In the UK, Choice promotes diversity and inclusion via innovative and collaborative projects with corporates, social enterprises and community organisations.
To date we have delivered several development projects in the UK, from equality and rights based projects, through to disability sports programmes.
Our disability strategic focus is currently in the Inclusion of Disabled people in Employment, Arts and Sports (IDEAS). At present we are focusing on delivering projects around disability sports and social inclusion. We also believe that sports can be an effective tool for promoting diversity and inclusion in the UK.
Other current UK projects
As part of its disability sports and fitness programme, Choice promotes Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Tennis, Boccia and inclusive fitness.
We are promoting Wheelchair Basketball in East London, Gravesend and Leicester with support from GBWBA and the Ethnic Minority Foundation (EMF).
We are also promoting Wheelchair Tennis with the support of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust in East London. We aim to develop further projects and deliver activities to continue promoting adaptive sports and inclusive fitness in the UK.
Disability Sports and Social Inclusion
Online Ultimate Wheelchair Tennis and Fitness sessions
Since COVID-19 and Lockdown in March 2020, we innovated the first ever live online wheelchair tennis sessions, bringing together disabled people from across the UK and internationally. We connected like-minded people, bringing skills and inspiration to them during a difficult time and helped them keep fit from home. These sessions were funded by the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust.
“I particularly like two aspects to these sessions, firstly the exercises can be practiced at home. Secondly we practice more subtle skills and listen to detailed analysis of technique, which prevents the temptation when we get back on court to just bash away at balls“
Ralph Charlwood, wheelchair tennis player and weekly online session participant
By popular demand we continue to deliver these sessions, with the support of the Queens Club Foundation.
London and Gravesend
We support the delivery of Wheelchair Basketball training at East Ham Leisure Centre, London, as well as the development of a ‘satellite club’ in Gravesend, Kent.
We initiated the ‘London Defenders’ Wheelchair Basketball club in East London. This is a registered club with the Great British Wheelchair Basketball Association (GBWBA). We are working on with the capacity development of this new club.
Leicester
In Leicester, in partnership with the Peepul Enterprise we are promoting multi-sports and inclusive fitness for disabled people.
We deliver local sports workshops and related activities to engage with the local community and other stakeholders. We aim to develop this project further in a sustainable way to:
- Promote inclusive disability sports and fitness sessions
- Train disabled people as fitness instructors, in partnership with Instructability
- Develop best practice guidance and support the inclusion of BAME disabled people in sports and fitness
- Provide guidance and support to existing sports and fitness clubs in order that they can reach more disabled people from ethnic minority backgrounds
Wheelchair Tennis Awareness Sessions
We promote Wheelchair Tennis in East London and Leicester and are keen to develop longer term projects to continue and roll out sessions on a larger scale.
At present we support the Bromley Tennis Centre in delivering Wheelchair Tennis awareness sessions for Level 2 Tennis Coaches. This course informs of the specific impairment groups (Wheelchair, Visually Impaired, Deaf and Learning Disabilities), and the implications for working with these impairment groups individually as well as in integrated sessions, and how to deliver sessions accordingly. Practical elements of the training include participation in a ‘disability simulation’ allowing coaches to experience the challenges faced by disabled people, followed by an opportunity to coach individuals with impairment.