Heathlands is the largest deaf school in the UK with a vision statement of ‘Be the best you can be’. Their participation in the Destination Deaflympics programme is testament to that vision through sport and activity as much as other academia.
The Have a Go Day fund was launched by UK Deaf Sport as part of their Destination Deaflympics programme. Subscribers who were already delivering Destination Deaflympics activities were able to apply for funding to provide an event which gave deaf young people a chance to come together and enjoy physical activity inspired by Deaflympic sport.
As a current deliverer of Destination Deaflympics, Heathlands applied to run a Have a Go Day to give their 13-16 year old pupils a chance to try out pickleball.
Have a Go at Pickleball!
Pickleball is a growing sport in the UK, and currently popular in the deaf community. It is seen as a gateway activity to the Deaflympic sports of badminton, tennis and table tennis.
The Have a Go Day funding provided indoor and outdoor pickleball equipment to allow students to learn the sport over a 4-week period. The playground was adapted to create 3 outdoor pickleball courts, and a league scoring system was used to motivate students with engagement and skills development.
The funding further budgeted for the hire of six courts at nearby Batchwood Indoor Tennis Centre, for a competitive Have a Go event.
The outcomes
A post-activity survey revealed most of the students who participated enjoyed learning and playing pickleball and found it a good workout. Equal numbers of boys and girls participated, with 21 of the 23 being BSL users.
Asked to reflect upon their experience, six students mentioned finding learning the playing and teamwork skills challenging. Most of them expressed a desire to continue to improve, with nearly half of participants stating they would join a pickleball at some point.
“Some students have asked me to organise this event again at least three times a year!” Neal Caws, PE Teacher
Future participation is key to the aims of the Destination Deaflympics programme. which looks to embed sports and activity as a long-term option for deaf young people. With this in mind, Heathlands has decided to embed pickleball into its PE lessons for all ages of deaf children, allowing them to learn and develop playing skills, increase fitness, agility and hand-eye coordination.
How to be a Part of Delivering Destination Deaflympics
There are currently 50,000 deaf children in the UK (National Deaf Children’s Society). For children who are less active, 43% of deaf children participate in no physical activity at all compared to 26% of children with no disability (Sport England, Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, 2024).
UK Deaf Sport’s vision is for every deaf person to be active and inspired by sport and physical activity. Their Destination Deaflympics programme creates just those opportunities for deaf young people aged 8-16 years, allowing them to try out new activities with friends and learn about the Deaflympics Games.
If you are a UK based deaf school, deaf resource base, deaf community or sports club, or an organisation engaging with deaf 8–16 year olds, you can learn more and sign up for free on our Destination Deaflympics page.
Have a Go Day Funding
Have a Go Fun Day funding is open to those already delivering Destination Deaflympics activities through the postal packs. You can learn more about the funding and read other case studies here.
If you are already a subscriber to the Destination Deaflympics programme you are likely to be eligible for Have a Go Day Funding.*
Learn more and apply by contacting Becky Price on becky.price@ukds.org.uk.
*Only postal pack subscribers are eligible for Have a Go Day funding.