Article from the Wirral Globe - 3/4/2013

Mosslands wheelchair basketball team in action

The Rio Olympics may be three years away but a Wirral school is getting into the spirit by hosting a games-inspired inclusive sport week to raise awareness of disability sports.

The 'Road to Rio Inclusive Sports Week’ festival takes place at Mosslands School, Wallasey in July.

Its aim is to encourage schoolchildren and the wider community to take part in disability sports together, whilst launching a platform to create more inclusive sporting opportunities.

The school – which has a number of pupils with varying disabilities – has partnered with Wirral Rotary Club, Clare Mount Specialist Sports College and Wirral Sports Development Unit to develop and deliver the sports festival.

A Wirral inclusive school sports day will be held at the school on Tuesday July 2, with a range of sports on offer such as Boccia, new age kurling, table cricket, polybat, wheelchair football and wheelchair basketball.

Schools from across the borough will get a chance to be involved in the festival.

Following this a Wirral Inclusive Community Sports Day will be held from 11am to 2pm on Sunday July 7 at the school, led by Wirral Sports Development Unit.

Further events leading up to the festival include an inclusive tennis talent ID day at Bidston Tennis Centre this Tuesday, April 9, from 10am - 2.30pm.

A Wirral schools Boccia Tournament will take place at Leasowe Recreation Centre on April 25 from 10am-2.30pm.

On June 25, as part of National School Sport Week, Tom Keggin, Mosslands learning resource assistant and colleague Lesley Cubbin will lead sports days at the school.

Tom said: "We are delighted that all the students and staff at the school have got behind the festival to help raise awareness of inclusive sports opportunities.

"We want to create and develop a real Paralympics legacy on the Wirral, challenge perceptions about disability and special needs and provide sporting opportunities which are accessible for all.

"There are a range of fantastic disability sports: boccia, new age kurling, table cricket, polybat, wheelchair football and wheelchair basketball, and we want to give students, and the wider community, a chance to see what they are about and provide opportunities to get involved.

"This follows on from the school launching the Mosslands Embrace Charity earlier this year to raise money for more inclusive facilities such as sports wheelchairs, which can make a huge difference to our disabled students, enhancing their experience and allowing them to take part in many more activities.”

The Road to Rio Inclusive Sports Week is also supported by the National Governing Bodies, County Sport Partnership, British Paralympic Association, Greenbank Academy, Youth Sport Trust and Sky Living for Sport alongside other community partners.

Adrian Whiteley, Headteacher at The Mosslands School, said: "As a school, we want to keep the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics legacy alive and encourage and inspire our students to take part in sports to keep them fit and healthy, improve their communication skills and confidence, and of course have fun.”