Building society supports Progressive Disability Sports initiative

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

The Disability Sports Hub Activity Leader for  Lisburn & Castlereagh, Barbara Redmond is making a big impact in the council area. Having recently taken up post, Barbara was proud to join Disability Sport NI’s Chairperson Michael McAteer MBE to meet Progressive Building Society Regional Manager Graeme Norris and launch the new partnership at the Disability Sports Hub’s Boccia Programme. 

Barbara supports a number of disability sports initiatives in the Lisburn and Castlereagh City council area with the council’s Every Body Active 2020 Team including Boccia and Inclusive Cycling Programmes. Full details on disability sports clubs in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area will be available through Barbara who can be contacted on bredmond@dsni.co.uk.

The launch of the Progressive partnership in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area marks the third launch of the initiative that will continue to be rolled out across Northern Ireland.

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 regional manager Graeme Norris to celebrate the launch of the partnership in Lough Moss Leisure Centre. 

“Barbara is doing a fantastic job in developing the Lisburn City Council Disability Sports Hub with support from Lisburn City Council Every Body Active 2020 Team and we hope that the project continues to gain momentum as we roll the project out in every single council area. 

We are very excited about the partnership with Progressive Building Society who share our vision of truly benefitting local communities across Northern Ireland.” 

Progressive Regional Manager Graeme Norris welcomed the partnership saying, 

“It is a pleasure to be involved in such a positive initiative with Disability Sport NI and great to see first-hand the great work that Barbara is doing that will benefit people in the local area with a disability. 

“At Progressive Building Society we are very focused on working with local communities and forming partnerships for the better of everyone. The Disability Sports Hub Project is a great fit with the ethos of our organisation.”

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.