Let Me Move working with Accrington Stanley
In November 2024, the Let Me Move team met with Robert Houseman, Supporter Liaison Officer at Accrington Stanley, where he informed us of their recent work with the club’s disabled supporters, who are now known as the SWANs (Supporters With Additional Needs).
We came up with an idea to combine both the need to increase attendance of disabled supporters at Accrington Stanley matches and our work in promoting more inclusion within physical activity spaces by collaborating on the club’s Walk to the Match campaign.
Walk to the Match is an initiative as part of the broader Let’s Move Hyndburn campaign. This fan-led movement encourages supporters to walk, cycle, or wheel to home games at the Wham Stadium, promoting physical activity, community engagement, and environmental sustainability.
This idea coincided with the fact that the club had already begun planning their Unite for Access fixture, which was scheduled to take place on 22 February against Doncaster Rovers in partnership with Level Playing Field.
Level Playing Field’s Unite for Access campaign is an annual initiative celebrating and promoting accessibility and inclusion for disabled sports fans. The campaign, which typically runs for a two-week period, encourages clubs and sporting venues to highlight and improve their accessibility, ensuring that all fans can enjoy live sports. It aims to raise awareness of the barriers disabled fans face, combat disability-related abuse, and create a more welcoming and inclusive matchday experience for everyone.
Prior to this, Robert introduced us to Lee Walsh, Head of Sport at Accrington Stanley in the Community Trust, who then invited us to meet some of the participants who attend their Disability Sports Project, which takes place at both Stanley Sports Hub and Hyndburn Leisure Centre.
A range of sessions can be accessed, including multi-sport on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and football on Fridays. More information can be found here.
At the two sessions we attended, we met a group called Motiv-8 Lancs and developed a short film on the impact the sessions have had on the participants, including a case study on a participant named Adam, highlighting his journey.
Director of Motiv-8 Lancs, Tracy, spoke on film about how she has seen the participants develop as a result of attending the sessions:
“Our clients have been coming to Accrington Stanley for over a year now. They absolutely love it. It improves their mental health and well-being; they take part in physical activities; they have fun sessions where they learn new skills and techniques.”
Adam said of the sessions:
“I love having a laugh and taking part in different activities.”
During the production of the video, we partnered with Deaf Village North-West CIC, who created a BSL version of the video. This was released on the day of Accrington Stanley’s Unite for Access fixture against Doncaster Rovers on 22 February.
Deaf Village North-West CIC is a Community Interest Company that provides a central hub and a range of services for the Deaf community and their families in the North West of England. Their mission is to create a cohesive and inclusive community, raise Deaf awareness, and break down communication barriers. They offer various services, including a communal gathering space, residential living for Deaf adults, and opportunities for social and professional development.
We thank all the partners for collaborating with us on this project and hope they enjoyed the day!
Watch the video here: