Sign up to free sporting sessions for children with disabilities

Families of disabled children are being offered free sporting sessions at the Plymouth Life Centre on two Sundays in August to give them a chance to try out new ways to get active. But you'll need to hurry as the closing date for bookings is Monday 1 July.

Plymouth City Council has booked out the Centre on Sunday 11 and Sunday 18 August for children with disabilities and their whole families so they can to have exclusive use of many of the superb facilities on offer.

The activities on offer will include recreational swimming in the Centre’s world class pool, climbing, bouldering and abseiling in the climbing zone, coaching sessions on the indoor bowls rinks, fitness based games in the large gym including use of the innovative ‘Sports Wall!’ and to top it off, families can take part testing their athletic abilities in the multi-sports taster sessions in the sports halls.

Councillor Nicky Williams, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We are very excited to be able to offer this great opportunity to families of disabled children so they can try out some of the many activities available in the Plymouth Life Centre. We hope that these two days, which we have booked exclusively so there will be fewer people and noise, will help families enjoy some new experiences and perhaps give them the confidence to return to the Centre during some of the regular sessions. A real measure of success will be if this is the beginning of many more visits to the Centre for families, who may not have considered going before.”

Families already booked on to one of the family fun days are already excited about the event: “We can't wait for the family fun day at the Plymouth Life Centre. There are so many different sports to try! We are particularly looking forward to the climbing and bowls, it will be great!” says Lizzy, a parent.

Each session lasts for 45 minutes and will be supported by specialist coaches and instructors to make sure they are safe, enjoyable and tailored to the families’ needs.

The family fun days start at 11am and run until 2pm. Places have to be booked in advance by contacting the Council’s Short Breaks broker on 01752 307130 or by emailing earlyyears@plymouth.gov.uk

The closing date for bookings is Monday 1 July.

The disabled family fun days are a joint initiative between the Council’s Short Breaks Service and Sports Development Unit.