Cookies help our website to remember you and your preferences. For more information or to update your cookie settings, please go to our privacy policy.

Accept Decline
Skip to content.

The national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity

Menu. Open and close this menu with the ENTER key.

Active Summer Fun: 'There are so many other things you can gain from taking part'

A new participation campaign created by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and National Disability Sport Organisations (NDSOs) is encouraging more disabled people to find out and play out over summer. Active Summer Fun -#ActiveSummerFun on social media - is an exciting new campaign that aims to support more disabled people to find ways to be active during the warmer months.

This summer we will be talking to various disabled people or those who deliver activities that include disabled people. We hear how they are expecting the next few months to be very busy!

Today, Claire Stancliffe, an international deaf footballer from Northampton, talks to us. She tells us about playing the game from a very young age, targeting success but remembering to have fun.

Active Summer Fun campaign banner with two deaf players signing to each other

Claire’s Active Summer Fun:

My parents are big football fans. Where I used to live, there was an enormous park right in front of our house.

Every day I was out in the park or the garden kicking a ball around with my friends. Then as soon as a girls' football team was started primary school I played for them, as well as the boys team.

So, having started playing at a very young age, I’ve been a footballer for roughly 21 years. And recently, as a 26-year-old, I have taken up futsal too.

At this time of year I have football training twice a week for roughly four hours at a time, a futsal match for 50 minutes and an 11-a-side match which is roughly two hours including warm-up activities.

Soon I will be adding more sessions to focus on strength and conditioning to help me prepare for Champions League Deaf Futsal 2016 and Deaflympics 2017.

Having just competed in the European Deaf Football Championships in June, I have had a bit of a break over this summer. But I have signed for Northampton Town Ladies FC, so I will be training with them and playing regularly. My next competition will be in February 2016 which is the Champions League Deaf Futsal taking place in Huelva, Spain.

Whenever I am playing sport or exercising I feel free. It’s like I don’t need to hear to do what I’m doing and I am in my own little world. And, of course, playing sport and exercising makes me feel fit and healthy.

And there are so many other things you can gain from taking part in sport and physical activity. For one thing, you can meet new people and improve your social skills, which can in turn increase your confidence.

Any opportunity you get to try a sport, go and have a go, even if it’s something you have never thought of doing. You never know, you just might like it.

YFind out more about Active Summer Fun. Find out and play out this summer. UK Deaf Sport encourages people who are deaf or hard of hearing to participate, enjoy and excel at sport.