Panathlon Challenge Annual Report 2016 to 2017
Contents Executive summary 3 Panathlon s programmes 5 Activity 2016/17 6 Case Studies revealing impact of Panathlon 8 Press examples generated this year 28 Testimonials 32 Richard Chiassaro endorsement 34 Thank you to our sponsors 35 www.panathlon.com Panathlon Charity 1072638
Executive summary The Panathlon charity have been working with young disabled people for nearly twenty years, providing sporting opportunities to those who are least able to access P.E. and sport in schools. Additionally, we have trained thousands of young leaders and coaches as sports officials giving practical hands on experience to both disabled and non-disabled young people around the country. This is our 18th straight year of growth and every year the number of young disabled people benefitting continues to grow. In the academic year just complete, there were over 13,000 competitors across more than 300 days of activity. This remarkable growth year on year can only happen due to the hundreds of schools, teachers, volunteers and staff involved across the country and the 15,000+ unique individuals who are competitors or young leaders. None of this would be possible, if it wasn t for the generous nature of all our funders and sponsors. We thank everyone that has made it such a successful year. Highlights for 2016/17 include Unique disabled competitors up 30% from 10,083 to 13,150 Total disabled competitors up 21% from 12,427 to 15,024 (includes repeat participants) Young Leaders up 37% from 1,590 to 2,190 Total participants (leaders and competitors) up 22% from 14,107 to 17,214 Event days delivered up 27% from 240 to 305 Schools involved up 44% from 563 to 812 Counties involved up 22% from 27 to 33 The growth of those benefitting from Panathlon has been averaging 25% per year as new geographical areas come on board and the charity evolves programmes for a wider group of people in the areas and counties we already work in. As part of the development of Panathlon, we continue to extend the competitive pathway, allowing athletes and schools alike, to be the best they possibly can. This includes delivering 24 Regional competitions, where winning teams from within individual counties compete against other county winning teams and achieve these higher levels of performance. The number of Regional Finals has doubled from the previous year. This pathway development in 2016/17 also saw the introduction of a further step above this level; with the Regional winners competing against other Regional winners for Divisional titles across South England, North England and West of England, in both our Swimming and Multi-sport programmes. Growth of Panathlon over the last 5 years 14,000 10,500 We have extended boundaries and perceptions by using iconic, inspirational venues such as the Aquatic Centre and the Copper Box Arena in the Olympic Park in London, Gateshead International Stadium, the English Institute of Sport and Ponds Forge Swimming Centre in Sheffield and Stoke Mandeville Stadium; the birthplace of the Paralympics. 7,000 3,500 0 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 Unique disabled competitors
A big thank you should go to our two longest serving supporters, the Jack Petchey Foundation and the St. James s Place Foundation. The Jack Petchey Foundation have provided 13 years of financial support in London and Essex and the St. James s Place Foundation have driven much of the growth around the country over the last six years and have pledged to support this growth to involve every county in the Country by 2020. Their long-term commitment has provided stability to the charity and enabled us to plan ahead and raise more funds on the back of their continued and significant commitment, enabling more and more disabled young people to be involved. There are too many funders and sponsors to individually thank, but without them, the charity would not be able to help so many young people in need. Thank you to every contributor and supporter! Increasing numbers and statistics can tell only one aspect of our programme, it is the personal stories that reveal the true benefits and positive impact of Panathlon. We have established ourselves as the main provider for thousands of disabled youngsters, of not only sporting opportunities, but as the recent academic research revealed, as a major provider of increased self-confidence, motivation, emotional wellbeing and social skills. This is borne out in the example case studies and stories in the coming pages such as Katie and Heidi Sheldon on page 11, Finn and Dominic on pages 18-19 and on pages 20-21 Honey and Dean. Moreover, our much-heralded Young Leader programme is exemplified by the impact on Jack and Shane on pages 26 and 27. As well as the few we have highlighted in the case studies there have been 2,150 Young Leaders engaged this year. We have strengthened our volunteers network by engagement with several funders and sponsors at events such as EQ Investors, the Woodland Group, Gener8 Finance Ltd and most notably, St. James s Place. Some of the benefits of sponsor engagement is shown on page 24-25. There are countless other stories of our impact as recounted regularly in our news and case studies section on our website and through our social media channels. Much local media coverage has been attainted and this is highlighted on pages 28-31. I hope the reports and stories over the coming pages make for good reading and add reassurance that the Panathlon charity is delivering much needed benefit to thousands of young people around the country. Thank you to all our friends and supporters across the country who are helping us to achieve our target of involving over 20,000 young people in Panathlon by 2020. I d also like to take this opportunity to thank Panathlon s Board of Trustees and the staff that have worked so hard delivering this record breaking year of activity. Kind regards, Ashley Iceton. Panathlon Challenge November 2017 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 Target 2020 Unique disabled competitors Total disabled competitors Young Leaders Total participants Event days Schools involved No of counties involved 5,573 7,273 997 8,270 188 410 16 7,426 9,495 1,350 10,845 234 450 21 10,083 12,427 1,590 14,017 240 563 27 13,150 15,024 2,190 17,214 305 812 33 20,200 2,500 22,700 345 1000 45 4
