University hosts Olympic-themed event

Children will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of this summer’s Olympians at a special event at the University of Wolverhampton.

The aim of the two-week event at the Walsall Campus is to enable the young people taking part to have fun, make new friends, achieve excellence through sport and be part of the Olympic legacy.

The children taking part have a variety of learning difficulties, and each child will have a volunteer buddy, many of whom are University students training in special needs and sports.

The University has joined forces with a new social enterprise, French Squared, to run Kidz Club, which is funded by the Walsall Local Authority Children and Family Services Short Breaks scheme.

The events will take place at the Sports Centre at Walsall, which recently hosted the Australian Judo team before the 2012 Olympics, and activities will include ball games, gym work and swimming.

Kidz Club will even have its own Olympic award ceremony, attended by University of Wolverhampton graduate Ceri Davis, from Kingswinford, who carried the Olympic torch through Wolverhampton.

Jenny French, from the University’s School for Education Futures, is leading the project. She said: “Kidz Club aims to help children find their own limits and promote their health and wellbeing, while also encouraging them to do their best when taking part in activities and sports.

“Olympic and Paralympic sports combined with sensory integration therapy for children with specific learning difficulties can make real changes in children’s social skills, self-esteem and learning and help their lifelong enjoyment of sport.

“The children attending will have a variety of learning difficulties. Some may have difficulty writing, concentrating or relating to others, while others may have difficulty with balance, for example riding a bike. They will all be supported to reach their own and their parents’ targets, while finding inspiration, courage, determination and understanding of each other and achieving their best, despite any differences they may have.”

ENDS

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736