Playtime: Fun and games with Actionnaires

By Kim Haskins

Have you got a sense of fun and a desire to help blind and partially-sighted children achieve both physically and emotionally? If so, the Actionnaires clubs want your involvement.

Run by the charity Action for Blind People, Actionnaires clubs are multi-sports clubs for visually impaired eight to 16 year-olds. There are currently around 20 clubs in England, with the number set to increase over the next couple of years.

The type of sports available varies from club to club, as do numbers of children and volunteers.

"The children decide which sports to do at the clubs," explains Colin Vince, Sports Development Manager at Action for Blind People. "Although, with 10 to 15 children per club, you can't always provide what everyone wants. But we do try to be democratic about it. For example, we might do three weeks of cricket and climbing followed by three weeks of football and archery. Professional sports coaches are employed to teach each sport properly. Where swimming pools are available, we aim to get the children to go swimming every week. Because of the safety aspect of involving blind or partially-sighted children in water-based activities, extra support from volunteers in the pool is particularly helpful here."

Cheering on champions

Many of the young people who join the Actionnaires clubs don't have much previous experience of sport. "Unfortunately, blind or partially-sighted children can feel very excluded from sports in their everyday lives," says Colin. "This can often be down to lack of relevant sporting facilities and suitable equipment for blind and partially-sighted children in schools."

Lack of confidence and awareness of the potential abilities of visually-impaired young people can also be a hindrance, but through Actionnaires the members are not only encouraged to develop their physical strength but also to develop their sporting interest and sense of independence.

The project is also currently working with potential Paralympians. There are very few visually-impaired British Paralympians at the moment, but Colin is confident that if you volunteer at an Actionnaires club there's a chance you could be supporting national champions of the future: "Many of our members - with the right guidance and training in particular sports - would stand a very good chance of representing Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics."

What can you do for Actionnaires?

"Volunteers are very much part of the infrastructure of what we do," explains Colin. "We like to get four or five volunteers to assist at every club – although at the moment the Huddersfield club has about 16."

There's no age limit for volunteers, and you don't need to worry if you've got the sporting ability of a plank of wood, either. All you have to do to apply is set aside three hours or so per week to volunteer (the amount of time will vary from club to club), undergo a CRB check and fill out an application form. All volunteers receive induction training and are continuously supported by the experienced sports coordinators who are employed to oversee and manage each club's weekly activities.

"We encourage parents to volunteer as well," says Colin. "We have some very helpful and pro-active parents. Even so, we recognise that some children develop better at sports when their parents step back a bit and aren't quite so involved. It's important to strike the right balance so that we can still promote independence in the children."

"We get people of all ages volunteering at Actionnaires, from students upwards. Experience of sports or working with children isn't essential, but we're interested in investing in our volunteers' skills if they're likely to benefit the clubs and children. For example, if a volunteer wants to go on a course to help boost their sports coaching abilities or skills for working with disabled people, we may consider funding their training."

Colin is enthusiastic about the positive impact Actionnaires clubs can have on volunteers: "This is an innovative and fun project, with plenty of variety for everyone involved. Working with blind and partially-sighted children is extremely rewarding and offers a particularly valuable experience to anyone interested in pursuing a career in sports coaching or working with disabled people."

Search the do-it.org.uk database to find out where you can volunteer at an Actionnaires club near you, or for other opportunities offered by Action for Blind People.

quick search