Presidents Sporting Club
The Presidents Sporting Club/Essex Disabled Sports Foundation (Registered Charity Number 1001176) PSC has now raised £2 million which has been donated to local schools and organisations to provide sporting facilities and opportunities for disabled children in the region. The money raised is used to provide sports equipment, coaching and tuition, the hire of sports halls and the funding of outings and adventure type holidays. Taking part in sport increases the children’s self-confidence, physical development and self-esteem and helps them to meet challenges that they may face later in life.
Sports Experience Days…..
A cornerstone of our programme to make sporting activities more accessible to disabled children has been our ‘Sports Experience Days’. On these days the children have the opportunity to try every conceivable sport, with coaching being provided of the highest, and on many occasions, of National Standard.
This year we again took the concept to all the schools in East Anglia. On four consecutive days almost 2,000 disabled children from special schools were given the opportunity to participate in thirty different sports at venues in Chelmsford, Watford and Thetford.
Scott Gleed Ceilites Health and Safety Officer & Director have since 2009 been providing a BOXFIT sessions for the schools and these 3 events each year, he has also worked alongside Frank Bruno MBE and former WBC Heavy weight Champion of the World in 1996, also Jason Mathews has joined in the sessions, Jason was the Former WBO Middle weight Champion in 1999.
Over 25,000 children have now taken part in our Sports Experience Days Programme.
What Real People Say…..
A short selection of the comments that were received after previous Sports Experience Days.
From a teacher:
“Our students and staff had an amazing day, all the volunteers were fantastic to our students and they had an unforgettable time. We can’t thank you all enough”.
From a teacher:
“The students came back to school with a huge sense of achievement and grinning from ear to ear”.
From a parent:
“We understand that Joe had a great day and enjoyed the sports he was exposed to. We work with Joe each evening and it was pleasing to note that Joe surprised his teaching support with his abilities which may not be always accessed at school. It means a lot to us as parents that children with learning and physical needs are exposed to these events as abled body individuals would appreciate or take for granted”.
Sports Award Lunch…..
Each year we hold a Children’s Sporting Lunch and last year over 600 disabled children and their helpers from special schools throughout Essex, East Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire attended.
The Children enjoyed a traditional lunch, had the opportunity to meet a host of celebrities, were entertained by clowns and face painters, and followed by cabaret, disco and of course a visit from Father Christmas.
The highlight of the lunch was an award ceremony to some of the children who had made significant achievements in sport. This was to recognise endeavour, rather than elitism, and varied from overcoming fear of water and swimming two or three strokes to taking part in an outward bound type course.
Since 2003 Ceilite have provided help and assistance at these events, from sorting out the balloons from the box to table (900 balloons with table weights) to serving refreshments and being press liaison for the PSC, we are proud to help out in our small way to being part of the bigger picture seeing over 600 disabled children annually having the Christmas dinner.