More Than 5,500 Nominate Kings Hill Frame Football For £2,000 Prize

A football club for people with disabilities is to receive a £2,000 grant just in time for Christmas.

Kent disability sports club Kings Hill Frame Football have won a public vote as part of law firm Irwin Mitchell’s Don’t Quit, Do It campaign.

The campaign seeks to support the benefits both physically and psychologically of being involved in disability sports and is supported by multiple gold-medal winning paralympian Hannah Cockroft MBE.

In 2017 the firm asked people from across the UK to Be Part of It and pledge their support for inclusive sport and the people who play, watch, volunteer, fundraise and support it. For every pledge, Irwin Mitchell promised to donate £1 back to grass roots clubs and charities that make disability sport possible up and down the country.
After receiving 1,000 pledges Irwin Mitchell decided to treble the amount it would hand out.

Kings Hill Frame Football was among three clubs shortlisted to receive the money. After a week of voting, the club was victorious, gaining 5,580 of the 7,483 votes cast by members of the public.

The club made their own pledge to Irwin Mitchell’s Don’t Quit, Do It campaign in September.

They said: “We pledge to find out more about what grants and support is available for our Kings Hill Frame Football team so we can get more people taking part and enjoying our sport.”

Stuart Henderson is the managing partner of Personal Injury at Irwin Mitchell.

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"The three organisations which were shortlisted all do great work in their community in promoting and raising awareness of disability sports.

“We would like to thank everyone who took time to cast their vote and also all those who made pledges during 2017.

“We’ve seen first-hand through our clients and the organisations we work with how much disability and inclusive sports can help people. We hope that this money will now help all three of the shortlisted clubs in helping to provide opportunities for people. Disability need not be a barrier to physical activity.” Stuart Henderson - Partner

Kings Hill Frame Football support a sport for those who require a walking frame for mobility. It's about bringing football to all so they can enjoy their game. The club has been running since July 2016 and in that time have won three national tournaments. They began with just four players and have now grown to 11.

They welcome players of all abilities from age 4-16 with the only stipulation being that they need to play in a walking frame or on crutches.

The funds would be used to help with the costs of hiring training facilities, kits, equipment and walking frames so that they can grow the club even more and provide further opportunities for children with additional needs in the South-East.

Kirsty Edwardes, from the disability sports club said: “We are absolutely delighted to secured this grant. We are so grateful to Irwin Mitchell for their generosity and to all of those who voted for us.

“This money will make a huge difference to our team, it will enable us to hire a larger indoor training facility for our winter training and will mean that we can purchase specialist frames for our players.

“Most importantly it will mean that we can continue to grow as a team and provide more opportunities for disabled children in Kent to be a part of something very special.”

Manchester-based charity The 53 Foundation and Solent Sharks, based in Southampton, were the other two shortlisted organisations. They will both receive £500.

The 53 Foundation creates active opportunities for people with disabilities. They help fund new equipment, facilities and transport assistance for disabled sporting clubs, groups, community projects and individuals, creating active opportunities for a wide variety of amazing people.

The aim is not just to “create active opportunities” but also to enable people to gain confidence and build friendships through sport.

The 53 Foundation would not be able to do the work it does with so many amazing people without the fantastic support of its fundraisers and this money will be used to help more people take part in disability sport.

South coast based Team Solent Sharks wheelchair rugby club are on a mission to offer sporting opportunities to the disabled community across the south coast. The team welcomes players from a wide range of sporting backgrounds, including elite athletes and beginners alike.

Whilst providing opportunities for players, the club also seeks to engage Southampton Solent University students by providing them a unique opportunity to interact with a disability sports team.

Reflecting the club's community roots, the Solent Sharks regularly participate in community sports events in conjunction with local groups to promote disability sport and wheelchair rugby within Southampton and its surrounding areas.

The sport itself is intense and exhilarating combining elements of rugby, basketball and handball and is played by all ages.