Exciting new inclusive sport resources from our local partner!

Over the last 3 years, International Inspiration has had the pleasure of partnering with Cheshire Foundation – Action for Inclusion (CF-AI) to deliver the innovative Sport for Inclusive Development project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Using the power of sport to transform negative attitudes towards disability, dispel misconceptions and empower young people living with disabilities to become role models for others, the project has made a significant contribution to promoting more inclusive communities. As a result of the tireless work of local inclusive sport coordinators and a dedicated team of volunteers, over 12,389 children and young people benefitted from the opportunity to take part in regular inclusive sport activities – growing in confidence, understanding the importance of inclusion and learning a range of essential life and leadership skills.  In a context where disability can lead to a high degree of social isolation, the value of these opportunities for children and young people living with disabilities cannot be underestimated.

Building on the incredible impact achieved over the last three years, IN is really excited to share a new series of resources developed locally by the project. The resources in this series aim to capture the project’s approaches, activities and experience. We hope this will be helpful in encouraging and equipping others to promote inclusive development through sport.

The resources include:

·        A Tutors Guide, providing a framework for inclusive sport training, together with a set of activity cards and PowerPoint slides;

·        An Equipment Guide, which provides guidance on developing and adapting inclusive sport equipment from locally available resources;

·        A set of 20 activity cards, outlining a range of games and adaptations, including inclusive versions of traditional games;

·        A Practitioner Guide, which highlights key programme management recommendations for projects of this kind, including staffing structure and roles and responsibilities;

·        An Inclusive Festival Guide, which provides step by step guidance on planning and delivering an inclusive sport festival.

These resources have been inspired and informed by the truly amazing work of CF-AI and the inclusive sport team in Bahir Dar, whose tireless dedication to promoting a more inclusive world is an inspiration to us all. We are extremely grateful to Ken Black for the technical content of these resources and for the time and energy invested in developing them. Our sincere thanks go out to David Haskins for so generously sharing his time, encouragement, support and good humour with CF-AI and IN throughout. Finally, we would like to thank Comic Relief, whose financial support has been fundamental to the success of the project and the production of these resources.