Advantage club for rugby players
A rugby programme to help young people with disabilities to get active and make new friends is expanding into Hinckley.
The Playing Advantage club, which is organised by Wasps Community Foundation, will be taking its rugby-themed programme to Hastings High School every Wednesday between 7pm and 8pm.
Aimed at young people between six and 16-years-old the club is looking for participators with any type and level of learning disability to give them the chance to take part in a variety of sporting activities.
Jordan Young, Community Development Officer at Wasps, who played a key role in setting the club up, said: “We’d recently piloted some of our inclusive rugby sessions in the area and the uptake demonstrated a strong demand and a keen interest for the sessions to continue.
“We are delighted to be able to formally launch our new site which allows us to open up this opportunity to even more people.”
The programme was initially launched in January 2017 in Coventry and now averages around 35 participants per week, it has also gained support from various Paralympic athletes including three-time GB wheelchair rugby Paralympian Mandip Sehmi, GB wheelchair basketball star Charlotte Moore, GB wheelchair Paralympic sprinter Kare Adenegan and England deaf rugby team captain Luke Cheyne.
“The club gives these young people an opportunity to gain independence, get active and make new friends in a safe environment,” Jordan continues.
“If we can replicate the success we’ve had with our initial club it will be a massive achievement for everyone involved.
“We currently have around 10 young people attending our sessions in Hinckley and I’m looking forward to seeing some fresh faces join us as word of mouth spreads.”
For more information about the Playing Advantage club email jordan. young@wasps.co.uk.