Panathlon s programmes Primary Panathlon Provides foundation games for the younger disabled children to build a skill base for the sports played at the Secondary Panathlon. Since its inception in 2013 it has developed into a programme with school, borough, county-wide and regional competitions. In the last academic year 2016/17, 69 Primary Panathlon competitions were held with nearly 5,000 competitors. Multi-Sports Secondary Panathlon Aimed at children with physical impairments and severe learning difficulties, this multi-sport programme comprises five main specific sports and 10 athletic disciplines (field events and relay races). There has been 18 years of development and 1,000 successful competitions to date. Swimming Targeted at non-classified swimmers, many who have been non-swimmers previously, Panathlon s swimming programme began in 2013 and has attracted many children to water experiences for the first time. It has already seen over 3,000 disabled children in 20 counties across the country take to the water in its competitions, 35 percent of them for their first water experience. Three divisional finals took place this year to give us our first ever North, South and West of England Aquatic Champions. Football This programme has been ten years in development, targeting players not playing competitively elsewhere and has involved SLD, powerchair and visually-impaired competitions. This year we hosted champions and plate finals at Wembley Powerleague and have a developed a girls only football programme with great success. Impairment-specific Tailored developmental coaching and competitions for children with visual impairments, hearing impairments and powerchairs, competing against each other in appropriate sports. Our deaf programme has engaged 50 schools across the country with 25 days of activity in 2017. Boccia Boccia is a Paralympic sport for athletes with disabilities that have a major impact on motor skills. Panathlon, in conjunction with Boccia England, has delivered twelve Boccia specific programs during 2017 in various locations across the country. Panathlon has also developed a player pathway in Boccia for both deaf and visually-impaired children within the sport. 5
ACTIVITY IN 2016/17 13,150 COMPETITORS + 3,067 increase since 2015/16 812 SCHOOLS INVOLVED + 249 increase since 2015/16 33 COUNTIES + 6 increase since 2015/16 2,190 YOUNG LEADERS + 600 increase since 2015/16 24 Regional Competitions for county winners to move on to the next higher level of performance and compete against other country winners. +12 from 2015/16 5 Divisional Competitions where those regional winners go up again to the next level and compete in North, South and West of England championships. +5 from 2015/16 DEVON www.panathlon.com Panathlon Charity 1072638 ISLES OF SCILLY CORNWALL
305 days of activity +65 from 2015/16 INCLUDING 209 COMPETITIONS of which: CUMBRIA NORTHUMBERLAND TYNE & WEAR DURHAM TEES VALLEY 69 Primary Events MERSEYSIDE LANCASHIRE GREATER MANCHESTER CHESHIRE NORTH YORKSHIRE WEST YORKSHIRE DERBYSHIRE SOUTH YORKSHIRE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE EAST YORKSHIRE LINCOLNSHIRE 65 Secondary (multi-sport) Events 29 Swimming Galas STAFFORDSHIRE SOMERSET SHROPSHIRE WORCESTER BRISTOL DORSET WEST MIDLANDS GLOUCESTERSHIRE WILTSHIRE WARWICKSHIRE LEICESTERSHIRE OXFORDSHIRE ISLE OF WIGHT BERKSHIRE HAMPSHIRE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE BEDFORDSHIRE SURREY WEST SUSSEX CAMBRIDGESHIRE HERTFORDSHIRE GREATER LONDON Schools participating in these counties Coming soon ESSEX EAST SUSSEX NORFOLK KENT SUFFOLK 46 Other Events (Boccia, Football, Deaf, VI etc) 47 41 8 PLUS Training days for young leaders & other courses Coaching days various sports & activities Other Events (award presentations etc.)
Case Studies revealing impact of Panathlon The following pages highlight ten case studies/examples of impact the Panathlon programme is having around the country on individuals, schools and county-wide activity. p10 New County Impact East Riding joins the fold p11 New Competitors Katie & Heidi Sheldon p12 New Regional competition London and South East p14 New Divisional Final Calderdale win final p16 On going Development Priory bidding for hat-trick at Aquatics 8
This is just a selection of the many examples generated last year and more examples can be seen in the News section and Our stories on our website and many stories on social media throughout the year. p18 Impact on individuals Finn Knaggs & Dominic Laycock p20 Impact on Individuals Honey Lock & Dean Davidson p22 Impact on schools Great Baddow p24 Sponsor benefits of staff engagement St. James s Place p26 Impact on Young Leaders Shane Gurnesh and Jack Gair 9
New County Impact - East Riding joins the fold He has commented numerous times that as a child with a disability in a mainstream school he never gets picked to be in a sports team. It is fantastic that you do something for these disabled young people who deserve to be part of a team and be included, thank you so much. Julie Hoggarth, SENCO at Hilderthorpe endorsed the comments, these are great activities for all abilities. This is such a great opportunity to include all the children that would rarely be chosen to take part in sporting events with other schools. Flamborough Primary School won the first East Riding Primary Panathlon in Bridlington on the 12th July. The Bridlington School beat three other teams from across East Riding area to be crowned champions. Maxine Blackburn, Head Teacher of Flamborough School said, We are a fully inclusive school so it has been really good to bring our children and witness them excel. They also have benefitted socially as well as in a sporting way. Runners-up Hilderthorpe School saw parents come to watch their children compete. Steph Allsopp watched son Jack compete for the first time. (See picture above left Jack in red) Steph said, I am a proud parent today of my 11 year old son, I would just like to say what an amazing experience and opportunity this has been for my child to take part. Andy Watts, Sports Co-ordinator at Kings Mill School in Driffield, a lead instigator in helping get this area involved said, I just want to say thank you for a fantastic day today the kids (and staff) loved it! Our range of children enjoyed all aspects of the day. Thanks again and can t wait to do it again. Angel Rhodes from the Bridlington School Sports Partnership said, this is the first time for our partnership and what a fantastic experience that it has been. I will be spreading the word and look forward to this again next school year. Leaders from Bridlington Sports College participated as officials (pictured left). Jonja Alves, one of the Young Leaders said, Everyone got on really well and worked together as teams. I didn t realize that the children would be as competitive as they have been. This has been a great opportunity for them. He has commented numerous times that as a child with a disability in a mainstream school he never gets picked to be in a sports team. It is fantastic that you do something for these disabled young people who deserve to be part of a team and be included, thank you so much. Steph Allsopp, Jack s Mother Hilderthorpe School 10
New Competitor Impact Katie and Heidi Sheldon from Warwickshire Identical twins Katie and Heidi Sheldon epitomised the Panathlon spirit when they represented Warwickshire in the West Midlands Regional Final in Birmingham. The 13-year-olds from Sutton Coldfield were born prematurely with cerebral palsy and are wheelchair users. They were newcomers to Panathlon in 2016/17, but their positive approach to learning new skills and engaging in competition left a lasting impression when they joined fellow pupils from Langley School in the regional multi-sports final. This is literally the best experience of my life, said Katie. I love that they give you so much to do in one short day. I love everything about it, especially having the chance to come out and represent our school. Heidi added: This is only my second Panathlon and I like it because I get to meet new people and explore myself as a person; my strengths and weaknesses. Heidi said: When we get back to school, I can t wait to show off our medals and brag about what we ve done! Katie, whose favourite event was boccia, aspires to be a Paralympic cyclist, and says five-time Paralympic swimming gold medalist (and fellow West Midlander) Ellie Simmonds is her hero. I d love to represent my country and show people that, whatever your disability, nothing should ever hold you back, she stated. Heidi, who loves kurling, said she and her sister enjoy a friendly sporting rivalry: We are very competitive as people, especially between ourselves. We re kind of nice and horrible to each other at the same time! Joanna Botley, Langley School s SEN sports co-ordinator said, We have been training really hard for this. We ve paired the children up from different age groups, which is great because the older students can mentor the younger ones, to give them the opportunity to improve their communication skills. It s difficult to describe in words what Panathlon events do for their self-confidence; it s just amazing. To see the students interacting, team-building and working together is tremendous. Joanna Botley Langley School s SEN sports co-ordinator 11
