Disability sport gets £8m boost to ‘bridge opportunity gap’
Sport England funds to purchase specialist equipment and more
Disabled people across England are to receive more opportunities to get into sport thanks to a new set of funding worth £8m total being released by Sport England next month.
The new funds will help “bridge the opportunity gap” for disabled people across the country, according to Sport England, which estimates that they are only half as likely to play sport on a weekly basis compared to the non-disabled.
Out of the total, £7m comes from the Inclusive Sport fund, which opens on 10 October and is designed to offer disabled people more opportunities to play sport by investing in suitable organisations.
The remaining £1m comes from the Get Equipped fund, which opens on 7 October and offers sports clubs the chance to apply for up to £10,000 of funding to purchase specialist equipment.
Sport England Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “Last summer’s Paralympic Games were a real game changer for disability sport but at the grassroots we need to do more to make sport a practical choice for many more disabled people.
“Whether or not you are the next Jonnie Peacock, if you want to play sport, we want to make sure you have access to the right facilities, equipment and coaching.”
Jamie Beach
Former digital editor 
