Watford PowerHouseGames 2026
There is always something exciting about taking the PowerHouseGames somewhere new, and our first event in Watford was no exception.
With the support of Co-op, Watford Borough Council, Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership and a fantastic group of local partners, we welcomed nearly 100 people to Woodside Leisure Centre for a day of inclusive sport. Having attended many PowerHouseGames over the years, I can honestly say there was something special about the atmosphere from the moment people arrived.
What stood out most was the positivity from those attending their first PowerHouseGames. We often talk about bringing people together through sport, but in Watford you could genuinely feel that happening throughout the day. I even overheard one first-time attendee describe the event as being “beyond expectations”. Those are always lovely words to hear because they remind us why we do what we do.
Discovering new opportunities through sport
A particular highlight was having both London Titans and Saracens Wheelchair Rugby Club involved. It was fantastic to see so many participants trying wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby for the first time and discovering sports they may never otherwise have experienced.
The impact of that was immediate. One of the Co-op volunteers enjoyed wheelchair rugby so much that they have already signed up to attend local open sessions and start playing regularly. At the end of the day they told us they “haven’t been this energised for a while”. For me, that perfectly captures what inclusive sport can do.
Celebrating every achievement
We were also incredibly fortunate to have Matt Sealy from London Titans with us. As a Team GB Paralympian from the London 2012 Games, he brought a wealth of experience and inspiration to the day. Alongside Steph from Saracens Wheelchair Rugby and Emma from Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership, he helped present medals and celebrate the achievements of every participant.
The moments that stay with you
As always, it is often the individual stories that stay with me the longest. One teacher told us they had not seen one of their students run in four years. Yet during the PowerHouseGames, that student got stuck into every activity and embraced every opportunity. Hearing stories like that never gets old.
Another moment that summed up the day came right at the end. As one student was leaving, they turned around and asked whether they could come back and whether we would be doing another one. That question alone tells you everything you need to know about how much they enjoyed the experience.
Most importantly, I hope this is only the beginning. The enthusiasm from participants, volunteers and partners suggests there is real potential to build something long-term in Watford.
A huge thank you to everyone who made the day possible, particularly Co-op, Watford Borough Council, Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership, Everyone Active, London Titans, Saracens Wheelchair Rugby Club, the schools, volunteers and community groups who brought such incredible energy to the event.
If Watford was our first chapter, I very much hope it will not be our last.
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
Would your university sports team, or school love to be involved in a PowerHouseGames? Could your company support our mission by volunteering at one of our PowerHouseGames? If so, then we would love to hear from you. We are also always looking out for people willing to fundraise for Power2Inspire through their own inspiring means. Or, you could volunteer individually at one of our events, or you could give to the ongoing work of Power2Inspire. There are SO MANY WAYS we can all help to ensure “no on else is left on the bench!” Click the button here to find out more.
100 PowerHouseGames? We're just getting started
When we launched the first PowerHouseGames, the ambition was simple. Our founder John Willis was on a mission to create a sporting environment where absolutely everyone could take part. No sidelines. No exclusions. No assumptions about ability.
No one left on the bench!
As we prepare to mark our 100th PowerHouseGames with Wolfson College, Cambridge, I find myself reflecting not just on the number, but on the movement that reaching this milestone represents.
We have united thousands of young people and students, sharing the tips they need to play together rather than apart. It means corporate volunteers stepping out of offices and into sports halls, leading teams that are deliberately mixed by ability. It means teachers seeing pupils surprise themselves and go-on to live more inclusive lives. It means confidence growing in real time.
Inclusion is often spoken about in visions and missions in corporate environments. By combining these commitments with PowerHouseGames, it becomes real. It is visible. It is truly experienced. We’re proud to work with our Corporate sponsors to bring it to life.
We know the national conversation around workplace culture and social responsibility continues to evolve. Organisations are rightly thinking more deeply about how purpose translates into action – and how they can connect with local communities. What we see time and again is that inclusive sport creates leaders. It builds empathy. It challenges assumptions. It strengthens communities.
