Progressive Steps for Ards and North Down Disability Sports Hub

Disability Sport NI and Progressive Building Society have launched a new three-year partnership to support the development of Disability Sports Hubs across Northern Ireland, improving the health and well-being of people with disabilities. It will be the first time ever that Northern Ireland’s main disability sports charity will have 11 part-time activity leaders based in every single council area.

The Disability Sports Hub Activity Leader for Ards and North Down, Tim Craig is the trailblazer for the initiative. Having recently taken up post, Tim was proud to join Disability Sport NI’s Chairperson Michael McAteer MBE to meet local Progressive Building Society’s Branch Managers, to launch the new partnership at one of the Hubs boccia programmes for day centres.

There has been a number of new disability sports initiatives in Bangor Aurora and Bangor Sportsplex supported by Tim Craig and SERCO (the leisure operators for Bangor area) including a wheelie active club, boccia programmes and an inclusive cycling programme. Full details on disability sports clubs in Ards and North Down will be available through Tim who can be contacted on tcraig@dsni.co.uk.

The launch of the Ards and North Down Disability Sports Hub marks the start of a very exciting journey. According to Disability Sport NI’s Chairperson Michael McAteer MBE, “The new partnership with Progressive Building Society is off to a great start and it was a pleasure to meet local branch managers Kerry and Lyn to celebrate the launch of the partnership in Ards and North Down.

Lyn Crawford, Progressive Branch Manager for Newtownards looks forward to seeing what opportunities this partnership will offer for the local area saying, “Having a Disability Sports Hub Activity Leader based in Bangor will offer a great base for people from all across the area to get involved in sport and we look forward to supporting this."

The new Northern Ireland wide partnership between Disability Sport NI and Progressive Building Society will develop over 11,000 participation opportunities for people with disabilities, transforming access to disability sports in Northern Ireland.

The support from Progressive Building Society will continue the momentum of the Active Living: No Limits 2021 Action Plan which has already seen up to £1,000,000 of disability sports equipment secured for the sector through Disability Sport NI and funded by the Department for Communities through Sport NI, an initiative that has been strongly supported by the local council areas.

The Disability Sports Hub Project will continue to develop new clubs and programmes all across the country to include programmes such as wheelie active, wheelchair basketball, boccia, sensory and inclusive cycling. This project will raise the visibility of disability sports opportunities and encourage more people with a disability to be active and be the best. To find our more about Disability Sports NI or to get involved, visit their website.