Sports and drama activities for disabled islanders

Friday 08 February 2019

Children and adults with disabilities will be at the heart of two new initiatives designed to raise awareness and provide opportunities for all in a fun and inclusive environment.

Butterfield is sponsoring two initiatives as part of a campaign coordinated by ‘We All Matter Eh?’, which aims to raise awareness and change young people’s attitudes around disability through its new Accessible Activities programme.

The campaign will run until July 2019 in partnership with the GDA, Access for All and The Association of Guernsey Charities. 

The School of Popular Music will run a new project giving three to six-year-olds with disabilities and additional needs new opportunities to take part in weekly, all inclusive, music sessions. It also hopes to use drama to highlight equality and develop a greater understanding of disabilities.

As part of Guernsey Mobility Let’s Go, primary school children will be invited to meet and volunteer with disabled islands in weekly sports sessions. 

Butterfield is sponsoring the SOPM music sessions, a small-scale performance and the sports day for Guernsey Mobility Let’s Go, which will showcase the achievements of the participating schools and teams. 

Lindsay Ozanne, Deputy Managing Director at Butterfield Trust (Guernsey) Limited, said: "We are delighted to support ‘We All Matter Eh?’ and its Accessible Activities programme with SOPM and Guernsey Mobility Let’s Go. The projects are part of an excellent initiative to educate young islanders and raise their awareness about disabilities. At Butterfield, we are committed to supporting the communities we call home. We hope the campaign is a success and will bring us closer to changing attitudes around disability among islanders."

Karen Blanchford, Director at ‘We All Matter, Eh?’ said: "We’re extremely grateful to Butterfield for once again, supporting us on our most recent campaign. We aim to raise awareness about people with disabilities among primary school children through a range of activities in sport and the arts, using interactive and fun sessions rather than traditional means.

"We hope that by encouraging children to spend quality time with our members, it will make them feel more confident when interacting with us. In turn, we also hope children will share their experiences and knowledge with their parents and families at home so each generation is learning from one another. These projects are all part of a wider strategy to make Guernsey, as a society, more accepting, accessible and inclusive for all."

Pictured top: Guernsey Mobility Let's Go session with school children, We All Matter, Eh? and Butterfield representatives.