Camden Disability Football Team played a friendly against Millwall FC’s inclusion team at the Lions’ Den just before Christmas

FOR many the biggest goal going into January is to be more active. And for the team from the London Inclusion Sports Academy (LISA) that means working hard behind the scenes to “drive health, togetherness and opportunity” forward for those who need it most.

That comes in the shape of providing free sessions for children and young people who may not find mainstream sports accessible, including those with intellectual disabilities, long-term health conditions and other complex needs and diagnoses.

There is already a packed programme in place across Camden, Islington and Westminster, with LISA hosting a wide range of activities from athletics, football and boxercise, to tennis and dance.

And that programme is about to get some exciting new additions with the upcoming launch of “Go! Go! Ninja!”, an innovative ninja training programme for children or young adults with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or supported by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The action-packed sessions will include urban sports – climbing, martial arts and parkour – laser tag, yoga, and boxercise, as well as mindfulness classes.

LISA was founded in March 2022 but the charity has roots that stretch out much further. Head of communities Tom Coughlan explained: “The team behind the scenes has been together for the best part of two decades. Originally we all volunteered, or played in, the North London Special League, which delivers football competition and training for young people and adults with learning disabilities and associated physical disabilities.

“The league taught us all how much inclusion sport does for Londoners. We made friends, got muddy, got healthy, got going, and learned to work as a team.

“Sport motivates us, and brings us together. And we have some amazing things lined up in 2024. We are on a mission to make London the leader in inclusion sport. It’s not difficult, we just need to support each other to get active.”

Already marked in the calender for 2024 is another big match day for the Camden Disability Football Team. They played a friendly against Millwall FC’s inclusion team on the Millwall Community Trust pitch at the Lions’ Den just before Christmas.

Tom added: “We took our ‘Special Olympics Squad’ down, and they battled to a very respectable 6-5 defeat, against a very physical, ‘Premier’ Millwall squad. We won the second fixture, which was against their whole squad.

“All the players really enjoyed themselves. We’re hoping to have more games against Millwall early this year, including a home match at the Talacre Community Sports Centre in Kentish Town, and then another big away day back at The Den.”

To find out more information about LISA and the projects being run in your area email: info@lisahub.org.uk