Football charity Bloomsbury Football has partnered with Disability Awareness programme Learn with ESS to host an Inclusive Football Festival. This will take place on Thursday 6th July 2023 between 9:30am-2:00pm at Market Road Football Pitches.

This event is designed to be a fun, inclusive and safe space for young people with mild to moderate learning & sensory impairments as well as young people who are blind/visually impaired, to get on the pitch and experience the power of football. July's festival follows a successful Blind Football Festival that Bloomsbury Football x Learn with ESS hosted in December.

The goal of this event is to foster a life-long passion for sport, particularly football, for the young people attending. The festival will also have a longer-term impact, highlighting Bloomsbury Football’s regular inclusive football provision in the capital. The day aims to inspire and engage young people with all abilities and will be split into two events.

One half of the pitch will be used for a Visually Impaired football workshop with Learn with ESS and Azeem Amir (England International). This workshop will focus on the development of basic football skills, such as dribbling, passing and shooting. The other side of the pitch will be used to host an inclusive school's football tournament for young people from SEN and mainstream schools, with mild to moderate learning and sensory impairments. This tournament presents an opportunity for these young people to play in a competitive environment representing their school.

Schedule

• 9:15-10: CPD (Staff and interested adults are encouraged to attend where they will learn how to make football a more inclusive sport)
• 9:30-10: Young people arrive.
• 10-10:20: Introduction from Bloomsbury Football, Learn with ESS, Azeem Amir and Alex Brooker.
• 10:20-12:00: Morning session of football exercises and tournament matches.
• 12:00-12:40: Lunch + talk with Azeem Amir and Alex Brooker.
• 12:45-13:45: Afternoon session of football exercises and tournament matches.
• 13:45-14:00: Legacy

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About the organisations

Bloomsbury Football is a charity using the power of football to change the game for young people in London. They currently work with over 5,000 young people per week. A range of programmes and a financial assistance model ensures that every young person is welcome on the pitch. Learn with ESS was founded by blind footballer Azeem Amir and uses Education, Sport and Speaking- based activities to provide a unique and interactive team cohesion experience whilst addressing stigmatised issues surrounding disabilities.