New Regional Opportunities London and South East Finals in the Olympic Park Gresham School in Croydon and The Albert Pye School from Suffolk were the big winners at Panathlon s London and South East Primary Finals at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park s Copper Box Arena. Teams from 21 schools, who had all qualified from regional events, gathered at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venue, which for the purposes of this huge event was split into two: one side for London schools and another competition for those in the south east. The London competition was itself split into two heats: the Wembley Stadium Trust heat, won by Gresham School, and the Mayor of London heat, won by Goldbeaters School from Barnet. Gresham won the overall title with 47 points, ahead of Goldbeaters on 45, with Enfield s Eastfield School and The Warren School from Barking and Dagenham picking up silvers in each heat. Redriff from Southwark and Broadfields from Barnet collected bronze. Harry Boxall, 10, from the victorious Gresham team, said: This is really exciting. I m going to put my medal in my wardrobe! Sarah Wilson, teacher at Gresham School, added: It gives them a sense of being part of a team and they love it. We like the competitive element and it s just amazing to have won. We ve never been to the Copper Box before and it s been an unbelievable experience. Hugh Wilkinson, Lead Coach at Goldbeaters School, reflected: Wow, this is absolutely amazing. The kids have loved every minute of it. To get here takes a lot of resilience for them and to go home with gold medals I m almost lost for words! Standing alongside his teacher proudly sporting his gold medal was 11-year-old pupil Mussallam Aldhefiri, who said: I was sure we could win. When I get home I think I m going to scream; I m so delighted! Across the other side of the hall, Albert Pye School from Beccles in Suffolk were crowned South East champions, beating Halifax School from Ipswich into second, and Colchester s Doucecroft School, who went home with bronze. Star of the day for victorious Albert Pye was Riley Barber (right), winner of our 2016 Suffolk Emma Holloway Foundation Outstanding Achiever award. The nine year old, who has dyspraxia and learning difficulties, is a veteran of seven Panathlon competitions. Being here at the Copper Box is so exciting, he beamed. I love it so much I give it 10 out of 10! His PE teacher, Stuart McKenzie, has been leading lunchtime and afterschool practice sessions specifically for Panathlon competitions. He said: One of the many, many things we love about this competition is that it s not a well done you tap-on-the-head kind of event. Our school is mainstream and pupils have got to eight county finals this year. When we have kids up on stage in assembly on a Friday, this counts this as an equally impressive achievement to anything the other pupils 12
have done. They get a cheer from the whole school and everyone knows these medals have been earned, not just handed out for participation. Another Panathlon veteran competing with equal gusto to Riley was Dean Davidson, an 11-year-old pupil at thirdplaced Doucecroft, who has autism and curvature of the spine. When Dean first came to our school we couldn t get him to do any PE or physical activity, said the school s coach, Andrea Griffiths. Since he s been doing the Panathlon, he now competes in the swimming, which he s brilliant at, as well as multisport. He is constantly asking me when the next Panathlon event is going to be. We ve made him team captain so he will now help our younger students when he goes up to secondary age. Dean added: My favourite events are the football and New Age Kurling. I always look forward to Panathlon. It makes me excited. Helping with prize-giving was Panathlon Ambassador Jonathan Coggan, who has competed in four Paralympic Games as a member of the GB wheelchair rugby team, and has just returned from Germany, having retained the European Championship title by beating Sweden. I don t think these children get the opportunity anywhere else, he said. To come to a prestigious venue like this must be such a buzz for them. Holding it here shows how strong Primary Panathlon is becoming and kids are coming from so far away because they know how worthwhile it is for them. Students from Eastfield School, who finished second in the London competition, received an added bonus from their visit. As a school situated close to the Olympic Park, they were handed tickets for the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships, which took place later in July. Their teacher, Leanne Judd, said: My guys really cheer each other on at Panathlon events. It gives them a real sense of pride and the rest of the school is really, really proud of us. The day s Young Leaders were provided by William Edwards School from Grays in Essex. Also helping out were students from Barking Abbey School in London. One of them, 17-year-old Kaydee King, said: I love seeing the kids enjoy themselves. It s so satisfying to see their faces light up. It s an amazing thing to be able to make their day and it also improves my leadership and communication skills. When Dean first came to our school we couldn t get him to do any PE or physical activity. Since he s been doing the Panathlon, he now competes in the swimming, which he s brilliant at, as well as multisport. He is constantly asking me when the next Panathlon event is going to be. Andrea Griffiths, Doucecroft School 13
