2 minute read
Disability programme
DISABILITY PROGRAMME 3
disabled participants took additional qualifications
Advertisement
Chiwe (pan-disability football)
Chelsea FC Foundation’s disability programme enables young people and adults with any disability to participate in regular, organised football matches and coaching sessions in a safe and enjoyable environment.
Pan-disability teams for males and females of all abilities, aged from four years old to adult, enjoy professional football coaching and play in FArecognised leagues, cups and tournaments both domestically and abroad.
One young person, Chiwe, attends the pan-disability sessions. Chiwe’s father, Emmanuel, spoke about how the sessions have helped Chiwe not only physically, but socially as well.
‘The sessions improve his overall engagements with people, it’s been very beneficial for Chiwe because he’s improved his football knowledge and skills. But the best thing for him really is he’s been able to engage with his peers.
‘He has had challenges building friendships, so the Foundation have built a peer group for him in a way he can engage with people who are around his age, have similar learning skills. The best thing is the inclusivity of the programme, it gives them an opportunity to express themselves and really understand that they can do so much more than what the world has limited them to.’
5,678
number of disabled participants Chelsea FC Foundation worked with
Silas Woolway (staff member)
Silas was studying at St. Mary’s University when he was offered a placement to work on one of Chelsea FC Foundation’s disability programmes.
Silas explains how rewarding he found the experience, and why he is so passionate to continue working with disabled participants.
‘I remember going there on placement from St Mary’s University, that’s how I heard about this in the first place.
‘100 per cent it is rewarding. I’m starting to prefer coaching over playing football! There’s a lot of individualism in disability, probably the most amount of uniqueness is shown in disability football.
‘Going to the Chelsea FC Foundation disability course must feel like a way to forget about all their stress, their worries. They just go and have a really good time and meet new people and to gain more confidence about themselves as well. That is one of the main virtues for disability football in my opinion.
‘I think depending on what kind of disability they have, they could be facing a huge amount of problems that mainstream people wouldn’t face. When they play football they end up being in a really safe, fun and utopia-like environment.’
