York has secured £252,705 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Inclusive Sport fund to increase provision of sport for disabled people in the City.

The Sport England funding is being added to by City of York Council partnership funding of £183,000 and will extend the HEAL programme to:

• work with people with mental health conditions, alcohol and drug addiction, cancer rehabilitation, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and others, and will also include additional capacity to recruit to the existing programmes

• fund casual staff to run activities for adults with learning disabilities, following consultation by people supported by the Valuing People Partnership Board last year

• support the development and creation of new community disability sports clubs alongside the council’s work with Goalball, football, boccia and new work with cricket and tennis for visually impaired people and wheelchair basketball

• training and support for community clubs to become fully inclusive and accessible to accommodate people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities and those with long term medical conditions.