Hawks and Ospreys PowerHouseGames 2022
Hawks & Ospreys PowerHouseGames 2022
The High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Jennifer Crompton, switched her court dress for trainers to join us and over 40 school children on the pitch and try a series of new inclusive sports designed to be accessible and inclusive for everyone, no matter their ability. They were joined by volunteers from Cambridge University Hawks and Ospreys clubs, who made up twelve inclusive teams that all took part in our latest PowerHouseGames.
We hosted our PowerHouseGames on Monday 13th June at Cambridge University Sports Ground. Young people from Duxford Community Primary School, Melbourn Village College, St Faith’s School and Castle School competed in an array of sports, including boccia, kwik cricket, sitting volleyball, touch rugby, walking football and goal ball.
Jennifer Crompton, High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, said:
“It was a real privilege to attend the PowerHouseGames with the Power2Inspire team.
“Sport is a very important part of society and culture, it provides us with opportunities to push ourselves to achieve the very best that we can, and helps to support our physical and mental health. It teaches us about team work and leadership and gives us ways of relating to others. Inclusive sports break down the barriers that prevent people with disabilities in partaking in sport and unlocking all that it has to offer. I am delighted to be a part of the PowerHouseGames that do exactly that.”
Alex Telford, member of Cambridge University’s Ospreys Club, said:
“After taking part in the PowerHouseGames with Power2Inspire and local schools, I feel really fulfilled. Most of us at the Ospreys and Hawks will have been involved with some form of sport from a young age, and therefore I believe it is really important to bring young people together to enjoy inclusive sport. It was fantastic to see children of all abilities have such fun and engage with the activities.”
Ed Hyde, member of Cambridge University’s Hawks Club, said:
“We really believe the power of sport. These events are a great opportunity for children to meet new people, and get involved with accessible sports that they may not have had a chance to experience before. John’s vision of no one being left on the bench is one that we wholeheartedly stand for. It was great to be a part of the PowerHouseGames.”
John Willis, Chief Ambassador and founder, Power2Inspire, said:
“PowerHouseGames are incredible sports days using adapted games and sports. All the activities are especially designed to be accessible and fun for everyone, old and young, with disabilities and none, sporty and not – and in so doing are wonderfully inclusive.
“I would like to thank our fantastic volunteers from Cambridge Hawks and Ospreys for helping us to run such an impactful event, and our High Sheriff Jennifer for not only attending, but taking part in all of the sports.”
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.
Meet Hannah from Hoohaah
Meet Hannah from hoohaah
Meet Hannah, the founder of hoohaah. We’ve been speaking to Hannah all about the hoohaah race series, and why she chose to raise funds for Power2Inspire.
Power2Inspire: What is hoohaah?
Hannah Hodgson: hoohaah organises a series of 10k races that welcomes runners of all abilities. I set up hoohaah as a low-key, but special, race series that take place in beautiful locations such as Thetford Forest and the Shuttleworth Estate. hoohaah brings the local community together for mornings of peaceful and inclusive running. We have seen thousands of runners attend the hoohaah events over the years, many of whom describe our races as the most friendly and welcoming trail runs on the circuit.
hoohaah means a bit of a ‘kerfuffle’ – it’s an old-fashioned word, and my hope is that people say it and smile.
Power2Inspire: Why did you choose to raise money for Power2Inspire?
Hannah Hodgson: The hoohaah races have raised over £100,000 for local charities, and I am delighted that this year, we have teamed up with Power2Inspire as our official charity partner. Power2Inspire are a fantastic, local charity who aim to see a society where everyone can enjoy inclusive sport together and who deliver sporting events for everyone to enjoy regardless of age, gender, faith, ethnicity or disability.
It is an honour to be able to work with, and raise funds for, a charity that has inclusion, teamwork and sport at the heart of it. We are looking forward to continuing with this partnership.
Power2Inspire: How can the community get involved with hoohaah?
Hannah Hodgson: You can find out more about hoohaah and register for all upcoming hoohaah races here:
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
If you would like to support us in our mission to “embed inclusive sport in the sporting, education and community landscapes” then we would love to hear from you.
We’re always looking for opportunities to collaborate with new venues and corporate sponsors. Get in touch to find out more.
Click the button here to find out more.
Abacus Primary School Games2Inspire 2022
Abacus Primary School Games2Inspire 2022
This was a fabulous day in Wickford, Essex. Abacus is a comparatively new school and it has facilities to match: a lovely hall, a large grass play area, an AstroTurf 5-a-side pitch and a large tarmac playground. The latter provided a great area for us to play our inclusive games.
We started with an assembly to Key Stage 2 – years 3, 4, 5 and 6, nearly 240 pupils. I persuaded the lovely head, Heidi Blakeley, to allocate more than the 15 minutes and as there were more than 10 minutes of questions, this proved prescient!
Out on the playground in perfect weather, Patrick and I led each year group, with two form entry, in boccia, goalball, sitting volleyball and target games. Patrick is our ‘super volunteer’ and an expert at delivering Goalball, the Paralympic sport designed for visually impaired athletes.
Abacus have a wonderful semi-covered area with artificial grass covered steps creating the perfect boccia auditorium. Led by class teachers, the pupils caught on to the tactics and were most competitive in this Paralympic sport created for cerebral palsy athletes.
I love the fact that target games, a remarkably simple use of a target and bean bags engages the children so much. Strangely a significant number are more accurate with their ‘wrong’ hand than they are with the ‘right’ one. Virtually all are rubbish with their feet, which only emphasises how amazing disabled athletes can be. There was one lad whose first throw with his foot landed in the centre and I thought it a fluke; but his second landed on top of his first! Throwing backwards creates mirth. My favourite though is when each team (of three) selects one player to throw, and he or she faces the wrong way. The other team members advise the player how to throw, correcting each throw of three. This teaches communication, trust, listening and directional skills.
The children consistently vote sitting volleyball their favourite. The key is to change the ball to suit the children’s abilities.
Already we are discussing a repeat visit, one I am really looking forward to.
A few days after the event, we received this feedback from a mum of one of the children that had participated in the Games2Inspire:
I just wanted to send a huge thank you to John. He attended my 8 year old daughter’s primary school today and she has not stopped talking about it. She keeps saying that he is such a lovely man and she was so inspired that she thought about what he had spoken about in every lesson she did today and tried her absolute best. We’ve also just come home from her best ever swimming lesson. Isabelle lacks confidence in her abilities, both in school and in the water, and she really took on board John’s message. I teach in the same school but wasn’t working today and I’m really gutted to have missed it. However, I’m looking forward to hearing all about it from my pupils tomorrow! My husband is a Year 6 teacher at Ashingdon Primary Academy and has had the pleasure of a visit from John in the past. He has since reframed his approach to John’s ‘practice makes progress’ and this is something we have spoken about lots at home, so it was great for Isabelle to hear it spoken about from the man himself!!
Once again, a huge thank you to John and the team at Power2Inspire.
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
If you are interested in hosting a Games2Inspire in your school / college / company / community group then we would love to hear from you. As you can read in our Latest News we have even found a way to make our Games2Inspire a success in lockdown so don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can help you plan your very own Games2Inspire!!
Click the button here to find out more.
Looking forward to the Festival of Inclusive Golf 2022
Power2Inspire to host eighth Festival of Inclusive Golf at Cambridge Lakes Golf Course
We are looking forward to hosting our eighth Festival of Inclusive Golf at Cambridge Lakes Golf Course, on Friday 24th June. The 9 hole, par 3 course, hidden behind the trees off the Trumpington Road in South Cambridge, makes the ideal setting for afternoon of fun, inclusive golf for everyone to be involved in.
The event will consist of 10 teams of four, who will play a round of golf under ‘Texas Scramble’ rules, which allows everyone to contribute to the team’s score. There will be prizes, refreshments and a barbecue – a jam packed day of fun for everyone.
John Willis, Founder and Chief Executive of Power2Inspire, said:
“We are delighted to host our eighth Festival of Inclusive Golf at Cambridge Lakes Golf Course. Every year, the event has proved a huge success with both disabled and able-bodied players enjoying the day. It really is fun for all the family – designed so that everyone can take part.
“Each team is partnered with a disabled player who joins for free, this ensures the event is truly inclusive. Inclusion in sport is at the heart of what we do.
“We are extremely grateful to Cambridge Lakes Golf Course for providing us with such a fantastic location once again. It is an honour to be able to invite the local community to join in with such a fun and friendly afternoon of golf.”
James Watts, Operations Director of Kingsway Cambridge Golf Course said:
“Golf at Kingsway will always be accessible to everyone and it is a great privilege to be part of something that has such strong links to the community. The facilities at Cambridge are perfect to bring golfers of all ages and abilities together and we look forward to supporting Power2Inspire.
“We are thrilled our facilities are once again being used to host such a brilliant event. We wholeheartedly support the work that Power2Inspire do in the local community. The day always has a really great feeling and we can’t wait to see everyone enjoying themselves.”
Teams of three can join for £75, and each team will be partnered with a disabled person who joins for free. Individuals can join for £25 each, and students can join for £10 each.
You can find out more and register now by clicking the button here.
Looking forward to seeing you on the 24th!
If you’re inspired for Inclusive Sport then do join us at any of our next big events:
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Fundraiser cycles 1,000 miles for Power2Inspire
Here, Catherine Hall recounts her incredible cycle of over 1,000 miles through three countries across mainland Britain – her biggest challenge yet!
“I started on the Cornish coast, headed past the stunning wilds of Dartmoor, across the River Severn before riding into Wales. I then cycled further north, skimmed the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria before crossing the border into Scotland. From there I pushed on into Perth, then Edinburgh through the Cairngorms on to Inverness and then to the north coast finishing at John o’ Groats 14 days later.”
“The challenge was absolutely fantastic. Yes, there were moments of pure exhaustion and uncertainty, but also moments of elation. The unforgettable views, sense of achievement and staggering amount raised made the mixture of emotions totally worth it.”
“I set myself this challenge for a number of reasons:
- To do something I’ve never done before
- To see if I enjoy cycle touring and riding long distances
- To visit parts of Britain that I’d never been to
- To enjoy a shared experience with others who are taking part in the ride organised by Saddle Skedaddle
- To give something back by supporting a local charity who encourage participation in sport – and I chose Power2Inspire“
You can still support Catherine’s challenge and raise money for Power2Inspire. Just click the JustGiving link here.
“It has been a brilliant experience and one I’ll treasure not only for the satisfaction of completing the cycling challenge, but also seeing what a beautiful country we live in and being able to raise funds for Power2Inspire. I have cycled 1,004 miles over 14 continuous days, 75 hours in the saddle, with 66,113 ft of climbing. I’m having to pinch myself as it’s hard to believe that under my own steam, with my bike, I achieved this.
Power2Inspire desires a society where everyone can enjoy inclusive sport together, regardless of age, gender, faith, ethnicity or disability. They believe no one should be left on the bench, and deliver inclusive events for everyone to get involved with. I am honoured to have raised an incredible amount for a charity that does so much for the community.”
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
If you would like to support us in our mission to “embed inclusive sport in the sporting, education and community landscapes” then we would love to hear from you. We are always looking out for people willing to fundraise for Power2Inspire through their own inspiring means. Or, you could volunteer at one of our events, or you could give to the ongoing work of Power2Inspire. Click the button here to find out more.