Every year, December 3rd represents International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), a day dedicated to highlighting the challenges faced and the obstacles overcome by the millions of people worldwide living with a disability.

At The Wheelchair Football Association (WFA), celebrating diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values and we are unequivocally committed to providing inclusive opportunities for people to access the sport of powerchair football. 

This IDPWD, we want to showcase Farnham PFC – England’s newest powerchair football club, providing far-reaching disability football opportunities in the county of Surrey. 

Upon moving to Surrey in late 2019, Hannah Grieg acknowledged the lack of powerchair football opportunities in Surrey, explaining that the nearest activity was Reading, Portsmouth or Crystal Palace, all of which were equally challenging to access. Getting in contact with The WFA, Hannah explained that her 9-year-old son had played powerchair football occasionally with the Jorvik Warriors in York and how beneficial the social and sporting elements were to him. She explained that “travelling for over an hour to access training just wasn’t possible”.

Following the lengthy disruption to football caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for disabled people to access sports in Surrey were limited, so Hannah wanted to explore the possibility of creating a powerchair football club within the area.  With liaison and guidance from The WFA, Hannah introduced Andrew Hall to the project, who brought a wealth of knowledge, having coached football locally for many years.

Andrew’s invaluable advice helped guide the project and formulate a working plan to establish provision. An essential step in that plan was enlisting the assistance of the local County Football Association. In this instance, Surrey County FA’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Eve Roberts, played a crucial role.

Steps were then taken to gauge local interest, locate equipment and identify a suitable venue for The WFA to deliver a taster session. Despite having stringent COVID-19 restrictions in place, the initial festival delivered in July 2021 was an overwhelming success. Three further festivals supported by The WFA in August 2021, November 2021 and March 2022 helped shift the narrative from singular powerchair football opportunities to the foundation of a thriving club. Following these sessions, with the assistance of Eve Roberts, a committee structure was established with roles for willing volunteers.

Adam McEvoy, WFA National Development Manager, said:

“Farnham PFC are the perfect example of how a powerchair club can flourish and grow in a relatively short time.

By creating a solid club structure, utilising willing parents and working with local partners, the Club has grown from strength to strength thanks to everyone’s collective efforts. From nothing to securing a venue, equipment, and funding, Farnham are now competing in their local regional league in less than 18 months, which is fantastic. We are confident that the Club will continue to provide excellent opportunities for people in Surrey for years to come.”

Since her initial enquiry, Hannah, Andrew & Eve have been key drivers in creating Farnham PFC. Currently serving as the Club’s Welfare Officer, Hannah is responsible for managing and reporting safeguarding concerns and putting procedures in place to safeguard people at the Club. Eve operates as the Farnham PFC’s Chairperson, overseeing the Club Committee and assisting in securing grants, and Andrew is Club Treasurer, responsible for organising the Club’s Constitution, Bank Account, and general finance. 

Ryan Sipple, WFA National Development Officer, said: 

“Despite the significant disruption caused to disability football by the COVID-19 pandemic, the collective effort of everyone at Farnham PFC has demonstrated the cohesive power that football has to bring people back together. 

Help and guidance from surrounding teams and players have supported Farnham with coaching, funding and equipment, showcasing the very best of the powerchair football community. A particular thank you is owed to Steve Baxter, Gregg Baxter, Tom Kelly & Bobby Williams, who have all supported Farnham PFC over the last 18 months.”

Sue Barnley, Farnham PFC Club Secretary, said:

“We struggled to find an inclusive sport that my son Harry could participate in. Having heard about a  Farnham-based Powerchair Football Festival in July 2021, we immediately got involved and have loved it ever since. Now, we have weekly training sessions with eight other people who regularly attend. Most of our players haven’t had an opportunity to participate in a team sport before, so it’s amazing to see them all coming together and improving week after week.”

Since Sue’s introduction to powerchair football, she has worked tirelessly to support the establishment and growth of the club. As well as being a player parent, Sue is the Club’s Secretary. Within this role, she carries out and delegates all the administrative duties that enable the Club and its members to function effectively. Sue has also played a vital role in locating a suitable, accessible venue to train as well as working to secure critical funds and grants.

This invaluable work helped Farnham PFC secure funding from the National Lottery, enabling the Club to set up secure storage facilities for its powerchairs within the school where training takes place. For more information about their recent National Lottery funding, read the article below: 

https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/life-changing/project-farnham-powerchair-football-club

Tom Barnley, another key figure at the Club, plays a key role in maintaining and managing all of the sports-specific powerchairs used in the sport. This involves general maintenance, ensuring all the chairs are charged, operational and safe to use. When competing at the South East Powerchair Football League, Tom drives the van, which collects all powerchairs from their secure storage, transports them to the League venue and returns them after.  

Farnham PFC currently has a live Go Fund Me Page dedicated to raising funds towards equipment, venue hire and chair transportation. For more information or to donate, visit the link below: 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/farnham-powerchair-football-club-startup-campaign

This funding has allowed Farnham PFC to deliver weekly training sessions. Training is held every Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Farnham Heath End School, Hale Reeds, Farnham GU9 9BN. Coaching is delivered by Dave Howard, Farnham PFC Captain and Kelly May, a Teaching Assistant at Heath End School.

Barney – Farnham PFC Player:

“I love Powerchair football – it’s so nice not to be the only one in a wheelchair, and I really like being in a team. I’m improving and look forward to going to train every weekend!”

Siri – Player Parent:

“Barney has been playing Powerchair football for about six months now. It’s been fantastic for him to partake in a team sport. Before this, he was the token mascot or cheerleader- now he’s fully involved. It’s been great for building key skills such as teamwork and communication. It’s been great seeing him grow in confidence.

I love attending the league matches – it’s truly inclusive and diverse with players of all ages, disabilities and genders playing together.”

Becky – Player Parent:

“Archie only started powerchair football earlier this year and as one of the team’s youngest members. We thought it might take him a while to settle in, however, he has taken to it so quickly and to see his beaming face every time he plays is incredible. Archie has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, so he rarely has the opportunity to play team sports competitively; powerchair football has changed this entirely. He now trains and competes with similarly abled people in an incredibly supportive environment; for him and us, this means the world.”