Supporting People with Ability
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Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) is the major provider of sporting opportunities for people with a learning disability in this country and almost uniquely, is non-elitist, providing equality of opportunity for all our athletes regardless of ability or degree of disability.
Companies, corporations and individuals, are invited to experience the impact that Special Olympics offers by becoming a partner, sponsor or donor and directly supporting the lives of people with learning disabilities.
We focus on empowering our athletes and making sure that they have a part to play within their local communities. We also see ourselves as being at the forefront in challenging preconceptions of learning disability, making local communities focus on what people with learning disabilities can achieve, rather than what they can't.
Another key element of our programme is skills development and competition. These areas are central to building confidence amongst our athletes - giving them the ability to gain self-respect and feel able.
There are 1.2 million people across Great Britain with a learning disability and a further 200 babies with learning disabilities, are born each week - Special Olympics is committed to increasing the availability of the programme over the next few years to ensure anyone with a learning disability has an opportunity to take part in sport. When you consider families, friends and carers, the total footprint of those touched is around 12 million people.
A more recent challenge for reaching out to potential new athletes is that there has been a radical shift in statutory service provision for people with learning disabilities. Care in the Community, mainstreaming in education and the resultant closure of long stay hospitals, social education centres and some special schools have made it even harder for us to track potential athletes. Whilst these changes have also brought many benefits not least to those who are being served, it is clear that not all people with a leaning disability living in the community who would like to participate in sport are able to do so .
The foundation for the growth of SOGB is already there and we have made advances in achieving quality of provision for our athletes over recent years. Great emphasis has been placed on coach education, volunteer training and event management with, we believe, the result that significant advances have been made in the standard of training and competition that our athletes receive.
Our coaches and volunteers are committed to providing the best possible quality of opportunity to our athletes. We are confident that the successful implementation of our strategy will make SOGB one of the leading Special Olympics programmes in the world and ensure that any athlete with a learning disability of whatever degree of disability and with whatever level of ability wishing to take part in sports will have the opportunity to do so.
BUT we need support and investment - The implementation of the growth and development detailed in our new 5 year strategic plan depends on us raising the necessary funds through sponsorships and donations.
We are therefore looking to support from a variety of areas including corporate partnerships, direct mail, cause related marketing and through fundraisingat special events.