Hackney Hurricanes kick up a storm
Making a Bolt for it: youngsters at Hackney Hurricanes club in a final run the end of their session. Photo: Asya Gefter
While Clissold Park heaves with sun seekers and a nearby ice cream van enjoys a roaring trade, members of a new athletics club for disabled children are gearing up for some more strenuous physical activity.
The Hackney Hurricanes Disability Athletics Club offers free hourly sessions to disabled youngsters aged 8-18. The sessions take place in Stoke Newington School and are held on Tuesdays, from 4pm in the school holidays and 6pm during term time.
Children are free to drop by and join in the activities, which are run by a qualified coach and assisted by volunteers. These include the long jump, throwing, running, shooting hoops and more.
“It’s pan-disability, so we’re trying to be as adaptable as possible,” says Patrick Hopkins of Access Sports, the charity that came up with the idea of the club.
“We do things slightly differently depending on the individual. So for example triple jump for a wheelchair user would be when you push once with your right hand, another time with your left hand, then once with both.”
Steve Sidley, a carer for children with disabilities in Waltham Forest, has brought four children into the neighbouring borough for the session.
“There’s nothing this big where we are,” he says, referring to the gymnasium, which is echoing with shouts and the sound of games being played. “It’s a great chance for them to get out and meet other people and do some stuff.”
A boy throws a foam javelin, clocking a seven on the measuring chart. “Well done, next time I want to see you get ten!” responds the coach, Tunga, a running fanatic who also teaches secondary Maths and English.
Patrick explains: “The main idea here is to have fun and to exercise but we do want to see progression and improvement as well. With athletics there are so many things we can measure: how far they can jump or throw, whether they hit the target or how fast they can run.
“We hope to set up a few of these disability access groups across London and then link them together so that we can have competitions between them.”
The club aims to provide a platform for disabled athletes either to enter ‘mainstream’ athletics, or be able to talent spot other disabled athletes. Next year, it intends to start an adult section that the present crop of youngsters could potentially move up into.
Volunteers will be the key to making this happen. Current NSPCC guidelines recommend that for every eight children there should be one adult in a supervisory role.
“We’ve had clubs where it’s been close to that and it worked okay, though it wasn’t fantastic,” Patrick admits.
“Ideally, we’d like to have a one-to-one volunteer ratio, though it’s hard to find people that are enthusiastic about volunteering at a sports club. That way, when kids need the toilet two people can accompany them. Having more volunteers also helps build the atmosphere.
“You can have people at the side pointing things out and observing, and if a child throws a tantrum the volunteers can look after them without it affecting the whole session.”
At the end of the session, the coach asks the children what they most enjoyed. Then, amid a chorus of ‘well dones’ from the volunteers, they file out of the gymnasium with their parents, clutching certificates, and with some further energised by the promise of an ice cream.
For more information about Hackney Hurricanes contact Fiona Healy: 07900 608 859, fionahealy@gmail.com or Patrick Hopkins: 07732 442 052, patrick.hopkins@accesssport.co.uk.