Conwy County Borough Council has successfully gained the insport Silver standard.Disability Sport Wales has awarded the insport Development Silver standard to Conwy Council - the first Local Authority in Wales to achieve this accreditation.
The accolade recognises the Council's inclusive approach to sport and leisure. Cllr Graham Rees, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Marketing and Leisure said, “We are delighted to have achieved the Silver standard; it recognises the efforts of Conwy’s leisure team to provide inclusive sporting opportunities.”
“The Council is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills and experiences of all sections of our community regardless of identity, ability and social background. Our Leisure Officers proactively promote access to play, physical activity, leisure services and social inclusion.
“We want to ensure barriers to taking part are removed or overcome so that any child, young person or adult in Conwy has equal access to the services used by their peers.”
The insport programme comprises four incremental standards (Ribbon, Bronze, Silver and Gold), against which a series of goals must be met. Organisations must show how programmes of inclusion have been embedded and explain how working towards inclusion has made a difference to them. The scheme aims to share excellence in ideas and practices around inclusion amongst sporting bodies nationally.
Michelle Daltry, Partnership Manager, Disability Sport Wales said: “Disability Sport Wales wish to congratulate Conwy County Borough Council sports and leisure service on their achievement of the insport Development Silver standard. It is a real testament to the calibre of work they are currently doing, and have committed to do in the future, and will ensure the ongoing development of inclusive planning and provision of opportunity to disabled communities in the Conwy area.”
Achieving the insport Silver Development Standard is a significant milestone, and reflects the value and respect Disability Sport Wales, and Sport Wales, associate with Conwy County Borough Council as a key partner to create equality within the sector.
In a letter to the Council, Disability Sport Wales highlighted the “on-going commitment to the inclusion of disabled people… the clarity of your inclusive philosophy, and the influence you are extending and strengthening across key and diverse internal and external partners who support the delivery of physical activity (including sport), physical education and leisure in your area.”
Conwy County Borough Council has invested significant time, energy and resource to establish robust processes and outcomes relating to inclusion, and it is clear that these are not superficial, short term interventions; but embedded and fully signed up to by your key stakeholders within (and increasingly outside of) the direct and traditional ‘sport and leisure family’.
