We are absolutely delighted to announce that The Neumark Foundation has awarded funding of £15,000 to a wonderful charity called Panathlon, led by the inspirational, former New Zealand rugby player, Tony Waymouth, to provide opportunities for children with disabilities and special needs in North Wales to get involved with competitive sporting opportunities.

“When we met with Tony some months ago, we were blown away by his passion and drive, and also the achievements he has already had with schools from across the UK, to help support their children and young people with disabilities and special needs access opportunities often not available to them, and we are very excited about supporting this opportunity for children and young people here in North Wales.”

Rebecca Neumark, CEO for The Neumark Foundation

So, here’s Tony to tell you more about the incredible work he and his team are doing….

The Panathlon Foundation gives over 60,000 children with disabilities and special needs every year the opportunity to take part in competitive sport in an external environment.

Our sporting programmes – which include multi-skills, swimming, football, 10-pin bowling, Kurling and boccia – give participants priceless opportunities to represent their school in sporting competition that they are so often otherwise denied.

In 2022/23, Panathlon ran 873 competitions in 44 English counties and 10 areas of Wales, many of which are part of a competitive pathway of local, county and regional events, motivating pupils to progress through the rounds and become regional champions. In addition, our in-school ‘virtual’ programme contains simplified SEND-specific activities that can be delivered by staff on school premises using existing PE equipment.

Our events are officiated by trained Young Leaders who support the participants during competitions and gain vital leadership experience.

 The charity’s competitions are tailored to be accessible to those with an array of impairments and special needs. Away from a mainstream sporting environment, children can experience success on their own terms. This has a transformational impact on their skills, self-esteem, confidence, health and wellbeing.

The opportunity to be active and learn new skills on a safe, non-threatening yet competitive stage is precious and has a positive impact on each child’s life and, in many cases, on their status and perception in the mainstream school environment.

Moreover, independent research has shown Panathlon to have a positive ‘ripple effect’ on school environments and communities. Our programmes have become a catalyst for schools to change their curriculum, invest in sports equipment, assess and benchmark SEND children’s development, create leadership roles and programmes, upskill teachers, initiate inter-school SEND fixtures and open up facilities and opportunities to the community. Thus, we are helping schools create a legacy of inclusion.

Panathlon is helping drive transformational change for those who need it most by tackling inequalities, whether they be due to children’s disabilities, socio-economic conditions or geographical isolation.

With Funding from the Neumark Foundation, we are looking at tackling these inequalities, to address the issues highlighted in the 2022 Sport Wales School sport survey across the North Wales region The funding will also create the opportunity for expansion of our current work in North Wales enabling us to allow ALN children in mainstream settings to become involved and experience the thrill of sport, teamwork and individual development. With the funding we hope to attract over 1,000 participants.