Chelsea Foundation take part in Disability Football Festival

Chelsea Foundation take part in Disability Football Festival

The Chelsea Foundation were recently represented at the Premier League and BT Disability Football Festival. Held at the Manchester City Academy, the Premier League and BT Disability Football Festival is a celebratory event bringing together participants from clubs who run disability programmes supported by funding from the Premier League and BT.

Twenty-five Premier League and English Football League clubs currently benefit from the Premier League and the BT Disability programme funding which aims to inspire disabled people through sport and the most recent event, which was attended by 23 of those clubs, was a showcase following the second year of delivery in the three-year partnership.

The Football Festival was hosted by BT presenters Abi Stephens and Jake Humphrey while former Premier League players Joleon Lescott and John Hartson were also present at the event which saw participants take part in a range of skill challenges before competing in a small-sided football tournament.

Chelsea Foundation disability mentor Ellie Crabb said: “The Premier League and BT Sport helps to change lives across the country. For our players to experience a taster of what it’s like to be a footballer, staying overnight in a hotel and then taking part in a host of activities and making friends with different teams along the way is fantastic. The festival was a great way to bring all the clubs together to showcase the hard work put in across the year which we look forward to continuing in the 2018/19 season.”

A new addition to our pan-disability sessions this season, Terri Butcher said: “It was an amazing experience, I thoroughly enjoyed the football and the coach journey with my friends and the fun we had there. I can’t wait for the next one.”

Workshops and training opportunities for Foundation coaches

The Chelsea Foundation runs 11 pan-disability teams from the under-8 age group upwards, for males and females of all abilities and disabilities, as well as running two adult cerebral palsy teams.

The PL/BT fund has helped contribute by enabling the Foundation to provide workshops and training opportunities for Foundation coaches, school teachers, university students and coaches from clubs across the UK, at both professional and grassroots level, to provide help in not only coaching the players, but also engaging teachers and coaches to give them the confidence to work with children with disabilities.