Sport Cardiff Awarded Insport Bronze Accolade At Prestigious Cardiff Met-Hosted Event

The City of Cardiff is pleased to have been awarded insport Bronze, a Disability Sport Wales award, given in recognition of continued commitment to providing inclusive opportunities for disabled people in Cardiff. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Sport Cardiff team was presented with the accolade at a prestigious ceremony at Cardiff Met. John Cappock, Chief Operating Officer at Cardiff Met and Councillor Peter Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Sport, Community Development, Co-operatives and Social Enterprise accepted the award on behalf of the City from Jon Morgan, Chief Executive at Disability Sport Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The approach taken in Cardiff has been unique in that the submission for insport Bronze represents Cardiff Metropolitan University and the City of Cardiff Council. Two years ago, in response to the financial challenges facing local government in Wales, Cardiff City Council entered in to a formal partnership with the University through Cardiff Met Sport. Cardiff City Council’s focus remained on the need to safeguard the development of sport across the City and to further develop the relationship with the University. For Cardiff Met Sport it presented an opportunity to further develop and expand on the development work delivered through the successful Junior Sports Academies programme and the opportunity to have direct control over the creation and deployment of students into work placements across the city. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Sport Cardiff has been the driving force in providing opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity across the City. The insport Panel were impressed by the wide range of opportunities available for disabled people in Cardiff, ranging from the inclusive events of the Cardiff Games to the inclusive Academy at WISP Judo Club. Cardiff currently has 39 weekly community sports clubs and sessions that include or are specifically for disabled people. Eleven of these are insport clubs, including 2 gold clubs, the only 2 in Wales currently. Rhiwbina Squash Club and Rebounders Trampolining Club were awarded insport Club Gold in May this year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The insport panel highlighted some of Cardiff’s key achievements on providing inclusive opportunities and highlighted that a strong partnership approach will be needed to progress to Silver standard. The panel were particularly impressed with: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• How staff at Sport Cardiff have been empowered and supported to build confidence in the delivery of inclusive programmes.
• How new and innovative opportunities have arisen from the new partnership between the University and City Council.
• The potential to influence students and the next generation of sporting professionals.
• The link with Cardiff University Physiotherapy and Occupational Health students at Masters Level.
• Investment in training both within the sports development team and leisure services department.

John Cappock, Chief Operating Officer at Cardiff Met said “We are extremely pleased to have gained the insport Bronze Accreditation. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We are very pleased with the impact of the work of the Sport Cardiff team since the signing of the Joint Venture in 2014. Sport Cardiff emphasises our commitment as a university to providing inclusive opportunities not just to our students but also to the wider community. The insport award is just one example where our partnership with the City Council has strengthened since the move.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Peter Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Sport, Community Development, Co-operatives and Social Enterprise said: “Firstly, the partnership between the University and Council has meant that sports participation in the city has been able to grow and prosper. Secondly, the work being undertaken to target underrepresented groups such as Women and Girls, BME and disabled people has been a real highlight with the Sports Development team. This award is great recognition for the team and the partners involved in making sport more accessible for disabled people.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Disability Sport Wales Chair Pippa Britton said: “I am delighted that Disability Sport Wales has been able to work in such a positive manner with the City of Cardiff. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Achieving insport NGB Bronze is a significant milestone on the City’s journey towards providing a fully inclusive sport and physical activity offer. It is particularly important with the complexity of the partnership through the joint venture that such good progress is being made.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​