What is a Games2Inspire?
A Games2Inspire is a day of fun, thought-provoking activities and inclusive sports.
We start with an assembly from our founder, John Willis, or one of our inspiring ambassadors, which explores “Overcoming Barriers” and aims to inspire questions from all ages.
Then the pupils are introduced to adapted games including boccia, new age kurling, goalball, and sitting volleyball. Emphasis is placed on teamwork, communication, kindness, respect, resilience and perseverance.
All participants receive a certificate and are given an opportunity to raise further questions, and are challenged to recall what they have learned.
Multi-day Games2Inspire
We also provide two-day and four-day options. The first accommodates two assemblies, typically for different age groups within the school, and allowing for larger schools to engage. The four-day option, as championed by Quilters Junior School, allows us to embed the learning through longer and more in-depth assemblies and workshops.
You can read about Quilter’s Paralympic week by clicking the image here:
Multi-school Games2Inspire
We can also arrange a multi-school version, where teams are made up from different schools. This works really well where a school is part of an Academy Trust or, for example, as we have done with the Independent Schools Association. The host school can use older students to lead each team, extending the learning into leadership, coaching, and personal development, as we have done with Felsted School.
What do people say about Games2Inspire?
Games2Inspire are hugely positive events for pupils. Students are given the chance to try something new, to get active, and to hear about the benefits of inclusivity. They also learn determination and perseverance and discover how people with different abilities can teach them ways of adapting their own behaviour to achieve new goals.
For teachers, it is super helpful having external speakers come in and reinforce the messages they are already teaching, especially when they come from our ambassadors who have overcome so many challenges in their lives – it is truly inspiring!
Even parents contact us to tell us the difference that we have made to the young people through the assemblies and inclusive games!
“John was so incredibly inspiring and made anything seem possible! The children thought he was awesome and absolutely loved the games that we played. They were accessible for all children, including those who find physical activity tricky, and allowed the children to experience the world for those with a physical disability as well as challenge them. The joy on Will’s face when he was able to retrieve the ball in goal ball was something else!“
Teacher, Great Easton Primary School
“My son has been so inspired and engaged by John; he has talked about the sessions every day when he has got home, and has of his own volition been starting conversations with me about determination, perseverance and inclusion.”
Yr6 parent from Quilters Junior School
“It was a real success! A lot of the behaviours we have been working on have been learnt; such as how we talk to each other and respect other people’s feelings. These were seen and reinforced incredibly well today. I recommend this to all schools! My children (the Year 3 class) have not stopped talking about the mottos they learnt – they used them throughout the day.”
Sam Butler, Teacher at Duxford Primary School
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.
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.