Palsy team have also seen two participants, Freddie Lamb and Billy Lee Dixon, called up to represent England at U21 level, and a third call up has seen Derby County Community Trust full-time apprentice Saul Simpkin return to the international stage. The CP team were on hand to help with the launch of Derby County’s training kit for the 2018/19 season, with Paralympian Sam Ruddock joining forces with Saul and Freddie to showcase the kit in action.
A player appearance at our DS Active session was a highlight for the Down’s Syndrome team who train weekly. They met first team players Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn and played football with them, practiced their goal celebrations and got their photos and signatures to take home.
The launch of our Sporting Memories programme, designed to help those living with the affects of dementia, invited participants to Pride Park Stadium to reminisce and chat to their Derby County heroes Roger Davies, Roy McFarland, Kevin Hector and Archie Gemmill about their favourite games from the 1970s. Our continued work in care homes has helped 236 residents to remain engaged in physical activity across the year.
Lauren Asquith, Club Development and Disability Manager at the Trust, said: “Our work this year has seen us help more participants than ever before to take part in sports sessions tailored to their individual needs, ensuring that they are not excluded from any form of activity they wish to take part in.
“As a department and a Trust we’re very proud of the achievements of each individual, whether this be receiving an England call-up or even attending just one session, proving that no disability is a barrier to sport.”
To find out more about any of the sessions provided by the Derby County Community Trust’s Disability Team, please contact [email protected].
