Disabled sports festival

The Young People's Inclusive Sports Festival being held on Wednesday Thursday, September 21 and 22 at the University of Brighton's campus at Eastbourne.

It is organised by East Sussex County Council's Physical Education and Sports Development Service Team in conjunction with the sports development teams at Rother and the other districts and boroughs in the county.

Students from mainstream secondary schools and community colleges will work together with pupils from special schools.

On the Wednesday, netball/basketball, hockey, rugby and football will be the order of the day. Thursday will see the young people take part in unihoc, boccia, new sge curling, polybat, goalball and table-top games. Each activity will be supervised by community sports leaders from the three East Sussex sports colleges under the guidance of sports specific development officers and qualified coaches.

It is predicted that on the Wednesday more than 120 young people with mild learning difficulties and hearing impairment will take part and on the Thursday, 60 pupils with more profound impairments.

Every pupil and sports leader taking part over the two days will be given a certificate to be presented in the school at a later date.

County cabinet lead member for adult and children's services Cllr Keith Glazier said: "We want this event to provide a platform from which to organise further events and festivals. Sports development officers from the local authorities are committed to supporting local voluntary organisations such as sports clubs to establish junior sections that will welcome all young people.

"I am very much looking forward to the Inclusive sports festival in September and on behalf of the children's services department in anticipation of a highly successful two days, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous support of our local authority partners and also the University of Brighton for allowing us to use the sports facilities at the Eastbourne campus."

Rother cabinet portfolio holder for leisure Cllr Deirdre Williams said: "I am very pleased that Rother is once again playing a full part in supporting this Festival and that pupils from schools within the District are to be involved."