'Every Player Counts' for Swansea City Community Trust
Swansea City Community Trust partnered up with the EFL Trust and Wembley National Stadium Trust to deliver a two-hour inclusive session for young adults ahead of today’s EFL’s Day of Disabilities.
The event, which was hosted by Shine Cymru Life Skills Centre in Llansamlet, consisted of a workshop aiming to strengthen participants’ social and physical skills.
Attendees were engaged in numerous activities designed to develop life skills such as the handling and distribution of money, followed by a one-hour football session.
The ‘Every Player Counts’ initiative has been Wembley National Stadium Trust’s flagship disability football programme for the past three years, working in close partnership with the EFL Trust to support EFL Club Community Organisations in delivering a host of footballing activities for disabled people of all ages, abilities and conditions.
Lisa Walters, the manager of Swansea’s Shine Cymru Life Skills Centre, believes programmes like these are invaluable to disabled people in Swansea.
‘There aren’t many opportunities out there for disabled people in Swansea, so having this type of event at the centre is so important,” she said.
‘Watching it today made me realise that we need more of it. They were all beaming.”
One of these delighted young adults was Rhiannon Davies, who has mobility difficulties.
“I absolutely loved it. It was great to see people having fun and being engaged. I laughed a lot,” she said.
“From a social point of view there is a lot to get from these sessions: making friends, making each other smile, just having fun together, really.
‘If you are lonely it gives you a chance to socialise and broaden your horizons by developing your social circle. It is just an excellent thing to be able to do.”
Many young adults who live with a disability are now able to develop their social and physical skills through the power of football, thanks to organisations such as the EFL Trust and Wembley National Stadium Trust.
Richard Harris, who organised and oversaw the event, believes that the ‘Every Player Counts’ programme is having a real impact on the disabled community in Swansea.
“The benefits that the participants get from attending the ‘Every Player Counts’ sessions are vital,” he said.
“They gain important life skills needed for everyday life, such as learning the importance of teamwork and enhancing their communication skills.
“Thanks to the EFL Trust as well as the Wembley National Stadium Trust, we are able to run these sessions and make a real difference to the disabled community in Swansea.”
The Swansea City Community Trust will continue to run ‘Every Player Counts’ sessions every Thursday evening at Pentrehafod Comprehensive School, aiming to promote a healthy lifestyle through the power of football for those dealing with disability.
These sessions are free to attend and run from 4.30pm to 6.30pm for children (aged five to 15) and 6.30pm to 7.30pm for adults (16 and over).
For more information, please contact Richard Harris by email on Richard.harris@scfccommunitytrust.co.uk.
For further information about the ‘Every Player Counts’ programme, visit the Wembley National Stadium Trust website HERE, or the EFL Trust homepage HERE.
