By Eddie McAteer, Student Sports Correspondent
On Sunday 16th, the Bristol Bears Community Foundation teamed up with the University of Bristol’s Pitstop project to put on a variety of activities for over 45 young people. The day included sports, dancing and games for all participants, volunteers and young people with disabilities.
Two brilliant organisations have come together in order to help young people with disabilities have a fun day out, whilst giving their parents some extra free time. They facilitated taster sessions of wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball, in addition to team activities and target games such as Boccia. Boccia is a Paralympic sport designed for people with disabilities that affect their movement, and closely resembles bowls, in that the aim is to get as close to a ‘jack’ as possible. A similar event also took place at the University of the West of England this week.
'Thanks to fundraising and sponsorship, all food and transport are covered by the organisation'
Pitstop is a university volunteer project set up in 2003 by a group of students and organises a selection of trips for young people with disabilities in the Bristol area. The aim of these trips is to give people the opportunity to make new friends and to feel more independent. Thanks to their group of volunteers, they are able to provide about 20 young people with enjoyable excursions.
The project is particularly effective because around 20 volunteers go too, so each volunteer buddies up with one young person. This means that the volunteer and young person form a special bond on these trips.
Another major positive of Pitstop is the cost of these day trips. Thanks to fundraising and sponsorship, all food and transport are covered by the organisation, meaning that the whole day is free for those volunteering and those with disabilities. Moreover, the days out offer the parents of these young people a chance to relax when that opportunity might not normally arise.
In recent years they have been to Legoland, Chessington World of Adventures and Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm. The next outing that will take place for Pitstop is an activity day at Mojo Active on the 15th March and they will once again be making the journey to Chessington again as their final excursion of term time on the 7th June.
Similarly, the Bristol Bears Community Foundation is a charity that focuses on education, health, inclusion and participation in the local community. The foundation aims to use sport to reveal the full potential of every individual that it works with, including children as young as five and adults as old as 104.
The Bears’ enhancement of community spirit has been evidenced by increased attendance at matches and they are also aiming to inspire the next group of fans/players in Bristol. Not only is the Bears’ project strongly supported across the city, but it has won awards nationwide for its work.
Both organisations deserve huge amounts of praise for their work throughout the year, but especially for making this such a special event for these young people. It is easy to forget how much of an impact one day can have on an individual.
Featured Image: Bristol Bears
If you would like to get involved with Pitstop, then check out this link! https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/groups/pitstop
