Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019

GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019 7 , Best Paralympic Sports NPO 2019 – UK Withmore than 17,000 people playing across the United Kingdom, wheelchair basketball is a vital sport in enabling players to become more resilient and independent in their daily lives. BritishWheelchair Basketball (BWB), the representative body of the sport across the UK, has grown to become one of the best Paralympic Sports NPOs this year. Discover their accomplish- ments, as we profile the charity’s great work. An intensely fast-paced and equally fast-growing sport, wheelchair basketball allows disabled and non-disabled people to play together competing in domestic leagues and competitions. The sport is instrumental in bridging the gap and enabling everyone to come together on a level playing field. With a potential participation growth of up to 70,000 more players, BWB is at the forefront of advocating for the sport, and all the good it can accomplish. Focused on improving both dextrous skill and physical strength, wheelchair basketball is an incredibly important sport in helping disabled people develop. Not just physically either, but in a mental capacity, it is useful for players to interact with one another and form strong relationships. In a survey conducted by BWB, 79% of members said that the sport had a positive impact on their mental health, and 21% of all national league players are non-disabled. The charity itself is the national governing body for the sport across the United Kingdom, as well as being home to the four hugely successful GB wheelchair basketball teams that have competed at the Paralympics. Domestically, four competitive leagues run from September through to May each year, including the National League, Women’s League, University League, and Lord’s Taverners Junior League. Unity, drive, pride and grit are at the heart of everything that the charity does with their activities and delivery. Embodying the very best of all four, all delivery partners that BWB work with capture the essence of what it means to encourage people through the medium of wheelchair basketball. Should people wish to get involved in the sport, BWB have the answer for that too. Individuals can access numerous opportunities to discover the sport throughout the whole year, including Regional Skill Camps, Inclusive Zone Basketball sessions, and Have A Go sessions. Perhaps one of the greatest sporting moments in recent history for wheelchair basketball was the victory for the GB Men’s Team over reigning Paralympic champions the USA to secure the 2018 World Championship title – the first time in history a GB team has brought home World Championship gold medal. As more moments of triumph are sure to be experienced, there is an increased drive to broadcast the sport, following the charity’s best ever year for online streaming of domestic competition via BBC Sport. Undoubtedly, the biggest upcoming opportunity for BWB to really showcase its incredible work is during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Currently, the GB wheelchair basketball teams are experiencing unprecedented levels of success. The Men’s Team are World and European champions, and the Women’s Team hold silver medals in both competitions as well. With Junior Teams also experiencing phenomenal success on the world stage, there has never been a better time to get involved in the sport and support the charity. Sport has an undeniable ability to bring people together, whether it be supporting a national team round a barbecue on a Sunday afternoon, playing at a local leisure centre on a week night, or cheering on an Paralympian because they from a local area. The work of BWB is instrumental in carrying that forward, bringing disabled and non-disabled people together in a sport that has unparalleled benefits both physically and mentally. Company: British Wheelchair Basketball Website: www.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk