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Reach Learning Disability announce annual Big Give Christmas Challenge ‘Let’s Move’ aiming to remove barriers for people with learning disabilities to keep fit and healthy

05:00, 30 October 2024

A charity is aiming to raise £52,000 to help empower adults with learning disabilities to lead happier, healthier, and more active lives.

Reach Learning Disability, which has bases in Southwell, Newark, and Mansfield, has announced it is to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

The Big Give is a national matched funding campaign where donations to charity can be doubled for one week only — from December 3 to 10.

Melissa, a client of Reach Newark, has shared the importance of keeping fit and access to sports.
Melissa, a client of Reach Newark, has shared the importance of keeping fit and access to sports.

This year, Reach’s campaign is ‘Let’s Move’, and has a focus on removing barriers which can prevent people with learning disabilities from keeping fit and healthy.

Melissa has been coming to Reach Newark and taking part in the drama group since 2019, and has more recently progressed to help coordinate and deliver sporting activities.

She is also involved with Reach’s Voice and Participation Group and understands the important link between physical activity, keeping fit, and improving health and wellbeing.

“Sports is good for people as helps them to keep fit,” she said.

“We (Reach Newark) would like to do more cricket, rounders, basketball and football. We go to the local leisure centre as well, we use parachutes and balls, and do an obstacle course.”

These activities provide a great way for people with learning disabilities to improve coordination, teamwork, social skills, and keep fit — but they often aren’t available without the support from an organisation like Reach.

Charlie Williams, Reach’s Southwell day service lead, added: “Through my years of experience working at Reach, I know many of the people we support lead lives with little or no exercise.

“Why is it so difficult to stay active? For many, the barriers are immense: living on low incomes, inaccessible local facilities, or lacking reliable transport.

“However, it’s not just about resources. It’s about confidence, fear, and safety. The fear of harassment, feeling out of place, or simply not knowing where to start.”

Donations to Reach’s Big Give Christmas Challenge will go towards weekly sports, fitness and exercise opportunities at it’s five centres, opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to become sports mentors, and new challenge activities, outings and sports taster sessions.

The £52,000 target will help the charity enable 150 adults with learning disabilities to increase their weekly activity and reduce risk of avoidable poor health, feel more confident to keep active at home, and try new sports.

To support Reach’s Let’s Move appeal, sign up to the charity’s reminder service by contacting Sarosha on sarosha.byrne@reachuk.org.

The fundraiser will go live on December 3, and ideas for you can get involved and help raise vital funds can be found on Reach’s website.

It could be anything from a Christmas quiz to a festive jumper day — and every donation counts.

A £20 donation, doubled to £40, could pay for a two hour movement class, or a £50 donation matched to £100 could help buy new fitness equipment.

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