Projects
Coach-ability
Aim high and follow your dream to become a coach
Funded by the London Development Agency 2012 Opportunity fund, Coach-ability is a coach training programme and employment project, to increase the number of disabled people in London who are employed as sports coaches ready for London 2012. The project supports disabled Londoners to become high quality sports coaches taking them through a Sports Leaders Award and achieving Level 1 and Level 2 coach qualifications in a range of sports.
Please feel free to download our promotional materials here.
- Aim High Postcard
- Aim High Flyer (A4)
- Aim High Flyer (A3)
- Inspire Others postcard
- Stretch Yourself postcard
First B1 Blind Person to Achieve a CYQ Level 2 Fitness Instructor Award
London Sports Forum for Disabled People's Coach-ability trainee, James O'Driscoll from Bromley is the first B1 blind person in England to achieve his Level 2 Fitness Instructor award.Setting a precedent, this solo achievement will bring about a fundamental change in the accreditation process for fitness instructors qualifications and create a lasting legacy for all future blind candidates to become fitness instructors. Working in partnership Coach-ability, CYQ, YMCA Fit, and other delivery agencies will develop practical assessment criteria to enable blind candidates to use a support worker to provide feedback on a client's performance.
Shaun Powell, Coach-ability Project Manager said "We are delighted by James' personal achievement and the long term outcome to ensure blind trainees can become fitness instructors. We will embed this good practise model to ensure disabled people have the same coaching opportunities in all sports as non-disabled people".
The course was held at London South Bank University (LSBU) and was the University's first fully inclusive Level 2 fitness instructor's course. A joint funding initiative was put in place by Coach-ability and LSBU to provide interpreters, support staff and adaptive materials to enable Coach-ability trainees to undertake the same training as their non-disabled peers.
Through this course and a YMCA Fit 15 week continuous assessment course, Coach-ability has now trained a total of 12 high quality Level 2 Fitness Instructors. These fully qualified coaches will be employed by leisure providers and sports clubs to increase fitness levels across London and will help challenge and change the perception towards disabled people working in sport.
Inclusive Fitiness Initiative (IFI) London
Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) London
The London Development Agency (LDA) has awarded London Sports Forum for Disabled People a grant to run a specific Inclusive
Fitness Initiative (IFI) London project.
Working in partnership with the national IFI programme, this four year project will use the IFI accreditation to ensure that a
further 150 fitness facilities across the capital are accessible to and inclusive of disabled people.
IFI is the nationally recognised accreditation for fitness facilities that are inclusive of disabled people. The accreditation
process involves the creation of accessible facilities and provision of inclusive fitness equipment within facilities to ensure
they are fully accessible. This is accompanied by the training of staff throughout the facility on the inclusion of disabled people
and the implementation of inclusive marketing strategies to ensure that disabled people are aware of the opportunities. To date
there are 22 IFI Mark facilities in London catering for all impairments and providing a quality experience for disabled people.
The LDA's four year funding commitment will enable London Sports Forum for Disabled People to build on the current IFI foundations
and expand provision across the capital. By increasing the number of accredited IFI sites in London, this project will create more
opportunities for disabled people to participate in physical activity and in addition, capture the true inclusive nature of London
in the run up to and post the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The announcement of IFI London is an incredibly exciting development and London Sports Forum for Disabled People is keen to work
with all its partners to ensure that by 2013 approximately 10% of the fitness facilities in London become IFI accredited.
For further information please contact Project Manager Alex Gibbons
