MAKING SPORT INCLUSIVE

DOZENS of Gold Coast kids are benefiting from the Gold Coast Inclusive Sport Program, thanks to its welcoming environment that works hard to support each child.

The GCISP was designed to encourage children with disabilities and additional needs to play sport regularly.

The program ran its first session in 2016 and since then has seen hundreds of Gold Coast kids and volunteers participate in the program.

Founder of the GCISP Alex Wells started planning the program when she was just 15.

Alex said she started the program because she understood children with additional needs were missing out on the benefits of sport.

“Most people get the opportunity to play sport on a regular basis, but for a lot of people with additional needs, it is a lot harder,” she said.

“The Gold Coast Inclusive Sports Program allows children to socialise with other kids their age, learn and play sports, develop skills like sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership, and kids get to have fun!”

The GCISP holds sessions every fortnight at the Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School campus with most of the volunteers being high school aged.