Disability sport camps axed over declining attendance

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

Senior councillors have decided to axe disability sports camps from the school holiday programme, following a decline in attendees.

Resources will instead be used for “numerous other opportunities and support” for children with disabilities throughout the year.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet members met on Wednesday October 16 to discuss the proposals.

15 years

Cllr Chris Morgan, the cabinet member for leisure, said the sports camps had run for more than 15 years but participation levels had “progressively declined”, with an average attendance of three children each day.

He said the current model “only offers limited opportunities for a small number of people”.

Resources will be “better invested” to support other year-round sporting opportunities for people with disabilities, the council argues.

Disability Sport Directory

Jared Lougher, the council’s sport and leisure development manager, said the intention is to promote a Disability Sport Directory which provides residents with details of various activities and events they can take part in.

He said the council plans to write to people on its database and signpost them to the directory, which has been devised with outside agencies.

“We’ll do everything in our power to make sure [service users] are directed to the most appropriate opportunity for them,” Mr Lougher added.

Cabinet members voted unanimously to end the current sports camps service, “noting that resources would be better invested supporting other initiatives and promoting and growing the Disability Sport Directory”.

The directory can be found online here.