New Divisional North of England Final Calderdale win first ever Final Calderdale, represented by Brooksbank School near Halifax, were crowned inaugural Panathlon Northern Divisional champions at the Energise Centre in York. Competing against two teams who had battled through the two North-East qualifying rounds Cedars School from Gateshead and Springwell School from Hartlepool they proved to be emphatic winners, with victories in five out of the six disciplines in the multi-sport event, with their only defeat coming in polybat. Finishing with 58 points, they eclipsed Hartlepool by eight points and were 22 points ahead of third-placed Gateshead. Sarah Pearce, Brooksbank s Learning Support Officer, commented: I am absolutely elated for the children. I can t put into words how happy they are. We are champions of the North! That sounds absolutely amazing. I thought we d do well, but I didn t think we d do this well. We ve come through two rounds to get this far, so this is as big as it gets. It means so much to them. Some of our kids don t join mainstream sport because they haven t got the confidence, so to come to a big competition like this gives their self-esteem such a boost. The chance to do something competitive is very rare for most of them, so this just gives them such a great opportunity. We feel really lucky and privileged just to take part, let alone win the whole thing! To meet a Paralympian is just the icing on the cake; it s so inspirational. The Paralympian in question was Rik Waddon, the double Paralympic silver medallist in C3 road cycling (pictured below). Having missed out on qualifying for the Rio Games, he is now focusing on ending his career with a longcherished gold at Tokyo in 2020. He commented: This is a great opportunity for these children. When I was at school, nothing like this existed. At school one day the teacher put on a video of the Tour de France. I went home and asked my mum and dad to buy me a bike, and that decision affected the course of the rest of my life. Hopefully, this opportunity to get involved in competitive sport might lead to one of these children looking back in 10 years time and remembering where their own journey began. This will help their development so much, not only in sport, but socially and academically. It has a massive impact. Rik Waddon, (pictured right) Double Paralympic Silver Medallist As he put his gold medal around his neck, Brooksbank student Jordan Calder, 15, said: This is my third Panathlon event. It gives us the chance to meet new people and have loads of fun with friends, and also make new friends from other schools. We are all really good at working together as a team and cheering each other on. 14
Scott Mallabar, PE coordinator at second-placed Springwell from Hartlepool, reflected: The kids are not only working hard for themselves, but working together effectively, putting strategies and tactics into place. Cedars student Reald Harpottle, 14, who has bilateral cerebral palsy, said: I ve been doing Panathlon events since 2014. They ve given me confidence, courage and sporting skills. The manual wheelchair race is my favourite event. I love it. The day s Young Leaders (pictured right) were supplied by the neighbouring York High School, who organised the event as part of their Leadership Academy programme. Ben Moss, 14, said: It helps us think what it feels like to have a disability. It s actually quite emotional to see what they have to cope with and how hard it is for them. Jack Metcalfe, 15, said: It makes you empathise with what life is like for some of these children. We can help improve these guys abilities in sport and that s really fulfilling. There are wheelchair users and able-bodied kids here, it s so inclusive. These are always great events and we really look forward to them. Springwell pupil Leland Dack, nine, said: It s so much fun. It s so enjoyable. I definitely don t want to miss out on the next one. My favourite event is the boccia. I ve just had my bedroom decorated, so I can t wait to hang up my medal on the wall. Steve Middlemiss, Sport Inclusion Officer at third-placed Cedars, commented: Every time we come we get so much from the day. There s a great atmosphere. They train for this and to get a medal gives them a sense of achievement. We ve come up right through the local, county and regional competitions to reach here, so this has given them that next level of the pathway to strive towards, which is so valuable. As soon as we knew we d qualified for this, the children were desperate to start training for it. The benefits of Panathlon events are immeasurable; the social interaction in meeting children from other schools, the competitive aspect it gives them so much motivation to do their best. Steve Middlemiss, Cedars School, Gateshead 15
Impact on Schools - Priory School Suffolk Priory School from Bury St Edmunds will be looking to make it three victories in a row as they return to the Aquatics Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the Panathlon South of England Swimming Finals. Priory qualified for the end-of-year showpiece at the iconic 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games venue on July 6 having seen off competition from four other schools at the Suffolk Swimming Final in February. Jane Chave, lead teacher for PE at the school, said: Priory School consider it a huge honour to be representing the county again at the Finals. We never fail to be impressed with the atmosphere generated at the Olympic Pool as it provides an amazing setting for the competition and the athletes. We approached this year s Suffolk Finals earlier in the year with a bit of trepidation as nearly all of this year s team is new. Our previous team had been together for three years and generated so much success in this competition. The success of previous years has created strong competition for places on this year s team and many students aspire to represent the school at Panathlon. This year many have gone outside of school for lessons to achieve this aim. Parents have also commented on the huge difference they have noticed in their child s self-esteem and self-worth after getting selected and competing for the school in this event. Whilst we as a school are excited about the upcoming finals day in July, we know that the competition is going to be very strong and whilst hopeful that we have a chance of winning, we acknowledge that retaining the trophy gets harder and it will be very difficult. Parents have also commented on the huge difference they have noticed in their child s self-esteem and self-worth after getting selected and competing for the school in this event. Jane Chave, Lead Teacher for PE Priory School, Bury St Edmunds 16
With strong team work, we hope we can be a formidable contender again, whilst not losing sight of the fact that this will be very hard this year. One of the teams aiming to foil Priory s quest for a third straight win will be John Watson School from Oxford, who qualified for the Final by winning the Home Counties qualifier. Kevin Larsen, Team Manager of the first-time finalists, commented: Students at John Watson School have been training weekly in preparation for this event. Their confidence in the water and their swimming ability have improved immeasurably over the period of time. School assemblies have raised the profile of the event and more students throughout the school have shown a willingness to improve their swimming ability. The winning of course is in the participation but to participate and win has improved the self-confidence and esteem of our students. Alison Day, Lead Teacher of fellow first-time finalists, Henlow Church of England Academy, from Bedfordshire, said: Myself and the children are very, very excited to have the opportunity to swim in the finals. The thought of swimming in the Olympic pool is amazing. One of our students Katelyn said: Really? We re really going? Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Tabby said: What me? I m going to be swimming in the Olympic pool? Adam just said: Wow!. Samuel and Libby both said: What, me? and then screamed. Megan shouted: Yes! I m so excited. For myself, personally, I am so very proud of our pupils. The looks on their faces when I told them the news was priceless. Lucas had such a huge smile on his face. Thank you Panathlon for giving our pupils this fantastic opportunity. They have worked hard as individuals and have come together as a team. Achieving a measure of success has been a great source of motivation resulting in more students wanting to become involved. Kevin Larsen, Team Manager John Watson School 17
