With 2022 drawing to an end, Special Olympics Great Britain wants to thank all who have contributed to making it such a memorable year for the 5,863 athletes who have competed in 27 Sports at its 95 accredited programmes within England, Scotland and Wales.
Sport
With some athletes unable to compete for nearly two and a half years because of the Covid pandemic, 2022 saw Special Olympics GB return to full-scale competition with the introduction of the Summer Series of Sport – with the Special Olympics GB national office working closely with the incredible national network to deliver 15 events that covered 11 sports.
More than 750 athletes, aged from eight to 80-years-old and from 16 regions, got involved in the Summer Series of Sport, with events hosted across the country, from Poole to York, and East Anglia to Haverfordwest. Huge thanks, as always, goes to the 477 volunteers but also to the Hollyhock Charitable Foundation, whose funding helped deliver the events.
The competitive sporting calendar wasn’t just restricted to the Summer Series of Sport however. Special Olympics GB partnered with the LTA to deliver the Learning Disability National Finals at the Bolton Arena, with 37 of our athletes taking part. Two of our athletes were also recently involved in the UCI Masters World Cyclo-Cross Championships in Ipswich, where they were joined by fellow Special Olympics athletes from USA, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Education & Training
Alongside the sporting programme, Special Olympics GB has provided an extensive education and training programmes, including the further development of its Athlete Leadership Team (ALT). Thirty-three Athlete Leadership sessions were delivered throughout 2022 while five new members have been introduced to the ALT.
Special Olympics GB has also been part of two pilot programmes with a six-week programme delivered for 10 athletes, alongside 10 Special Olympics Ireland counterparts, to learn more about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, bone health and heart health amongst other subjects. There was a further pilot delivered in partnership with DoSportUK, where a Level 1 Basketball England course was delivered to support athletes with an intellectual disability on to the coaching pathway.
Special Olympics GB also partnered with the Rexona/Sure ‘Breaking Limits’ programme, which is an online training series supporting coaches, teachers and leaders to develop their skills in order to support young people moving and being active. To date, 57 organisations have engaged with the platform.
Partners & Funding
The year has also been incredibly busy for Special Olympics GB corporate partners, with all 15 of those engaged in 2022 playing an instrumental role in our work.
Two recent highlights include being one of 12 charity partners for the Jingle Jam annual gaming extravaganza, hosted by The Yogscast, which will support our athletes at the 2023 Berlin Special Olympics World Summer Games. Additionally, our Unified Business project with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners saw three of our athlete entrepreneurs create Christmas gift boxes that were pitched to fellow corporate partners.
Huge thanks also goes to Fuller’s who – among many other things – turned its annual football tournament into a unified sporting event with one of our athletes playing in each of the participating teams, which included a team of our National Office staff.
November also saw a huge breakthrough as we were named as one of three disability charities to become a Sport England Systems Partner. This will give Special Olympics GB £1.5 million over four years to help strengthen its grassroots network across the country and provide more opportunities to transform the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
Colin Dyer, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB, said: “Over the past few months, it’s been wonderful to see the impact of Special Olympics GB and our programmes. This year will be remembered fondly by many for the opportunity to return to competition, and I wanted to particularly thank those who played such a big part in delivering the Summer Series of Sport.
“I must also say a very big thank you to the incredible team of devoted volunteers who ensure that so many Special Olympics GB events and programmes are delivered. Also, to our corporate partners and funders who have not just provided financial backing, but launched truly innovative, inclusive projects that have helped athletes develop their skill sets.
“Looking ahead to 2023, we have plenty to be excited about. In addition to the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games, we have much work to do implementing the Sport England System Partnership funding and working to ensure that the Special Olympics GB membership has greater support so that, together, we can create more opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.”