South Coast Sports Coaching Wins Inclusion & Diversity Award at Sussex Sport & Physical Activity Awards 2024

An organisation that works to make inclusion the heart of everything it does has won the Inclusion and Diversity Award.

South Coast Sports Coaching, based in Bognor Regis, has been honoured with the prestigious Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP Inclusion & Diversity Award at the Sussex Sport & Physical Activity Awards 2024, held at the 1st Central Ground in Hove on Thursday, November 28.

The award recognises the organisation’s outstanding commitment to inclusivity and its ongoing efforts to make physical activity accessible to all, particularly children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

South Coast Sports Coaching runs a wide range of sessions, including HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) camps, SEND activities, and tailored programs for home-educated families. 

These initiatives are designed to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or ability, has the opportunity to benefit from physical activity and the positive impacts it brings to physical and mental health.

Ali O’Boyle, Community Projects Lead for South Coast Sports Coaching, said: “The Arun district ranks in the top 30 per cent of the most deprived areas nationally, and because of this, we are committed to creating inclusive and accessible opportunities for local children to engage in activities that enhance their physical health and mental well-being.

“We are all about giving active opportunities to children and young people in our communities. 

“It really drives us to provide those positive early active experiences in the hope that children and young people go on to become active adults.”

Ali added: “Through funding from the Active Sussex Children & Young People Investment Fund, we now provide SEND 1-on-1 Active Interventions within schools and the community. 

“From just two hours a week at each school, the impact on the children has been profound. 

“For example, one child who previously attended school only 40 per cent of the time now boasts a 76 per cent attendance rate. 

“Children who once resisted PE are now eagerly participating in regular lessons, and one of the highlights of our community sessions was when a child with Cerebral Palsy took unassisted steps for the first time.”

South Coast Sports Coaching is also part of the Play Their Way Coaches pilot, which has inspired the organisation to implement its ‘voice, choice, and journey’ initiative more widely. This approach empowers children and young people to take control of their physical activity experiences, fostering greater engagement and long-term participation.

The award further highlights South Coast Sports Coaching’s dedication to promoting inclusion and diversity in physical activity, transforming the lives of children and families in the Arun district and beyond.

For more information about South Coast Sports Coaching and its initiatives, please visit southcoastsports.org.uk