Friendly sports festival ‘a joy’
More than 40 SEND children (special educational needs and disabilities) took part in a sports festival at Braywick Leisure Centre.
Pupils from four schools in Maidenhead, aged between seven and 12, competed to be crowned champions through a multi skills course testing their aim and teamwork.
The sports festival was delivered by Panathlon, a national charity offering sports opportunities to young disabled people, in partnership with Leisure Focus and Ascot & Maidenhead School Sport Partnership.
Partnership development manager from the school sport partnership Emma
Fitzgerald said: “It’s been a delight working with Panathlon to provide such a lovely mix of activities for these children and a really positive experience of friendly sports competition.
“It is so important that we are supporting our schools to extend their participation profiles for all children and it’s always such a joy to meet new children enjoying being active.”
In 2022/23, more than 60,000 pupils participated in Panathlon events either in external competitions with other schools or in-school through their Virtual Programme – an initiative begun during COVID to continue to offer young people sports opportunities.
For the children at Panathlon’s Braywick event,
there was the chance to try out new activities, learn how to work as a team and compete against others in a safe environment.
Of the schools taking park – Larchfield, Furze Platt Junior, St Marys and Oldfield Primary School – it was Oldfield that ran out eventual festival winners.
Emma added: “We are extremely grateful to Furze Platt Senior School, for providing us with a brilliant team of Year 9 and Year 10 sports leadership students, who encouraged the children and helped deliver the activities alongside the Panathlon coaches.
“They were fantastic ambassadors for their school.”
For more information on Panathlon the charity’s work, visit: panathlon.com