July 2021 is Disability Pride Month, a yearly event that celebrates the disabled community.
The July celebration is not commonly recognised currently in the UK, but Disability Pride Month is designed to educate and bring awareness to the various disabilities and health conditions, as well as enabling new discussions and learning opportunities through the means of:
- Educational conversations
- Shining light on the barriers and challenges that people may face
- Recognising and celebrating diversity
- Giving platforms for people to share their experiences
Disability Pride Month has had its own flag since 2017. It was designed by Ann Magill, and it has a significant meaning:
- Black background – the colour of mourning for those who have suffered from ableist violence, and also rebellion and protest
- Lightning bolt – outlines how disabled people must navigate barriers
- 5 colours – represents the variety of needs and experience
And here at Wycombe Wanderers Sports and Education Trust (WWSET), we recognise that ending the stigma around disability and promoting opportunities for everyone in our community is of utmost importance and in keeping with the celebration that is Disability Pride Month, it is with great pleasure that WWWSET is delighted to announce the return of our Get Active sessions!
Get Active is a year-long physical activity project, for people living with disabilities in the High Wycombe area. The project will be aiming to satisfy the following goals over its year-long period of running:
- To improve participants physical health
- To improve participants mental health
- To increase participants level of social interaction
- To increase levels of physical activity
The sessions previously ran at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, but Wycombe Wanderers Sports and Education Trust have made the decision to move the sessions to a more local venue, called The Hive, which can be found on Arnison Avenue.
Get Active sessions will last for an hour, once a week, and will involve a range of engaging, inclusive and fun physical activity-based games that everyone can get involved with.
Examples of the activities, that were highly popular in the previous running’s of Get Active, include puzzle-based games, ball games, equipment-free games, and games that work on movements and coordination such as throwing, catching, kicking, rolling and passing.
Get Active is being funded by Heart of Bucks, through their general grant, as well as the Bucks Community Investor fund. Wycombe Wanderers Sports and Education Trust are the first to receive the Community Investor Fund and are excited to be able to apply the funding to such a great project. The Community Investor Fund will help towards equipment costs, facility hire, marketing and most importantly participant fees – to ensure sessions are free to access.
Our Get Active coach said “I am excited to see the return of our Get Active sessions, we have been able to access so many new training opportunities throughout the covid-19 period which will enable myself and other coaches to bring even more exciting and engaging games and activities to the sessions. I am hoping that the sessions will be popular, as they are free and open to anyone who feels that they would be of benefit. I am very grateful to Heart Of Bucks for funding this impactful project, and I look forward to seeing the positive difference we are able to make within our community due to this funding!”