Impact on Individuals Finn Knaggs and Dominic Laycock Two very special teenagers, Finn Knaggs and Dominic Laycock, have received Panathlon s North Yorkshire Outstanding Achievement award supported by St. James Place Foundation. Finn, a pupil at St John s Catholic School for the Deaf in Boston Spa near Wetherby, is a worthy winner of the award for overcoming severe difficulties to excel in Panathlon boccia, football and multi-sport competitions. At just seven months old he contracted pneumococcal meningitis which resulted in profound sensory neural hearing loss, complex epilepsy and left-side hemiplegia. The regular seizures he suffered also resulted in delayed language and communication, particularly speech. Due to his disabilities, particularly his deafness, he finds academic life a challenge, but in sport and at Panathlon in particular, he has been able to compete alongside his peers, flourish and excel. Panathlon events have broadened his horizons, giving him empathy and awareness of other children s difficulties, and increasing his determination and confidence in overcoming his own. His fine motor skills remain weak but sport allows him to develop his gross motor skills, particularly his excellent hand-eye coordination. When Finn was ill as a baby the doctors told me his body was essentially shutting down and there wasn t much hope [of survival]. The experts later said they weren t sure whether he would be able to walk. If only they could see him now at Panathlon competitions! Kim Knaggs Finn Knaggs Mother 18
Finn loves football and, after initial wariness about being able to include him successfully, Guiseley s Junior Team in West Leeds have now embraced him, especially after he scored a hat-trick on his debut. He is also member of a table tennis club, and helps his mum re-home injured and abused dogs, some of which are brought in from Greece. He does meet and greets with the dogs when they arrive at the kennels and helps to walk them. Finn was presented with his award at the Panathlon North Yorkshire Multisport Finals at Fulford School in York with St. James s Place staff in attendance. Proudly holding his trophy, the 15-year-old commented, Panathlon makes me feel very happy and excited. I ve got my gold medals up in my room at home. His mum Kim added, Panathlon has been fantastic for Finn. It allows him to shine, which isn t always the case in the classroom because of his disabilities. It allows him to show off, which he loves, of course! He struggles with normal schoolwork but with sport he can be the same as everyone else; in fact, better! Tony Waymouth, Chief Operating Officer said these awards are a reflection of the kind of children who have come in numbers to the Panathlon programme in North Yorkshire and how Panathlon is such an integral part of the SEN provision in the county Dominic Laycock of The Dales School in Northallerton collected the Highly Commended award. He has Down s syndrome and has represented his school in numerous Panathlon competitions, including football, boccia and multi-sports, although his particular passion is swimming. He also plays in defence for Middlesbrough FC s Down s Syndrome side and has been team mascot many times for the first team, leading them out before games at the Riverside Stadium. Lynn Watson, Advanced Teaching Assistant at the Dales School, commented, We are really proud of him back at school. All our kids are really competitive and Dom is right up there amongst the most competitive of all. He is a role model to other children and Panathlon really allows him to express himself and show off his talents. Dominic s most notable achievement happened in the pool, where he saved a young person from drowning by diving in and taking them to the side. On his act of heroism at the pool Dominic said nonchalantly, I saw they were drowning and I just jumped in. It made me feel proud afterwards. 19
Impact on Individuals Honey Lock and Dean Davidson Two very special young Panathletes Honey Lock and Dean Davidson (pictured left) have been chosen as our Woodland 2017 Primary Outstanding Achievers for Essex. Honey, 11, is a pupil at Burnham on Crouch Primary School, while Dean, also 11, goes to Doucecroft School in Colchester. Both received their trophies on the outfield at Essex s T20 Blast cricket match against Glamorgan at the CloudFM County Ground in Chelmsford, with the presentations relayed on the stadium s giant screen. After being born prematurely and defying dire early medical forecasts, Honey was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy aged two. Her parents were told she would never walk or talk. However through conductive education and therapy she started to stun the experts again. Her family raised 60,000 to send her to America for neuro surgery, then eye operations and tendon release surgery. She still has deformities and contractures on her left leg and undergoes an exhausting daily physio regime. However, she has now almost abandoned her wheelchair completely, mostly uses crutches and sticks to walk, and is starting to take independent steps. Panathlon competitions have been a key part of her recovery, restoring her mental and physical confidence. She is captain of her school s boccia team and has developed younger team members to take on leadership roles when she leaves for high school in September. After watching Honey receive her trophy in front of the applauding crowd, Honey s mother, Rebecca Lock, commented: Until the day Panathlon came to the school, neither we as parents or the school realised what disabled children could do. Panathlon opened our eyes. The mixture of sports awakened all these possibilities and Honey has taken them all and has had her opportunities and expectations extended. Today has been brilliant and a recognition for all and will provide a legacy at school for others to follow. Honey herself said: This award is great! I wasn t expecting it and certainly couldn t dream of this when I started Panathlon. I have been rewarded for something I love. Outside of school, Honey works hard to raise awareness and funding for Cerebral Palsy, and is set to take part in a triathlon over summer. Standing proudly beside Honey was Dean Davidson, a veritable veteran of Panathlon events who was Doucecroft s team captain when they finished third in the recent London and South East Primary Final at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 20
