Following the success at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix – December 2023, where Community Integrated Care partnered with British Taekwondo to support an accessible and inclusive event and empower local people who draw on care and support through volunteering, British Taekwondo are pleased to have continued to work with the charity. Together we have created an accessible Taekwondo community club in Stockport, Manchester, under the watchful eye of Master Jason Mayoh, 5th Dan.
The club represents the first dedicated accessible Taekwondo programme for people who draw on care and support, offering an adapted and welcoming experience for people who have learning disabilities or are autistic. With specially tailored weekly sessions, participants are getting fitter, developing their mobility and learning the fundamentals of a sport that they now love. The group has been described as “amazing fun” by Tauseef and “a great way to get fit and make friends” by Tony, two of its founding members.
Community Integrated Care is one of the UK’s largest charities – delivering more than 8 million hours of care and support annually. They work in the community, enriching the lives of people with many different care needs. It’s exciting and rewarding work, and they’re full of passion for what they do.
The charity is dedicated to enabling disabled communities to live the best life possible, overcoming the barriers that people who draw on care and support face. At the heart of this has been their pioneering work to unlock the power of sport in social care – developing accessible sporting programmes and major events and designing groundbreaking programmes that empower skills and confidence. With the charity receiving a host of national and international awards for its work, including the Best Community Scheme at the 2013 Sports Business Awards, British Taekwondo has a passionate partner to support its inclusion strategy.
Our Manchester Development officer, Sophie Jameson has been working with Community Integrated Care to create a new Taekwondo club.
“It’s been fantastic to create such a positive partnership with Community Integrated Care over the past year. From supporting us in improving our accessibility at last year’s Grand Prix in Manchester, to setting up their own Taekwondo club after some taster session, it’s been great to see the impact Taekwondo has had on some of the individuals and groups they support. The inclusivity of Taekwondo has allowed for participation barriers to be broken and created some incredible memories for everyone involved! I look forward to continuing to work alongside Community Integrated Care and seeing their new British Taekwondo club thrive!” Sophie commented.
Master Jason Mayoh 5th Dan, JM Taekwondo Club has worked with Community Integrated Care and commented:
“Working with the Community Integrated Care team has been one of the most rewarding roles I have done, to give such a wide range of adults with disabilities a chance to learn taekwondo in a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
I have been impressed by the impact my classes have had on the group and so much improvement has been made in all the areas that are most important…. fitness, self-confidence, motor skills, social engagement, mental strength.
Sessions have involved taekwondo drills, games, and team building exercises with lots of adaptive changes to make taekwondo something they can all try.”
John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, says: “We have been inspired by the commitment of British Taekwondo to ensure that their sport is accessible, inclusive and impactful. By working together to design a World Taekwondo Grand Prix in 2023 that had inclusion at its heart, we introduced many new first-time fans to this sport. It has been incredible to work with Sophie, Jason and the team to build on this success to design a new programme for people to discover and participate in this amazing sport.
“We are excited to continue to develop this partnership with British Taekwondo over the years ahead.”
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