Left to right: Lucy Chenery (Mencap Sport swimmer), Neill Collins (Mencap Sport athlete), Mark Goldring (Chief Executive of Mencap), Karen Wallin (Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics Great Britain), Gary O'Brien (Special Olympics GB bowler), Stacey Johnston (Special Olympics GB bowler and swimmer).A new alliance has been formed to promote sport for people with learning disabilities. Bringing together the charity Mencap and the Special Olympics GB, the English Learning Disability Sports Alliance will work across the sport sector to promote inclusive provision of disability sport.
As well as raising awareness of learning disability sport, the aim is to ensure that those with a learning disability are given best the possible opportunities to take part in sport at recreational and competitive levels.
The two organisations are not merging – they will remain as separate entities – but they will work closely together on this issue to share expertise and resources, and act as advocates for learning disability sport.
Mencap's Chief Executive, Mark Goldring, said that the establishment of the Alliance and the inclusion of elite athletes with a learning disability in the London 2012 Paralympics Games would “provide a real impetus for us to raise awareness of the achievements and benefits of learning disability sport.”