Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) and Active Norfolk are celebrating the second anniversary of their partnership, which is transforming access to inclusive sport for people with intellectual disabilities in Norfolk.
Launched in September 2023, the partnership embedded Active Norfolk within the Special Olympics Norfolk club to pool resources, expertise and infrastructure, creating more safe, enjoyable and inclusive sporting opportunities across the county, and giving volunteers greater opportunities to coach and support athletes in their development.
According to Sport England’s Adult Active Lives Survey, the partnership has delivered an estimated wellbeing value of £572 million for disabled people in Norfolk — equivalent to £45 of social value for every £1 invested.
Over the past two years Special Olympics Norfolk has:
- Provided sporting opportunities for 128 people with an intellectual disability
- Engaged 55 volunteers to support delivery
- Offered weekly sessions in alpine skiing, athletics, boccia, football, swimming and tennis
- Introduced new sports and created stronger pathways to regional, national and international competition
Earlier this year, alpine skiing athlete Annabelle Lamb, from Norfolk, won gold and bronze medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin.
Special Olympics has changed my life completely. I’ve grown in confidence and trained as a ski instructor to Level 2 standard. I now volunteer at the club, teaching every age group and the adaptive group.
“Before skiing I didn’t know what I would be doing in the future, but now I have ambitions that look and feel achievable.”
As a result of the partnership and the new structure within Special Olympics Norfolk, athletes have reported improved physical health, enhanced confidence and deeper social connections, with 91% citing “having fun” as their main motivation. Volunteers are benefiting from simplified systems and improved sustainability.
“We have seen many positive impacts of working closely with Special Olympics GB,” said Ellen Vanlint, Senior Partnerships Officer at Active Norfolk. “There is great potential to continue embedding Special Olympics GB’s work across our wider network and programmes, and we hope this is just the start of creating even more sustainable activities in Norfolk.”
Emma Kane-McGuigan, Head of Network at Special Olympics GB, added: “As a charity we simply don’t have the capacity or local expertise to provide the level of on-the-ground support needed to develop our club network alone.
“As outlined in our strategic plan Inclusion In Action, tackling this nationally is a huge priority. Working with Active Norfolk has been instrumental in achieving it. Our collaboration has not only sparked sustainable growth but also established a strong foundation for the future of Special Olympics activity in Norfolk.”
For more information about Special Olympics GB in Norfolk, or to get involved, please contact membership@sogb.org.uk.