Reaching 100 Games is significant. But what excites me more is what lies ahead. The demand from schools is growing. Universities want to host. Corporate partners are increasingly looking for meaningful engagement that goes beyond branding. And we’re here to help – for next 100 Games and more!
PowerHouseGames work because they are simple.
Everyone contributes.
Everyone matters.
If this milestone tells us anything, it is that inclusion is not a niche concept. It is the future of leadership.
And we are only just getting started.
What are PowerHouseGames?
PowerHouseGames are incredible sports days using adapted games and sports, with activities designed to be accessible and fun for everyone, old and young, with disabilities and none, sporty and not. Participants are encouraged to test their beliefs about ability and disability and what it is to be different, to learn to respect other people’s differences, and Power2Inspire works with them to challenge their assumptions of what they can and cannot do.
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
Would your university sports team, or school love to be involved in a PowerHouseGames? Could your company support our mission by volunteering at one of our PowerHouseGames? If so, then we would love to hear from you. We are also always looking out for people willing to fundraise for Power2Inspire through their own inspiring means. Or, you could volunteer individually at one of our events, or you could give to the ongoing work of Power2Inspire. There are SO MANY WAYS we can all help to ensure “no on else is left on the bench!” Click the button here to find out more.
No one left on the bench at Bisham Abbey
There are moments in my role at Power2Inspire that serve as incredible reminders of why we do what we do. Our recent PowerHouseGames at Bisham Abbey was one of those moments.
Everyone involved
Returning to the national sports centre for the fourth time, we were once again welcomed by an impressive team of partners and volunteers, all coming together by the belief that sport should be inclusive, accessible and fun for everyone. No one should be left on the bench.
Students from four local schools took part in a day of sport and connection, supported by volunteers from Serco Leisure and Sport in Mind. Together they tried out a brilliant range of activities including new age kurling, seated volleyball, touch rugby, parkour, boccia and goalball.
Supporting and encouraging
It’s always inspiring to students from an array of schools working together, this time it included Furze Platt Junior School, Bisham CoE Primary, Manor Green School and The Marist. It was a day full of energy, laughter and learning.
One of the most powerful things to witness was the way everyone worked together, learning and encouraging each other.
Exciting new activity!
I feel immense pride seeing teams being formed and relationships built on shared experience rather than ability.
To that end – we included Parkour as one of our inclusive activities. It was the first time we’d included Parkour, which is effectively moving as quickly and efficiently from one place to another. This was only possible thanks to the team (Sam, Tom and Callum) at Parkour UK
Leading by example
I want to thank Serco Leisure for sponsoring the event, especially the IT team who gave their time so generously to lead the teams and be so inspiring themselves. Their enthusiasm and openness helped make the day so meaningful for the young people taking part.
Thanks also go to Living Tennis, who sponsored the venue, and to Laurie, Howard and Alex and the team at Bisham Abbey who made the event happen. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure every participant felt welcome and supported.
Building for better
At Power2Inspire, we believe sport has the power to bring people together and build stronger, more inclusive communities. The PowerHouseGames are just one way we put that belief into action, and we’re already looking forward to returning next year.
Because when everyone gets the chance to take part, no one is left on the bench.
What are PowerHouseGames?
PowerHouseGames are incredible sports days using adapted games and sports, with activities designed to be accessible and fun for everyone, old and young, with disabilities and none, sporty and not. Participants are encouraged to test their beliefs about ability and disability and what it is to be different, to learn to respect other people’s differences, and Power2Inspire works with them to challenge their assumptions of what they can and cannot do.
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
Would your university sports team, or school love to be involved in a PowerHouseGames? Could your company support our mission by volunteering at one of our PowerHouseGames? If so, then we would love to hear from you. We are also always looking out for people willing to fundraise for Power2Inspire through their own inspiring means. Or, you could volunteer individually at one of our events, or you could give to the ongoing work of Power2Inspire. There are SO MANY WAYS we can all help to ensure “no on else is left on the bench!” Click the button here to find out more.
