Would you like to play snooker with a World Champion? Swim with dolphins? Watch a Test Match at the Oval? Sail? Ride? Milk a cow?
Give Them a Sporting Chance is a registered charity which gives carers and those with disabilities, of all ages, the opportunity to make their sporting or recreational dreams come true. Since its foundation in 1990, many people have been helped.
Sport and recreation play important roles in our lives, while the benefits and pleasures of participating in sporting and recreational events have become increasingly apparent. Those of us who can turn our dreams into reality are fortunate indeed. Give Them a Sporting Chance exists to help those special people for whom dreams are much harder to realise.
"The Rivertime Boat Trust gives disabled and disadvantaged adults, children and young people the opportunity to develop a long-term involvement with the River Thames by providing a safe, supportive and stimulating environment aboard the specially adapted ‘Rivertime’ excursion boat.
In 2018 Rivertime and Give Them a Sporting Chance collaborated to hold the Rivertime Accessible Regatta at The National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey in Berkshire. Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, Guardian of GTaSC officially opened the regatta.
This was an excellent starting point for involving organisations and young people in disability sport. In total, 12 organisations provided 18 different sport activities, including six water sports. More than 280 children and young people from 16 SEN Schools in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire participated. They were ably supported by over 40 volunteers from the RBT, Rotary Club members and Thames Valley Police Special Constables.
Our partnership has endured and Give Them a Sporting Chance has funded a number of trips on Rivertime for disadvantaged and disabled groups of children and adults. We are very grateful for its continued support and encouragement, without which we would not have achieved the progress we have made."
Chris Barrett DL
Based on the North East coast of Scotland, SurfABLE Scotland is proudly delivering Scotland's first inclusive and fully adaptive surf therapy programme.
Glyn Morris, Chief Executive of Friendly Access said, "We are hugely grateful to Give Them a Sporting Chance for their kind support, which allowed us to bring surf adventure to the largest group meeting of wheelchair athletes seen in Scotland to date. Surf therapy and access along our stunning coastline should be available to everyone, and we feel very privileged to be able to offer this."
A group of over 90 from the Moray and Nairn Riding for the Disabled Group, including carers, helpers, recipients and friends enjoyed lunch on board the Strathspey Steam railway on a journey from Broomhill to Aviemore and back to Broomhill.