CP Awareness Month 

March is CP Awareness month, which is dedicated to the 17 million people diagnosed with cerebral palsy around the world. CP Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about cerebral palsy.

About cerebral palsy and our work

Cerebral palsy affects many people in the UK and is more common than some people realise. Around 2-2.5 in every 1000 children in the UK are born with cerebral palsy and there are an estimated 30,000 children with cerebral palsy in the UK.

At CP Sport we encourage people with cerebral palsy to live more active lives by promoting the opportunity, capability and motivation involved in taking part in sport and physical activities. We work in partnership with local, regional and national partners to provide and promote physical activity that is accessible and enjoyable. We have over 500 clubs listed on our free Club Finder which can be found here: https://cpsport.org/club-finder/

Why physical activity is important

Being physically active is life enhancing. It provides mental, social, and physical benefits which can include increased confidence, motivation and friendships. People with cerebral palsy have told us that regular sport can make a big impact on balance, grip and movement.

Barriers to activity for disabled people have long existed however the Covid-19 pandemic hit this group hard leaving disabled people disproportionately affected. We need to make sure barriers are broken down so that people with cerebral palsy are not left behind, are able to access opportunities and take part in physical activity locally and regularly.

We have created a series of videos for CP Awareness Month which feature participants, parents, sponsors and volunteers and help to show exactly why sport and our community is so important. Visit our You Tube page here. 

 

 Take a look at research on disabled people and activity levels from Sport England and Activity Alliance.

What we can do to support more people with cerebral palsy to be active

  • We can create awareness and reach more people with cerebral palsy through our campaigns
  • Provide and promote sport and activity opportunities for people with cerebral palsy at a local and national level
  • Provide expert specialist support and resources for parents and sport providers
  • Use our voice to influence change for the benefit of disabled people

In 2021 CP Sport held 60 events in person and virtually across the country supporting almost a thousand participants, creating a friendly and welcoming community with the support of volunteers and partners. In 2022, CP Sport is working to develop regional hubs so that more local opportunities become available.

 Increased accessibility and choice are crucial steps in enabling people with cerebral palsy to take part in activity but we need you support to make this happen.  

In 2022 get involved in supporting CP Sport

In March 2022 £5, 377 was raised through our ’31 Miles This March’ challenge!

Here are some simple ways that you can help and make a difference:

  1. Do you have a publication coming up? Talk about your involvement with CP Sport and people with cerebral palsy.
  2. ‘Go Green’ for cerebral palsy (wear green, the recognised colour for cp awareness) for a day and make a donation to CP Sport: DONATE
  3. Buy an item from our shop: SHOP
  4. Take part in our upcoming EVENTS. We have places in the Great Run Series, Superhero Series and Virtual London Marathon 2022. 

 

Accessibility by WAH