Festival of Inclusive Boccia 2023
Amazing festival of Inclusive Boccia with P2I ambassador Archie Eaton
After last year’s successful Festival, we ran our second Festival of Inclusive Boccia on April 15th 2023 – an event we hope will be an annual one from now on! We had over 50 participants making up 12 teams of 4-5 players at the brilliant Cambridge University Sports Centre – the teams ranging from expert all the way through to beginner.
Once again, it was wonderful to see so many people having fun and playing Boccia, regardless of experience or ability.
Peterborough Boccia Club returned with six teams for this event, up from three last year, whilst CADMUS entered three teams. The Cambridge Tennis Club (who will help us run the Festival of Inclusive Tennis on 15th July 2023) entered a side, our amazing Ambassador Archie Eaton – no. 2 in the country in his category – came with an impressive team, and our fantastic Trustee Gemma Thake combined with a number of individual sign ups to make a ‘super team’.
The more experienced teams and players helped to encouraged and teach the wider range of participants to ensure they all had fun whilst playing – the group games eventually leading to a seeded knockout where the games became more competitive! Peterborough’s experience shone through, with two of their teams competing in a thrilling cup final, where a tight contest was won in an extra ‘end’ after tying initially.
As always, the key was inclusion and fun – and making sure no one was left on the bench. Our mission is to embed inclusive sport, bringing all to play together, regardless of age, gender, faith, sexual orientation or ability, in the community. The Festival of Inclusive Boccia brings many of those people to play a non-mainstream sport, showcasing our mission in action. Everyone left with smiles on their faces, and we hope they left with the bug for Boccia!
As always we wish to extend a huge thank you to all the participants and volunteers who made the whole thing possible, and to Cambridge University Sports Centre for hosting us again.
If you are inspired for inclusive sport then do join us at one of our other upcoming Festivals of Inclusive Sport:
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Benefits of sponsoring Power2Inspire
Hear from our CEO, Alex Laybourne, about the benefits of sponsoring Power2Inspire, and the impact is has.
I often tell people our charity isn’t just about bringing disabled people together, but bringing the whole community together. A great example of this was showcased at our recent Festival of Inclusive Golf, where the local community came together to play accessible adaptations of golf, including a wonderful family from Ukraine who were being hosted by our guests. The Ukrainian family had not played any form of golf before, and commented on what an honour it was to be able to play amongst a friendly group of people of all abilities. This is true inclusion.
Our corporate sponsors are the heartbeat of Power2Inspire and allow us to continue delivering events that have such a significant social impact. Sponsorship ensures we can deliver on our mission of bringing people together people from different backgrounds, of all abilities, old and young, disabled and not, to play inclusive sport together in a variety of ways.
Corporate sponsors can get involved by sponsoring our Festivals of Inclusive Sports, SuperSensory1k events, by hosting their own station at our sports days or sponsoring a PowerHouseGames and bringing along volunteers to run the session. You can find out more about the events coming up, here.
We always like to encourage our corporate sponsors to get involved with the event they have invested in. By immersing themselves in the fun, this allows sponsors to get a real feel for our charity and what we do. It also provides sponsors and volunteers with valuable professional development opportunities – by completing our diversity and inclusion training and getting hands-on experience of embracing a leadership position working with people with disabilities and special educational needs.
It gives people the opportunity to impact meaningfully in their community. By taking part, they’re embedded in the heart of what we do, and can see what their sponsorships donations have helped to achieve.
We are so grateful to all of the businesses and organisations who invest in helping our charity to ensure everyone is afforded the opportunity to take part in sport. The work we do would not be possible without your support. Thank you for helping us ensure no-one is left on the bench.
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
If you would like to deliver on your corporate social responsibility goals, benefit from inclusion and diversity training and make meaningful impact on your community, we’d love to hear from you.
Click the button here to find out more.
Alex Laybourne
CEO