Snowsports are a tremendously effective way to give young people with special educational needs or physical disabilities, or both, an opportunity to develop their capabilities.
Not simply can they enjoy themselves in the moment but more importantly have a real lasting sense of achievement and exceed their own expectations. It can have a permanent positive benefit and make a huge different to their lives.
Using snowsports to help others less fortunate than ourselves has been a significant part of the Skiers Trust’s work for many years. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work.
Our SEND Fund aims to give these opportunities to as many young people as possible. Primarily we do this through specialist schools and young people organisations with the skills and knowledge to ensure that our grants deliver great rewards.
There are a number of SEND schools and colleges which include snowsports in their therapeutic and health development programmes to improve the opportunities of their students. Some are also in inner-city and disadvantaged communities. Some manage to take their students into Europe to the snow for holidays. The cost is great and makes it very difficult. There are many more who could do the same if they could raise the funds. We have been able to support some, but we would like to be able to help many more.
The SEND schools and colleges we have helped have students with the full range of needs and disabilities; autism, downs syndrome, behavioural and social difficulties, dyslexia and comprehension, ADHD, physical co-ordination, paraplegia to name a few.
