North Devon's Penguin Sports Foundation provides sport for children with disabilities

The Penguin Sports Foundation provides therapeutic activity in the form of aquatic physiotherapy and accessible sport for children with physical disabilities in North Devon and beyond.

The foundation was created by Gemma Rous, a qualified paediatric physiotherapist with an interest in neurodisability and a background in competitive athletics. She explained that she saw some running frames at a therapy exhibition in 2021 and wanted to give children an opportunity to try them.

A running frame is a three wheeled frame with a saddle, body support and, most notably, no pedals. The rider finds a running/propulsion style suitable for them. Frame running will also make its debut in the Paralympics in Los Angeles 2028.

The frames allow any child or young person with a disability to experience the sensation of speed, exhilaration and freedom of running.

Gemma said: “I arranged a little bit of a trial day with a couple of frames and it was quite successful. I then got a quote together for ideas of costs and had a bit of a ‘golden fleece’ moment. I applied for some funding from Devon County Council and Sport England and ended up getting both of those grants.

“We funded four frames initially, and then we started the frame running club in 2022.

“At the same time, I had started to develop a hydrotherapy service - water-based physiotherapy - which was initially funded by a local businessman. The two things were running in parallel, both taking up a lot of my time, so I had the idea to try and bring these things together under a bit of an umbrella, which became the Penguin Sports Foundation.”

The name ‘Penguin’ was chosen to reflect the unique way every child finds to propel themselves. Last year around 200 young people aged 0-16 were supported by the charity.

The Penguin Sports Foundation believes that getting involved in a healthy and rewarding activity with peers is a great way to develop a positive relationship with sport. It also helps children and young people to establish and maintain a lifelong love of movement. 

It is, said Gemma, hugely satisfying to run the charity. “I love just seeing the joy on the kids' faces, and sometimes the parents' faces as well, when the children are able to do something that they didn't think was possible,” she said. “So getting a child out of a wheelchair into the frame for the first time, and seeing them run at speed, is so rewarding.

“I remember one little girl who's been coming for a long time and is able to sort of ‘run away’ from her parent or her carer instead of having to be in the chair, and a little bit dictated to where she goes by who's moving her chair. She could just go off and be free. And I think it's that sense of freedom and exhilaration they get from just being able to be completely independent.

“Like any other kid, like anyone else, and I think we take movement so much for granted.”

The spread-out nature of North Devon means that accessing sport can be a challenge for some children with disabilities and their families. Accessing suitable facilities can also be difficult, especially for those in the remotest areas. 

Gemma added: “We try to use facilities that are accessible and adaptive already. And our big dream would be to have our own centre one day, where it's bespoke for what all these families need, really. 

“And then time and cost can sometimes be a little barrier. A lot of our families would have direct payments, such as disability living allowance, which they would be able to use for the finances. So we hope that's not too big a barrier.”

In addition to funding from BBC Children in Need, The Penguin Sports Foundation receives grants from a number of large organisations, including the Clare Milne Trust, the Sports Foundation for the Disabled, Tesco and smaller groups such as Rotary clubs. Users also make a small payment, about 10 per cent of the cost of the session.

Anyone can take part in the frame running sessions, but for the one-to-one hydrotherapy, an initial assessment is required, ideally from a health or social care professional, to ensure that it is appropriate.

Looking ahead, the Penguin Sports Foundation is keen to work more closely with schools, and is developing a programme called Adaptive Athletics. “We have worked with Pathfield School and Kingsley Grenville Centre and done some Adaptive Athletics sessions for some of the children with SEN needs, and they've been really, really successful,” said Gemma. “We have some funding from England Athletics and Active Devon specifically to do those grassroots sessions.

“It's something that worked really well, bringing the children to the athletics track within the school day, breaking down some of those transportation barriers, and adding a new activity to the PE curriculum. So we are hoping to develop that further with schools, to get the frames used more, so they're not sitting unused for six days a week. And we’re hoping this may morph into other activities as well.”

The foundation is also hoping to expand its offering to include ‘rebound therapy’, which uses trampolines, and paddle boarding.

You can find out more about the Penguin Sports Foundation online at  https://thepenguinsportsfoundation.co.uk/