Looking on at the CloudFM County Ground was his mum Jemma, who said: I have never ever been so proud of my son. What amazed me today was there was no nervousness, no worry or stress. He is such a different child since being at Doucecroft and being involved in Panathlon. What an all-round change in my son there s been. It has made him into who he is today. Three years ago I would not have believed this and what he has done today. Dean reflected: I am proud to have won this award and it is nice for my mum and grandma to be part of today. The Woodland Group, who selected our two Essex Primary champions, provides crucial funding for Panathlon s delivery of primary competitions in the county. These awards build on the Jack Petchey Outstanding Achievement Awards for our older secondary-aged Panathlon competitors across Essex. Dean (pictured left) is autistic and was born with scoliosis of the spine which makes it hard for him to run for long periods or twist as it causes him back pain. He has grown from a non-verbal, aggressive and physically challenging child into a sporty, polite and caring young man in the two years he has been at Doucecroft and has been competing in Panathlon competitions. Having previously been unable to work in a team environment, he now participates fully in Panathlon s team ethos and those of other sports, even helping to train younger students in techniques and skills. Panathlon s swimming events have helped him immensely as the water provides pain relief for his back. John Stubbings of the Woodland Group, who presented Dean and Honey with their awards, reflected: The young people giving their all to the Panathlon Challenge never cease to amaze me. The standards are exceptional and the way these young achievers do not let anything hold them back is nothing short of inspirational. A lesson in life to us all! Panathlon wishes to thanks John and the Woodland Group for their hugely valued support. Thanks also to Essex County Cricket Club for kindly hosting our awards ceremony. Dean competing at the Copper Box Arena in the Olympic Park. Until the day Panathlon came to the school, neither we as parents or the school realised what disabled children could do. Panathlon opened our eyes. Rebecca Lock Honey s Mother 21
Schools impact - Great Baddow reaping rewards from Panathlon partnership There is no greater example of Panathlon s galvanising effect on students, be they mainstream or deaf and hearing impaired pupils than those at Great Baddow High School in Chelmsford. The Essex school began its association with Panathlon in 2012 when they provided young leaders to help out at competitions as part of the students BTEC Sport qualification. Their leaders have been involved every year since. Panathlon has seen leaders involved with the charity, go onto community roles, Camp America placements and national officiating positions. To grow the partnership with Great Baddow, Panathlon were keen to involve the schools deaf pupils aswell. Once the decision was taken to hold deaf competitions, Great Baddow were one of the first schools to commit, not only players but also deaf leaders too. Alicia Sudnik, the school s Communication Support Worker, explained, Communication with peers can sometimes be difficult without communication support, but Panathlon enables our students to access sport with similar-aged children and communicate without the additional support from adults. Panathlon events are always well organised and led. They have ensured we can access the events. It has also been great to attend events that have been led by deaf students, who are role models for our younger students and provide a sense of achievement for them. Great Baddow is a Resource Base for Hearing Impaired Students (RBHIS) within a mainstream school, with students affected by various levels of deafness using hearing aids or cochlear implants, coming from different backgrounds and using various methods of communication (British Sign Language, Sign Supported English and oral). As it is a sports college, Great Baddow s deaf students are offered all the sports that mainstream children can access, plus clubs before and after school and at lunchtime, as well as inter-school competitions; but they had no opportunities to compete against other deaf schools. Competition can sometimes be difficult. It s a great learning opportunity for life, Alicia added. Panathlon events allow our students to celebrate their success as deaf students with the whole school and their parents when articles are put in Magnus (our school magazine) after the event. They love to see their trophies on show with all the other trophies in the foyer. Within the school environment the children love to share their experiences and they get very excited when I am able to give them their next permission letter to attend an event! The Great Baddow students were particularly excited at being given the chance to swim in the Aquatics Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at the South England Deaf Panathlon Swimming Championships, where they won the secondary school event. Deaf Ambassador, Jack Gair, who was named Panathlon Young Leader of the Year in 2015, used to attend Great Baddow School. Jack was part of our BTEC leadership course, as well as part of our Resource Base for Hearing Impaired Students, Alicia said, Although he has now left our school to do his apprenticeship, he comes back to 22
Some of the Great Baddow Young Leaders with Tom Daley at the London Aquatic Centre before The Essex and London Swim competition. support our Deaf Panathlon events. He wants to continue to be involved. He is a fantastic role model for younger students. Angela Watson, a teacher at Tany s Dell Community School in Harlow said, The young sports leaders act as really good deaf role models for our children. They can aspire to be like Jack & Jessica. For the deaf children in our school, we have a small deaf unit. It has raised their self-esteem and their profile within the school, she said. Great Baddow further developed its role with it hosting the Essex Deaf Multisport event. This day hosts over 50 pupils at the school to take part in the day s activities, again helped by Young Leaders from Great Baddow High School. This even has also attracted ex-pupil and goalkeeper for the British Deaf Women Football squad Carly Waters. She said, It is nice to be back at Great Baddow High School, I left over 20 years ago and the sports hall seems much smaller than I remember! It is great to see the schools with specialist deaf units taking part and it will be interesting to see how the Panathlon Organisation will develop more events like this in the future and encourage greater involvement in sports for the deaf. Jess Ferguson, Head of PE at the School said, The response to the activities has been fantastic. Deaf students participating, mainstream children doing leadership, seeing old students like Jack and Carly is an great inspiration for the students here today and excellent role models. As part of Great Baddow s on-going leadership with Panathlon, the school again provided leaders to the London and Essex swim finals in the London 2012 Aquatic Centre. Jess Ferguson, said she was delighted to continue their support of Panathlon events by providing sports leaders for the Essex final aswell. She added: We have helped out at a variety of Panathlon events as the school has a big leadership programme and leadership academy. The students now help run our local swimming clubs and get great experience of leading others and taking responsibility. Panathlon events allow our students to celebrate their success as deaf students with the whole school and their parents when articles are put in our school magazine after the event. They love to see their trophies on show with all the other trophies in the foyer. Alicia Sudnik, Communication Support Worker Great Baddow High School 23
