Inclusive Sport

The KidSpace team are launching an Inclusive Sports Club for children and young people aged 5-16 who would like to develop their skills and build friendships through sport. This includes children and young people of all abilities and disabilities. West London Bulls are a team run by Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Qualified Coaches with support from student volunteers from Occupational Therapy Physiotherapy and Sports Science. As part of the wider project we offer outreach sessions to primary and secondary schools. We have a highly qualified coach who facilitates the introductory sessions which can take place either at your school or in our Sports Centre. Some schools have used this as part of their Physical Education programme. All children and young people will be able to engage in Basketball, Tennis, Cricket and other fun sports.

Our team are specialists in breaking down sport so that anyone can participate, this includes wheelchair users, non-wheelchair users, and children and young people with a diagnosis of Hemiplegia, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia. We welcome children and young people who do not have a diagnosis, who may be experiencing difficulties with movement, self-esteem and motivation to engage in sport. We also welcome siblings to join in too!

The KidSpace team launched a new wheelchair basketball club for children and adults with physical disabilities (Brunel Bulls). Dr Mellissa Prunty and Dr Meriel Norris developed the club as part of a funded Sport England project which aimed to increase participation and physical activity in children and young people in the West London area. The club was ran as two separate sessions a week (one for children and one for adults) usually on a Thursday evening in our Sports Centre. The sessions were run by a qualified coach with support from student volunteers from Occupational Therapy Physiotherapy and Sports Science.

As part of the wider project, we continue to offer outreach sessions to primary and secondary schools. We have a highly qualified coach who facilitates the introductory sessions which can take place either at your school or in our Sports Centre. Some schools have used this as part of their
Physical Education programme. We are continuing to expand opportunities in disability sport for children and adults in the local community in partnership with Hillingdon Child Development Centre at CNWL NHS Trust, Middlesex Tennis and Boccia England. If you are interested in playing please refer to the timetable above, or check our West London Bulls facebook page.

The KidSpace team run a cycling group at Brunel University London in partnership with Hillingdon Child Development Centre at CNWL NHS Trust. The group is a highly structured one-week cycling intervention that can is delivered by Occupational therapists with help from occupational therapy and physiotherapy students. The intervention involves presenting bike riding in small steps and progressing at rates that appropriately challenge each child as an individual. The group runs for five mornings over half-terms and school holidays for two hours a day in the Brunel Sports Centre.

You can register your child for our cycling group through our 'Get involved' page.  

Through 2022 and 2023, the KidSpace team have been hosting Charity Events and Sports Days with Charities such as WheelPower and Evelina with support from the Brunel Sports Centre. Please see press release articles below for details.

If your Charity, Group or School are interested in partnering with the KidSpace team to host sports days/chairty events, please get in touch via the “Get Involved!” page.

On Tuesday 1 November, 48 disabled people aged from 5 to 61 attended a Wheelchair Sports Festival at the Brunel University Sports Centre in London. The event was organised by WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport and it provided all those who took part with the opportunity to try a variety of sports including Boccia, Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball, Badminton and Table Tennis.

The event was WheelPower’s second wheelchair sports festival of the year and the first time they have been back to London following the Covid-19 pandemic. These life changing events bring together disabled members of the community, local coaches, and volunteers to enjoy sport, have fun and meet new people. For many this is their first introduction to wheelchair sport and an insight into the opportunities available in their local area. Throughout the day the coaches delivered a series of taster sessions and activities to all of the physically disabled children and adults who attended, all whilst being supported by a wonderful group of volunteers from the Middlesex Masonic Sports Association and the Occupational Therapist Students from Brunel. 

One of participants on the day was Kuldip from Southall, who said “Today’s been a real eye opener and it has shown me that there are so many options out there to play wheelchair sport. After a spinal cord injury it’s easy to think that it’s the end of the world. But with the support of organisations like WheelPower to reintroduce activities back into your life you realise that you can still do so much.”

Maria Ingles, Table Tennis Coach from Greenhouse Sports, said “Table Tennis is a great leveller and a sport that is for everybody. If you give people the opportunity to play, it’s amazing to see what they do with that opportunity and the enjoyment they feel as a result. As a coach it’s about adapting to the person in front of you, and supporting them to achieve something they didn’t think they could do. I’ve loved being part of this event and introducing my favourite sport to so many new faces.”

Paul Sully, Chairman of the Middlesex Masonic Sports Association told us, “We have been working with WheelPower for over 20 years and know that the work they do is fantastic. Sport really does inspire people, and you’ve only got to look at the smiles of everyone who took part in this event to see how much of a difference it has made. We would like to thank our hosts Brunel University who have been superb, by giving up their time and bringing a group of students along to help out. For us it’s not just about the money but actually being involved on the day, and everyone who has turned up to volunteer has absolutely loved it, and now can’t wait for the next one.”

“After 3 years away we were delighted to been able to bring our WheelPower Sports Festival back to London. Supported by our sponsors, coaches, and the team here at Brunel the event has been a huge success. 48 disabled people took part that included both individuals and local school groups, and it was lovely to feel the buzz of the atmosphere, and see the joy on peoples faces, who may have been picking up a racket, or using a sports wheelchair for the first time. These events really are life changing and we look forward to coming back to London again next year.” Conor Harris, Sports Event Coordinator, WheelPower.