By Faye Hackwell

An Ashford-based football club for children with complex disabilities have partnered with the national campaign Her Game Too.

Ashford Sensory Football Club are breaking down the barriers that often prevent disabled children from taking part in sport by providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for them to enjoy football with their families.

Sensory football removes the tactics and rules that can sometimes make the game too complex for children and adults with disabilities to follow, and involves specially-adapted sessions using the skills, drills and fun elements of the game.

Ashford Sensory Football Club run specially-adapted sessions for young people with two or more disabilities to attend with their relatives and carers at the Stour Centre, where they can enjoy playing games and using sensory equipment, such as balls with different textures, sounds and colours.

The sessions are open to both girls and boys and coached by female volunteers with expertise in working with children with special educational needs.

The club have now become a partner of Her Game Too, a campaign run by female football fans that fights against gender discrimination and promotes football as a game for all through events, promoting opportunities for women and girls in the sport, positive messaging and celebrating female achievement.

Emma Oram, coach and secretary of Ashford Sensory Football Club, said: “We are excited and honoured to partner with Her Game Too.

“The campaign’s values align perfectly with ours, as we believe in making football accessible for all and are proud to be removing barriers like gender and ability by being truly inclusive.

“Our girls and boys are unable to access traditional sports clubs, and for most this is the only physical activity they can be a part of.”

Ashford Sensory Football Club are supported by the charity Sense, which has created a range of programmes reimagining sports disabled children and adults are often unable take part in - including football, tennis, badminton, snooker and rounders.

Oram and her fellow coach Laura Smith are keen to help lead the way by encouraging others to set up sensory football groups in their local areas, so more children who might otherwise miss out can find a home in football.

“At our end-of-season party, we were overwhelmed to see the faces of the children receiving their trophies,” said Oram.

“For most, these were their first ever team sports awards, while their siblings may have a whole shelf of awards.

“We are specially-trained to be able to deliver the skills underpinning football in a truly child-centred way, from using British Sign Language, to wheelchair accessible goals, to special sensory footballs - including spiky, light up, and even scented ones!

“Myself and Laura are two females with a passion for the beautiful game.

“We are supported by a mum and a dad of some of the children who attend, who we are training up as coaches, and our two young coaches, my youngest daughter Ruby and Laura's eldest son Callum.

“We have learned so much from the children and families who attend and the parents get to join in too, which in turn builds up a support network for them and develops the bonds between them - as they can have fun knowing their children are relaxed, happy and safe to be themselves.

“For many families, finding out their child has a complex disability can be a lonely situation as they are faced with thinking about all the things their children can't do, and for a lot of families football is an important shared interest.

“Our vision at Ashford Sensory Football Club is that we can be pivotal in showing that there are groups out there for their children, and there is a way for their children to become football fans - no matter their gender or their disability.”

Lucy Ford, Her Game Too director, said: “We are delighted to be partnering up with Ashford Sensory Football Club.

“Football is a game for all, and the work Ashford Sensory Football Club is doing to provide opportunities to people who may not get a chance to play otherwise is really important and something we want to support at Her Game Too.”

Ashford Sensory Football Club hold sessions for three-to-six-year-olds on Thursdays from 5-6pm and for children over six on Fridays from 5-6pm.

For more information about Ashford Sensory Football Club, visit the club’s Facebook page or email ashfordsensoryfootball@gmail.com