Sponsor benefits of staff engagement St. James s Place Employees from the Leeds office of the St. James s Place Foundation today had their first taste of volunteering as officials during a Panathlon competition. The team of eight pioneers from the foundation, which is one of Panathlon s main sponsors, said they were wowed, amazed and humbled by the experience of helping disabled children compete in the games. St. James s Place Foundation is the grant-making charitable arm of the St. James s Place Wealth Management Group and the eight staff from Leeds acted as officials at the South Yorkshire Primary Panathlon at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield. Seeing these children so happy and achieving so much today is amazing and I can t stop saying wow, said Rachel Mendelsohn, the secretary of the foundation s Leeds committee. She said 86 per cent of St. James s Place employees in Leeds donate a proportion of their salary to the foundation. Every penny we contribute is doubled again by the foundation this year, as it is celebrating 25 years. Now I can see how very worthwhile this is. I don t usually spend time with children but I have been getting stuck in today and got so much out of it too, just seeing the patience, the care and the love of the teachers and Panathlon staff. Rachel also organises events to raise funds for the foundation and is running the Great North Run half marathon, undertaking the Big Walk in Wales and climbing two mountains in Slovenia this year to raise more. St. James s Place staff from company headquarters in Gloucestershire have volunteered to officiate at Panathlon, but this is the first time for Leeds office staff, who had a training session in boccia, table cricket, parachute, polybat and athletics before the games began. Scott Campbell said: It is important for staff to see their donations to the foundation are appreciated. We also sponsor the Yorkshire Children of Courage Awards and we are looking forward to Panathlon s nominations. Sue Smith, a partnership development manager, agreed. I didn t know what to expect but this is better than I could have imagined on so many levels. Seeing how the children compete and support one another is fantastic. I think I am having more fun than the children! And I shall be going home two pounds lighter in weight but knowing that every penny I donate is worthwhile. It is important for staff to see their donations to the foundation are appreciated. Scott Campbell, St. James s Place Foundation Committee 24
Students from New College in Pontefract buddied up as young leaders with the St. James s Place volunteers. Working alongside them student Rachel Corbett, 16, who is on a sport leader course. She said: It has been such an amazing experience helping disabled children and seeing what they can achieve. Seeing how games have been adapted by Panathlon has really open my eyes. I can t fault it. Panathlon s chief operating officer, Tony Waymouth, said: This is an important part of our work with our sponsor St. James s Place, helping them understand more about our work with schools and them being able to interact by providing staff. I hope that the Leeds office has gained an insight today into the lives and abilities of young people that are involved with us. We hope we can expand the opportunities for the Leeds office for corporate volunteering and embed Panathlon within their community activity. St. James s Place Foundation has supported Panathlon since 2011 to provide sporting opportunities to disabled young people. The winners of the South Yorkshire Primary Panathlon were Doncaster School for the Deaf, who took home gold medals after grabbing an amazing 50 points. Primary PE teacher Rebecah Taylor said: This Panathlon offers equal opportunities to all our children and an opportunity to compete against other schools. Every child has achieved something and it has been valuable for them to experience the fast pace of the hearing world, but also learn to follow guidelines, have patience and work as part of a team. Panathlon has given them time to learn. Celebrating silver success was Abbey Special School in Rotherham, which followed their participation in the secondary-age Panathlon last month. Teacher Jayne Leversidge said: Panathlon is ideal for the school, which has an immersive ethos. We take the children out as much as possible. Today has contributed to their emotional wellbeing and will be a memorable experience. Now I can see how very worthwhile this is. I have been getting stuck in today and got so much out of it too, just seeing the patience, the care and the love of the teachers and Panathlon staff. Rachel Mendelshon, St. James s Place 25
Shane Gurnesh - Young Leader of the Year (London) Panathlon s Jack Petchey Young Leader of the Year is Shane Gunesh of Enfield, who has learning difficulties and autism. He is another young man who enjoys coaching others. My teacher told me I was a good leader, he said. I like to volunteer for young people. Shane, 18, was transferred from a mainstream school to West Lea School when he was 14. He immediately selected for the Panathlon team. Despite competing for a number of years he was still shy and lacking in confidence. Shane was put forward for the Enfield Leadership Academy, where he achieved the Boccia Young Officials Award, then officiated at the London Lord s Taverners Disability Boccia tournament run by Panathlon. He also volunteers at his local club to help other teenagers with different disabilities to play boccia. He is a gold medal winner in the BC8 category at the national boccia championships, as well as a qualified coach and referee. He is also a young ambassador for the National Autistic Society and recipient of MENCAP s Gateway Award for volunteering. He also enjoys dance, acting and ceramics and has played for the Middlesex County Disability cricket team. Following all these achievements, Shane Gunesh has been shortlisted for the prestigious Michael Johnson Young Leaders programme in the USA. The programme, run by the four-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter, attracts 18-23 year old applicants from around the world who are volunteers in sport, education and community leadership. It was Shane s engagement in Panathlon competitions that kickstarted his passion for volunteering and helping others. Over the next few years, Panathlon will be working with Shane to further enhance his leadership skills. As a young leader and ambassador, he will be an integral part of the development of our autism programme. It has been such a positive experience for Shane being involved in Panathlon, said his mother Sunita. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Panathlon for supporting Shane througout. The turning point came when he undertook Panathlon leaders training two years ago, and then led as an official at the competition. He has now officiated at four Panathlon competitions. Sunita Gurnesh Shane s Mother. 26
