Boccia England backs Equal Play Campaign

Boccia England backs Equal Play Campaign

Boccia England is supporting the Equal Play campaign launched by ParalympicsGB for no child to be left on the sidelines.

The campaign, launched as the nation enjoys the sporting spectacle of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, including British boccia gold, calls for equal access to PE and school sport for disabled children, with just one in four saying they currently take part in sport at school.

The Equal Play campaign comes off the back of a powerful documentary of the same name that was broadcast on Channel 4 on Monday 26 August.

We support the call made by ParalympicsGB for the UK Government to commit to ensuring every child has the same access to PE at school, rather than leaving them sidelined, with teachers explaining they struggle to deliver inclusive PE without the training, funding and the confidence to do so. With 1.5 million disabled children comprising 15% of the school population, the scale of the problem is huge.

Research carried out by ParalympicsGB shows there are many reasons why disabled children are sidelined from PE at school. Solutions are complex but there are four areas that ParalympicsGB has identified where tangible change could be made to better support teachers and schools.

• Empower teachers with the right tools, understanding and resources to deliver truly inclusive PE.
• Adapt teacher training to ensure the next generation of teachers have the skills and confidence to deliver truly inclusive PE.
• Redefine how PE is seen within the school curriculum, ensuring it becomes a priority across the education system.
• Increase the number of disabled people entering the teaching profession.

The full policy paper can be read here.

In support of these areas, Boccia England will soon release new resources and ball sets specifically designed for primary school aged children. 

Full details on the Play Boccia resources will be available early into the new school term.

We also provide free resources via our website to help anyone to start playing boccia, regardless of equipment or space – click here for resources.  

For more information: contact [email protected]

NOTES

Boccia England is a registered Charity and the National Governing Body for boccia in England. The charity is responsible for the grass roots development of the game to the point where athletes compete in World Class events. These World Class competitions are managed by Boccia UK.

Boccia England receives funding from Sport England as well as from several other smaller funders.

www.bocciaengland.org.uk

Boccia

Boccia (pronounced ‘botcha’) is derived from the ancient Italian game of bocce and is similar to the French boules game, pétanque. Boccia is thought to have evolved from one of the first games played in ancient Greece and Egypt where large stones would have been thrown at a target. Sir Francis Drake and Lord Howard even played a game in Plymouth, England, whilst waiting for the arrival of the Spanish Armada in 1588. It is believed that Sir Francis Drake insisted on finishing the game before leaving to defeat the enemy.

The sport is contested at local, national and international levels, by athletes with severe physical disabilities. It was originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy. Now the game is played by athletes with other severe disabilities affecting motor skills, and increasingly enjoyed by older people and school pupils.

In 1984, boccia became a Paralympic sport and is governed by the Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed). It is one of only two Paralympic sports (along with goalball) that have no Olympic equivalent.