23 June
No one left on the bench: Aurora Meldreth Manor students enjoy day of inclusive sport
Students from Aurora Meldreth Manor School enjoyed a memorable day of inclusive sport after taking part in PowerHouseGames at Saracens Rugby Stadium.
Organised by Pastoral Assistant, Stacey Freeman, 12 students aged 12 to 15 joined around 70 young people from both mainstream and specialist schools for a morning of adapted sports designed to ensure everyone could take part and have fun.
Founded by John Willis, who was born without fully formed arms and legs, PowerHouseGames is built around the motto, "No one is left on the bench." The events bring people together through inclusive sport, with no winners or losers – just teamwork, encouragement and plenty of fun.
The morning started with an opening ceremony, where founder John Willis spoke about his own experiences growing up with a disability and why he created PowerHouseGames. His message was simple: everyone deserves the chance to enjoy sport and be part of a team.
Students were then split into 12 mixed teams alongside children from both mainstream and specialist schools. With volunteers and staff on hand throughout the day, everyone was encouraged to get involved and supported to take part with confidence.
The students tried a range of activities, many of which were completely new to them, including walking rugby, sitting volleyball, goalball, boccia, walking football and sitting netball.
For some students, taking part meant overcoming significant challenges. For one student, Samuel, spending the day with so many unfamiliar faces was a big step, but with support from staff and the event organisers, he threw himself into the activities and especially enjoyed the walking rugby.
Stacey said: "Samuel was smiling from ear to ear all day. He really got involved and overcame challenges. It was wonderful to see."
Another student initially found the sitting netball session difficult and chose to sit out. However, towards the end of the activity, he found the confidence to join in. After picking up the ball and scoring a basket, he was met with cheers from students and staff across the event.
"It was lovely to see everyone supporting him," said Stacey. "It really gave him confidence and showed him that he was part of something special."
After the games, students and staff enjoyed packed lunches together before heading home, reflecting on a day filled with new experiences and plenty of smiles.
"It was a really wonderful experience for all our learners." Stacey
Stacey said: "Coming to a new venue, meeting lots of new people and taking part in activities they had never tried before was a big thing for many of them. They all got on board, took part and had a wonderful time."
The experience was such a success that Stacey has already organised for younger students from Meldreth Manor School to take part in another PowerHouseGames event next month.
Inspired by the day, the school will also be introducing some of the adapted activities into its upcoming sports day. Stacey is continuing to create opportunities for students to connect with the wider community, with plans including an athletics event and even a visit from a Peterborough football player for a special penalty shootout session.
"It was a really exciting day!" Student
