Irwin Mitchell Gives Backing To Adversity United With £500 Grant

An under-12 disability football team, formed by 17-year-old Cameron Osburn, has received a £500 grant from the Leeds office of national law firm Irwin Mitchell to help run the team.

Cameron, from Harrogate, has cerebral palsy and an overwhelming passion for football. Although he would regularly attend training sessions, never missing one, he would often find himself on the subs bench of his mainstream football team.

As his passion for football grew, so did his frustration at not being able to play competitive games.

Not wanting others to experience the same frustration as he had done, Cameron established Adversity United, an under-12s disability football team for boys and girls, in September 2017.

Cameron, who was part of the 2017 National Cup-winning North East Cerebral Palsy Football team, said: “I’ve always loved football and I wanted to make sure those who faced similar obstacles as me still had an opportunity to play the game.

“I found it very disheartening to watch others, who showed less commitment than me, playing, when I found myself on the subs bench. Having cerebral palsy doesn’t and never has affected my passion for the game and I wanted other children to have a chance to enjoy football.”

His team has received a grant as part of law firm Irwin Mitchell’s Don’t Quit, Do It campaign, which seeks to support the benefits, both physical and psychological, of being involved in disability sports and is backed by multiple gold-medal winning Paralympian Hannah Cockroft MBE.

Charities, individuals and groups involved in inclusive sport are eligible to apply for money to help with the cost of training, buying specialist equipment or taking part in special events. The programme has already given out more than £10,000 to projects across the UK.

Cameron added: “I am thankful to Irwin Mitchell for their support and their grant. At Adversity United we really want to include everyone, no matter their ability or disability. Sport is about inclusion, and taking part, with everyone and this money will help me continue to provide sporting opportunities.”

In addition to the grant, David King, a serious injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell in Leeds, is fundraising for Adversity United. David is taking part in the Leeds Half-Marathon, on May 13th.

David said: 

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“At Irwin Mitchell, we believe in building strong links within the communities in which we work and supporting good local causes.

“Cameron’s passion for sport and his commitment to helping others are a huge inspiration and we are delighted to offer our support to him.

“Through our work, we have seen on numerous occasions how sport has been able to help our clients with rehabilitation following serious injury.

“Unfortunately, while there are over 12 million people with disabilities in the UK, only one in six actually takes part in sport regularly.

“Part of this is due to the lack of funding and availability of specialist equipment and, with that in mind, we hope these grants will help support individuals and sports groups so they can realise their true potential.” David King - Senior Associate

Irwin Mitchell is a proud supporter of disability sport and has partnerships the England Amputee Football Association, Boccia England and a host of other related organisations.

The law firm was also the Official Legal Services Provider of the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 at the London Stadium in July last year, while it also supports the one-day Superhero Series event held at Dorney Lake in Windsor in Summer.

Those wishing to support David in his fundraising efforts, can donate here.

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's Don't Quit, Do It campaign.