From This is Lincolnshire in the UK:Dozens of sports wheelchairs are to be bought for Lincolnshire schools thanks to a new £450,000 scheme.
Lincolnshire Wheelchair Sports, funded by NHS Lincolnshire, has been launched so disabled and non-disabled youngsters can get involved in sport together.
The project was launched yesterday during a conference at the Epic Centre, on the Lincolnshire Showground just north of Lincoln, called Real Life – Making It Happen.This focused on how people with learning disabilities can make the most of services and support available.
Delegates – whether wheelchair users or not – were invited to have a go at powerchair football and wheelchair basketball, tennis and badminton.
Among the special guests was wheelchair tennis Wimbledon doubles champ Jayant Mistry demonstrating his sporting prowess.
Wheelchair basketball player Ian Brown, 37, of Burton Road, Lincoln, said the project, which also involves Lincolnshire Sports Partnership, Lincoln City Football Club and the Football Association, was a dream come true.
"What has been happening is that despite the best efforts of schools not all pupils could get involved in sport," said Mr Brown, who had been disabled since a bike accident aged 18.
"This scheme means no one need be excluded now and even schools that don't have any disabled children can use the equipment."
Carl Blackman, 17, who plays wheelchair basketball in the East Midlands squad which came second out of all teams in Great Britain in a tournament in August, said the project would really open up sport for all.
"My friends will now be able to understand what it is like for me to play my own sport," said Carl, who goes to St George's College of Technology, in Sleaford.
