Tom Rogers (Governance and Partnership Manager, Disability Sport Wales)
“Welsh Gymnastics have demonstrated a continued commitment to the growth of inclusive and disability specific provision, while working to effectively support their club network to deliver sector leading inclusive provision. Having worked alongside them as they have progressed against the insport NGB standards, they have consistently aimed to develop areas of best practice and to support partners with shared goals.
In successfully achieving the insport NGB Gold award, Welsh Gymnastics, alongside a strong network of inclusive community clubs, have clearly demonstrated a commitment to make their sport a community for everyone. As a result, disabled people interested in participating, coaching, and volunteering in gymnastics can be confident that they will enjoy a welcoming and valuable experience.
I’m looking forward to continuing to work in partnership with Welsh Gymnastics as they continue to develop the opportunities for everyone to take part in gymnastics, and the goal of ensuring that gymnastics is fully inclusive.”
Fiona Reid (Chief Executive Officer, Disability Sport Wales)
“Welsh Gymnastics’ achievement of insport NGB Gold standard is a very well deserved recognition of the work they have been doing to keep enhancing their provision of gymnastics so that it includes disabled people. I would like to thank the Welsh Gymnastic team for their commitment, creativity, and determination to ensure that they get their offer as right. They have some superb clubs within their networks, and they have learnt from partners to keep developing their work. The intent of the insport toolkits is to empower organisations in their confidence in and approach to embedding an inclusive culture not just throughout their organisation, but also in the leadership they provide to others.
Having two insport NGB Gold organisations in Wales now shows absolutely what is possible for Governing Bodies. We are looking forward to continuing the relationship with Welsh Gymnastics and the Welsh Rugby Union, as well as seeing more organisations in Wales demonstrate their commitment to inclusive sport through their insport progress. Llongyfarchiadau i Gymnasteg Cymru.”
Bev Smith (Chair of Welsh Gymnastics)
“We’re delighted and extremely proud to be recognised for the work we have done on our journey to date by being awarded the Gold standard.
“But it’s always been about just that, the journey, and we’re not about to start resting on our laurels; we’ll continue working hard to develop even more opportunities and to champion inclusivity.
“We’ve got incredibly committed people across our community; our staff, clubs and coaches who have worked tirelessly to help us deliver opportunities for people with disabilities within our sport and to demonstrate that it really is about gymnastics for all in Wales.”
Disability Sport Wales’ insport programmes
One of Disability Sport Wales’s top strategic priorities is to establish effective partnership for an inclusive sector culture. In order to achieve this, DSW recognise that a partner-led approach is essential to succeed in Wales becoming an active nation where everyone can have a lifelong enjoyment of sport.
Disability Sport Wales cannot achieve significant change alone and they need to bring existing, as well as new partners on the journey with them. They challenge their partners and the wider sporting landscape to accept and embrace inclusion, and in so doing, provide even greater levels of activity for disabled people.
The insport project provides support to clubs, national governing bodies, local authorities and other third sector organisations.
insport is a Disability Sport Wales project delivered with the support of Sport Wales, which aims to support the physical activity, sport, and leisure sectors delivering inclusively of disabled people. The insport NGB programme is part of the broader insport project, which aims to support the physical activity, sport, and leisure sectors delivering inclusively of disabled people.
insport is a toolkit, developed and delivered by Disability Sport Wales, to support the development of inclusive thinking, planning, development and delivery by everyone within the partner organisation so that ultimately they will deliver across the spectrum to disabled and non-disabled people, at whatever level they wish to participate or compete.
The intention is to initiate and then support cultural change with regards to the approaches the sectors have towards disabled people, and to support the identification of an understanding of what inclusion means to them as a collection of organisations. The result will be that opportunity is widened, participation increases, disabled people become more active and engaged (either as players, or officials, coaches, or volunteers), and we collectively achieve the sector vision for a nation who is hooked on sport for life, and one which consists of many champions.
The programme consists of 4 incremental Standards (Ribbon, Bronze, Silver and Gold), against which a series of aims have been identified.
Disability Sport Wales support through an assigned case officer to support each partner, including a range of disability inclusion training courses, guidance, and resources which can help staff, coaches and volunteers create a more inclusive environment for disabled people within sport.
The insport project was initially launched in 2012 to support partners in developing their provision so that it includes people with a disability.
Over the past 10 years the project has continued to develop to work with a broader range of partners including 28 Welsh National Governing Bodies of sport, all 22 local authorities, 10 3rd Sector organisations including the Urdd, and over 500 community clubs.
A number of clubs have successfully achieved the insport Gold standard, in all corners of Wales and across a wide range of sports including gymnastics, squash and football.
These club opportunities can be found through our club finder: https://www.disabilitysportwales.com/en-gb/join-in/clubs
Learn more about the insport programmes and how they can support your organisation: https://www.disabilitysportwales.com/en-gb/programmes/insport
