Surrey Para Games Expands and Attracts Growing Support from Paralympians
Building on the success of last year’s Para Games, which has grown and firmly established itself year on year, Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, today confirmed the Games are shaping up well to take place this year on Wednesday 4th July 2018.
The annual event, run in conjunction with COINS Foundation and The DFN Foundation, will again take place at Godalming’s Charterhouse Club. This year sees it move to a new, mid-week spot to take into account feedback from schools and to enable even more children to take part.
Jeremy Hunt MP said: “Stronger involvement from National Governing Sports Bodies and local sports clubs this year will allow children greater, regular participation in sport. It’s all well and good putting on a wonderful, annual event but we want children to regularly engage in sport and physical exercise - this has always been our ultimate goal.”
Active Surrey who have been instrumental in the successful organisation of the Games (as part of the Surrey School Games programme) since its inception, will this year work with Hindhead Special Education Needs school, Stepping Stones, to bring a bigger and better Games. The school, based in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home of Undershaw, has agreed to take a leading role in the preparation of the Games in a bid to attract more schools and participation. This will be achieved through school visits and training courses being laid on at the school with support from the Games’ Paralympian Ambassadors. This growing list of Paralympian supporters includes Rachel Morris MBE, Olivia Breen, Lucy Shuker and International Para Dressage Rider, Erin Orford.
The Games are open to young SEND students (aged 11-15 years) from Surrey schools and will again be hosted by Charterhouse Club where facilities include a sports hall, several studios, a pool, outdoor athletics and astro pitches. The use of the venue has again afforded the opportunity to further expand the Surrey Para Games breadth and reach from increasing the number of participants and diversifying the programme of sports on offer.
Surrey schools interested in getting involved should contact Wendy Newton at Active Surrey on: [email protected]