Today, (3rd December) it will be 1,000 days to the Paralympics in London. To mark this date, which also coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Active Waveney Sports Partnership is launching a new Disability Sports Forum.

The Forum takes place at Waterlane Leisure Centre and aims to promote disability sporting opportunities in the Waveney area. The event will 'kick-off' with demonstration sports including judo, football and table tennis and will bring together key people for the inaugural meeting of the Active Waveney Disability Sports Forum.

The key objectives of the Forum are:

• To raise the profile and provide a voice for disability sport in Waveney and act as an effective communication network across the district.
• Through collaborative working, to ensure that there is a cohesive approach, working with existing and new partners and developing stronger relationships with other partners within the disability sport sector.
• To increase participation levels within disability sport within Waveney.
• To promote the wider community benefits of disability sport.
• To enhance the delivery of disability sport and physical activity in Waveney by creating a partnership approach to the development and delivery of sport and physical activity projects and programmes.
• To facilitate access to resources including funding and provide guidance and advice.
• To act as a consultation platform for the district.
• To share information and best practice.

The Forum, a sub group of the full Active Waveney Sports Partnership, will be the key driver for disability sport in the district and all interested parties are encouraged to offer their support going forward.

John Pawsey, Chair of the Active Waveney Sports Partnership said: “Following the recent decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPA) to re-include athletes with a learning disability in the Paralympic Games, it is an exciting time to focus on those performers with disabilities.

"We have many high level performers with disabilities within our local community who have the potential to be selected for the 2012 Paralympic Games. As Chair of the Active Waveney Sports Partnership, I am pleased to be supporting the development of disability sports through this Forum and through partnership working, to see greater representation within Waveney.”

For further details, please contact us at activewaveney@waveney.gov.uk.