Buckinghamshire

Evidence Base

• 80% of adults with LD engage in levels of physical activity below the minimum recommended by the Dept of Health.

»Messent et al 1998 (BJLD)

• Participation rate for disabled adults is significantly lower than for non-disabled adults

»Sport England 2002

Aims of Get Active

Aims:• Create and deliver a programme of activity that

will support and encourage people with learning disability to use community based sports and leisure facilities

• Overcome some of the problems faced by PWLD when accessing sport

• Bridge the gap between the community facilities available and the support needed,

• Providing a range of supportive environments encourage people to take more physical activity and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Steering Group

Steering Group• Meets every 2 months• Representation from:

– Bucks Sport (CSP)– Nexus (Local Leisure Provider)– Bucks County Council Day Opportunities – Bucks County Council Prevention Team

Disability Sports CoordinatorDisability Sports Development Officer

First Steps

• Consultation days April – May 08• Summer activities and festival – July –

August• September – began weekly sessions• December – began training of coaches,

volunteers etc

1 Year on

• Well over 100 People with Learning Disabilities have taken part in Get Active sessions in the last year– Football to Boccia to Martial Arts

• Sports Leaders UK – Day Certificate in Sports Leadership course to be run for people with LD

• Local steering group of adults with learning disabilities

• Coaches have received LD training• Bank of Volunteers to help sustainable activity• Get Active Birthday Party!

Feedback, Evaluation and Monitoring

• Evaluation forms for participants

• Evaluations from carers and parents

• Attempted to get feedback on increase in activity levels and/or activity

• Try semi-structured interviews and simple format

Carer feedback

• ‘Benefitted socially as regards mixing with other service users who like football’

• ‘They talk about their friends at football’

• ‘He has lost weight this year, not necessarily from Get Active but coming here helps’

• ‘He joins in and tries to converse with others’

• ‘He is always smiling during the session, he enjoys the company of other young adults’

Participant feedback

• Key themes– Competition– Enjoyment– Achievemen

t– Activity itself

• ‘All of it I love it’

• ‘Good teamwork’

• ‘Really active, heart pumping’

• ‘Because I won’

• ‘Learning and improving’

• ‘Keep me fit’

• ‘Lose weight’

Steps towards inclusion and equality of access• Sessions held in local leisure centres

– To aid familiarity for the service user and leisure centre staff

• Training of Leisure centre staff and involvement in session– Including front desk staff

• Work with local mainstream clubs– To enable and encourage people with

learning disabilities to access mainstream clubs

A few barriers

• Cost

• Support staff attitudes to sport

• Right sport, right level, right venue

• Timing

• Venue availability

• Variation in ability levels

• Participant experience of different sports

Now what and other ideas?

• Increase activity range– Swimming, Health walks

• Increase venues• Increase volunteers• Increase leisure centre and sports club

involvement– Learning disability training

• Publicity material• Learning disability staff training

Questions

Contact Details

• Polly Owens– Disability Sports Coordinator

• 01296 585884 01296 585215• 07738 314070• powens@buckssport.org

• Patricia Moynihan– Disability Sports Development

Officer• 01296 585489 • 01296 585215• pmoynihan@buckssport.org