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insport Series
In partnership with AF Blakemore & Son Ltd. (SPAR) and local insport clubs, NGBs, LAs or third sector partners we deliver accessible events which provide opportunity for disabled people and their friends and families to connect with good quality community opportunities available locally.
This year we have been able to return to larger events, with the biggest being at the Para Sport Festival in Swansea. Since the pandemic we have taken a lot of learning from the restrictions we experienced and have continued to offer events which are intended to build confidence, focus on specific sports which have pathways for people from specific impairment groups, and promote registration in advance of the events.
During the period October 2022 – September a total of 16 insport series events have taken place within Wales.
Within theses events there has been a provision for over 11 impairments groups covering 21 different sports.
The partnership between DSW and AF Blakemore & Son Ltd. (SPAR) which originally started in October 2019, supporting the provision of insport Series Events across Wales, was renewed for a further three years, extending the partnership until 2025.
The return of face-to-face delivery has enabled insport Series events to be delivered in partnership with several stakeholders to target provision if needed. Examples include the delivery of a powerchair football and boccia event alongside Cardiff City FC Foundation and Whizz Kidz.
As part of the partnership DSW hosted three wheelchair-based insport Series events within the Gwent, North and Mid Wales regions with over 70 participants attending over the three events. Activities over all three events included wheelchair rugby, wheelchair rugby league, powerchair football, wheelchair tennis and boccia.
In May-June 2023, partnering with Wales Deaf Sports, DSW worked alongside the WRU, Wales Golf, FAW, Tennis Wales and Table Tennis Wales to host four Deaf Sport Series Events focusing specifically on sports for participants with a hearing impairment. These events took place within the North, Mid and South regions of Wales ensuring that opportunities with a hearing-impaired provision were highlighted across the whole of Wales.
The Para Sport Festival in Swansea provided a platform to showcase insport Series events alongside world level events (World Triathlon Para Series) and global event brands (Ironman) and enabled the return to a similar format to the traditional larger scale events with over 20 sports provided across a single venue.
Over the next 12 months we aim to continue to grow the provision of insport Series events, taking inclusive sport into communities across Wales.
