Law Firm To Boost Inclusive Sport With 13 New Coaches Across The Country
More disabled children across the country will be able to take part in disability sports as 13 more members of staff from law firm Irwin Mitchell attended training delivered by Boccia England to allow them to independently deliver boccia activity within the community.
Together with Access Sport, an organisation which aims to enhance the life prospects of disadvantaged children by providing opportunities to experience and enjoy the power of sport, Irwin Mitchell sent 13 of its staff from its Leeds, Manchester and Cambridge medical negligence and serious injury teams to receive training from Boccia England, the national governing body for boccia in England.
The 13 newly trained coaches now mean Irwin Mitchell has over 40 boccia coaches across the country.
Boccia is one of the most accessible and inclusive sports available; the game involves players rolling, throwing or kicking a ball towards a white jack from a sitting position. If players are unable to throw or kick, they can use an assistant and a ramp together with various aids for support.
Irwin Mitchell recognises the importance of boccia and sport in general as a form of rehabilitation and relaxation, and as a way of increasing social and teamwork skills. Many of the firm’s clients who have suffered severe injuries have used disability sport as part of their recovery and the firm champions more participants through its Don’t Quit, Do It campaign.
With fully trained coaches now in Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and Cambridge, Irwin Mitchell will be able to provide even more boccia sessions to these seven areas across the country and encourage more people to take part in the sport.
In five of these regions, Irwin Mitchell staff are already delivering regular boccia through self-formed and local clubs, regional spinal injuries units, schools and for charities. The remaining two regions; Manchester and Cambridge will be starting similar sessions soon.
Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office will continue to work with Access Sport to deliver boccia taster sessions at The Lancasterian Specialist School also within the Southport Spinal Injuries Unit.
Samuel Hill, a medical negligence solicitor from Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office who leads Irwin Mitchell’s relationship with Boccia England said: “I’m delighted that Irwin Mitchell now has 13 more qualified boccia coaches across seven regions throughout the country.
“We’re committed to promoting access to sport for people with disabilities and helping them realise the benefits that boccia provides. Our colleague’s recognition from Boccia England will assist us in achieving this goal.”
Victoria Akroyd, a serious injury solicitor in Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office, who was one of the 13 people who attended the course said: “I’m really looking forward to practising what I learned on the course when delivering boccia taster sessions at The Lancasterian Specialist School. The course was another chance for us to see the way boccia helps enhance people’s social and teamwork skills.”
For further information on your local boccia activity and clubs in your area, please contact Samuel Hill at Samuel.Hill@IrwinMitchell.com, or on 0113 394 6783.