Herts Disability Sports Foundation (Registered Charity Number 1156034) was created in 2014 to promote the development of disability sport for people in day services across Hertfordshire. From that very specific remit, we have developed over the years into a charity where everyone (absolutely everyone!) is empowered to experience the joys of belonging, achieving and physical activity.
Originally named Herts Sport & Wellbeing Foundation, the charity was initially set up in Welwyn Hatfield, funded by a Sports England grant. In 2017 our name was changed to Herts Disability Sports Foundation, to reflect our specialist skills and knowledge in the design and delivery of activities which are accessible to all adults and children with physical and/or learning disabilities. The charity slowly began to expand from the original 2 members of staff, to 2 full time and 10 part time staff (equivalent to 4.5 full time employees). The growth was intentionally slow to ensure that our workforce developed with a strong ethos of inclusion and equal opportunities – both for participants and fellow team members – and received a high standard of functional training and internal coaching to ensure we could deliver programmes to a standard .
Like many other charities, our work was disrupted in 2020/21 due to the limitations on human contact during periods of 'lockdown'. Due to our close working relationship with Day Services we were able to prepare for the coming restrictions; closing down for 1 week and re opening with an extensive and varied range of online activities, to support our regular attendees but also to welcome in those who were most vulnerable. We were even able to secure grant funding to enable more users to join us online via ipads and reduce the feeling of isolation.
HDSF returned to face to face delivery in 2022 but still maintained some online sessions; for social purposes and for those who preferred or could not return to regular activities. We deliver regular Tuesday sessions at Stanborough Park (and Thursdays during the warmer months) where we offer a variety of activities including boxercise, easy rider adapted cycling, fitness and a range of water sports including bellboating and paddleboarding - details of all our individual sessions can be found here.
We also provide a range of services to schools and the wider community - whilst our specialism is physical activities for adults and young people/children with physical and/or learning disabilities, our remit includes any individual or group who experience difficulties in accessing mainstream provision. This has included those at an economic disadvantage, gender/sex bias, or those for whom current provision simply does not meet their needs.
A full description of our activities and our plans for the future can be found in our most recent Annual Report.