Disability Sport Wales and SPAR extended partnership

March 27, 2023

Disability Sport Wales are delighted to announce that SPAR, the leading convenience store brand, will continue as the national Community Partner for the next three years.

The extended partnership will enable Disability Sport Wales and SPAR to build on the successes of the initial 3-year partnership and continue to provide inclusive sporting opportunities for disabled adults and young people in communities across Wales.  Despite the challenges of the pandemic the partnerships thrived and delivered opportunities across Wales for disabled people to continuing being active in a safe way and different way.

For the three years to come, the major focus of the partnership will be to support Disability Sports Wales in the delivery of the insport Series Events, which are intended to open up inclusive physical activity and sport to disabled children, young people and adults across Wales.  The events take the format of a range of opportunities, within a local environment and provided by local insport Clubs and National Governing Bodies which ensures a pathway from those events into good quality, inclusive local clubs and sessions (insport Clubs).

Showcasing what inclusive opportunities are available locally, the format enables participants, coaches, and a wider network of volunteers to expand their experiences, access sports they may not have considered as available or accessible, and make connections with local clubs and wider community; providing great, sustainable opportunities within an inclusive environment. The key for participants, coaches, and the brilliant volunteers is to have fun and there is provision for everyone regardless of their impairment or their experience of being active or playing sport in the past.  There will be an opportunity to suit everyone.

Local Authorities, National Governing Bodies of sport, and insport Clubs support the events across Wales, with each event varying in size.  Sports include archery, football, cricket, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, bowls, cycling, tennis, wheelchair rugby, karate, wheelchair racing, boccia, golf, judo, gymnastics, climbing, and many more.

Fiona Reid, CEO of Disability Sport Wales said, “we are absolutely delighted that the partnership is set to continue for another 3 years.  The team at SPAR have been incredibly supportive and are passionate about connecting local disabled people to local inclusive activity.  There are so many fantastic opportunities being provided by coaches and volunteers within your local community, and so many different sports out there to capture your imagination and potential.  We are really proud of how the events connect people, and this is an exciting opportunity to build on the success of the first three years and to continue to highlight inclusive opportunities across Wales.”

Sarah Ellis, Group Marketing Director of SPAR Wholesaler AF Blakemore said, “We are incredibly proud of our relationship with Disability Sport Wales and are delighted that we can continue to support bringing inclusive sport to the communities of Wales. Our SPAR stores are embedded in the heart of communities, run by locals for locals and we have seen firsthand how the work of Disability Sport Wales can ensure that every member of the community has the opportunity to enjoy the lifelong benefits of physical activity.  We look forward to working with Fiona and her team for another three years.

Information on upcoming insport Series events are included on https://www.insportseries.co.uk/, including an opportunity to register to attend the free to access events.

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