Impact on a Young Leader Jack Gair Jack Gair s Panathlon journey began as a competitor and progressed to becoming an award-winning young leader and ambassador. Now aged just 19, he can already look back on a litany of achievements with justifiable pride. Jack, from Steeple Bumpstead in Essex, is profoundly deaf and autistic, but he hasn t allowed these conditions to hinder him. Panathlon has played a big part in his personal and professional progress. Whilst in the sixth form at Great Baddow High School he earned a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport, part of which was a young leaders programme involved officiating at Panathlon events. For his strong and inspiring leadership, Jack won Panathlon s Young Leader of the Year award in 2015 with his schoolmates, Steve Harrison and Lee Hart, who finished runners-up. The students in the BTEC Level 3 group and the link with Panathlon had so much to do with Jack s progression, reflects his mum Sam. I can t thank Lee and Steve enough, who were runners-up when Jack won the award, Mr Persey, his sports teacher and Miss Sudnik, his Communication Support Worker, who were very passionate about Panathlon. Since leaving school, Jack has begun a sports coaching apprenticeship with Active Essex working for a company delivering extra-curricular sport in primary schools and he attends college to do an NVQ Level 2 qualification in Fitness Instructing as well as an NVQ Level 2 in Activity Leadership. He has also completed many sport qualifications including FA Level 1 and 2 awards in football and dodgeball, Level 1 in futsal and swimming and his National Pool Lifeguard qualification. Panathlon is a family affair for the Gairs. Jack s brother Joe is studying BTEC Sport Level 2 qualification and is a Young Leader at Panathlon events and Jack s sister Amy, is competing in Panathlon. Both are also profoundly deaf. Sam added, As well as giving him confidence, Panathlon has helped make people more confident in him, because when you look at his CV and realise what he has done, people can clearly see what he s capable of, so they re more willing to give him a go. He has taken his coaching and leadership roles in his stride. He is a great motivator and just seems to be able to get through to people and facilitate their love of sport, because he shares that passion himself. Jack himself said, Panathlon is a really good opportunity for Young Leaders to work with disabled children in sport and to help them take part and have fun. It is good because the skills you learn, you can use in the future too. It s helped me learn to communicate with children with all different needs. I ve realised that they want to enjoy sport the same as I do, and that I can help them do this. It really brought him out socially and it s with their support that he s now gone as far as he has. Those events gave him the confidence and belief in himself that he could do something and actually be really good at it. Sam Gair Jacks Mother 27
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The value of The environment is conducive so they feel comfortable, which enables them to perform to their best. Ailsa Bell, School sports coordinator Freebrough Academy This has been a brilliant experience for the children. We have really enjoyed competing in the Primary Panathlon over the past two years and now that there is another opportunity for them to compete, it s all extremely exciting. Julie, Teacher Hempsted Primary School This is the first time the school has competed externally, what an experience for them to come here with children from other parts of the region. Roseanne Hutchinson, Delamere, Trafford, Manchester Through Panathlon, our SEN students have started to compete at school and now externally. Our boccia team made it to the national finals. Panathlon is a massive, positive influence and we want to get involved as many times as we can. Sarah Cropley, Teaching Assistant Pakefield High School I m so proud of her achievements. The fact that she s alive is the biggest bonus we could have had. To see her come back, compete and take part is amazing. Naomi Vann, teacher Brent Knoll School We will always support Panathlon, because it is a wonderful thing for the children. The event gives them a great opportunity to compete against their peers. Dani Smith Barking & Dagenham Team Manager The biggest thing our youngsters get out of it is a lot of confidence and the experience of achieving success as a team. Today gives children confidence and it s wonderful for their selfesteem. This is their first time in a swimming gala and it gives them a brand new experience in an amazing place like this. Rebecca Taylor, Doncaster School for the Deaf Brandon Mullin, Head of PE Beacon Hill Academy This is my last Panathlon for the school, it has been a brilliant experience, coming to Panathlon events has changed me as a person, I ve met new people, been to new places, had life experiences out of school, thank you Panathlon. 32 Scott Jeffries, Student New Oscott School
Panathlon The thing that we like about Panathlon the most, and our staff and parents always comment on is that Panathlon levels the playing field. That s key for them to be able to perform equally against their peers. This is the only chance I have to play team sport at school and outside of school, so it is really important to me and my other teammates that we can do this through Panathlon. Courtney Burgess, 15 Beacon Hill School Jeremy Lonsdale Greenacre s PE lead We are so excited to have finally won a Panathlon event after so many years of trying! It is great for this group to be able to take part. Now they have won, it only increases the importance of this new event for them. Cherie Lashmar, Head of PE Columbus College, Essex This was our first time at Panathlon and it has made our kids realise how much fun they could have and what they could learn. It has been a real eye opener for them! Julie Markowycz, Teacher Lowerhouses Primary It has been the best day I can remember as part of the School. I can t believe we have won! Emma Hull, 11 King James First Academy Without Panathlon, McKenzie wouldn t have had the opportunity to represent his school in any sporting event. Panathlon has made him enjoy sport and accept that he and others can achieve through sport. Kerry O Reilly, Mother to McKenzie This is my second year volunteering at a Panathlon event and it is a truly inspiring organisation. The enthusiasm the children have for the event, together with the thanks they express to the people volunteering is humbling. Louise Colsell, St. James s Place s Client Services Manager At the end of a Panathlon event I feel like it s a big achievement for me, because I can t really do many sports. This is one I can do, and I love it. Thomas, 14 Brooksbank School, Halifax 33 None of the pupils had participated in a Panathlon before, so this was a new and exciting experience for them. We are grateful for the opportunity that tailors the physical and sensory needs of our pupils. Jo Gavin, Teacher Cherry Oak School Just having the opportunity to compete against students from different parts of the country is amazing. Panathlon can t support us enough. Jeremy Lonsdale, Greenacre s PE lead
There was nothing like this for me when I was a kid. When I had a PE lesson, the kids went out on the field and I was left in the hall on my own, playing basketball. That s why it s a pleasure to support Panathlon, because it s so important to give these young people opportunities. There could easily be the World Para athletes of tomorrow, who started their journeys with Panathlon. Richard Chiassaro British Paralympic Athlete World Para medallist July 2017. 34
Thank you to our funders and supporters. Without you none of this could happen! Many thanks to Mike Wilson CBE and Dan Thompson for their personal support. 35