Our Impact - Timeline Stories

Eighty-six pupils from 12 schools had a ball as Panathlon held its first ever competition in South Wales.

Our annual figures show a stunning 20% increase in participation with a record 62,981 pupils with disabilities and special needs taking part in our sporting programmes in 2022/23.

Eighty-six pupils from 12 schools had an absolute ball as Panathlon held its first ever competition south of The Valleys.

Arsenal amputee player and former Panathlete, Isaac Addai, returns to volunteer as a leader at one of our competitions in North London – and says he “would not be the player I am today” without the opportunity to compete in sport at school given to him by Panathlon.

Panathlon won the ‘Sport for Social Change’ award at the Sports Journalists’ Association’s British Sports Awards at The Brewery in London.

November 2022 was officially Panathlon’s biggest ever month of sporting activity as we staged 142 events in 22 school days across England and Wales.

Panathlon releases its annual participation figures for 2021/22 which show a record 52,476 young people participated in our sporting competitions from 2,078 schools in 758 events across 42 English counties and seven unitary areas of Wales.

Panathlon forged a partnership with Greenwood Academies Trust that will open up sporting opportunities to thousands of SEND pupils across its 37 primary, secondary and special academies.

Panathlon joins with multiple partners to serve up tennis sessions for adults with disabilities and special needs at Pocklington Tennis Club in East Yorkshire.

Great Britain star Michael McCabe tells us he “may never have become a wheelchair racer” if Panathlon hadn’t given him the opportunity to fall in love with sport” at school.

With lockdowns over, Panathlon participation booms in many areas of the country with our pathway of local, county and regional returning. Cumbria is one of many rapid growth areas.

Panathlon records its biggest ever month with an astounding 5081 pupils with disabilities and special needs taking part in our competitions in March.

Our post-Covid ‘blended’ approach of delivering external and in-school activity engages well over 28,000 SEND pupils in its first full term – bucking national trends of declining participation amongst people with disabilities and special needs.

Easing of Covid restrictions enables external competitions to return for the new academic year, running alongside the in-school Virtual programme. A staggering 18,000 pupils enter in the first half-term alone!

New independent research says Panathlon showed ingenuity and agility in swiftly changing its delivery model to get SEND pupils active during the pandemic.

Our end-of-year stats show 45,845 SEND pupils from 583 schools accessed sport and physical activity in 2020/21 despite the ravages of Covid-19 – proof of the astounding success of our Virtual programme.

We build on the success of the in-school ‘virtual’ activity by adding swimming, cricket and tennis to our programme, empowering school staff to adapt and deliver sessions themselves to suit their pupils’ needs.

Panathlon re-launches its multi-skills challenges for students to do in their homes and gardens in order to stay active and engaged during Covid-19 lockdowns and school holidays.

Panathlon launches its post-Covid ‘virtual’ in-school competition format, with over 300 schools taking part in its first term

At a launch at Stockwell Park School, in Kate Hoey MP’s constituency, the Chair of Sport England, Sir Trevor Brooking, sees Panathlon in action alongside sponsor Royal & Sun Alliance

Twenty-one cyclists make it from London to Paris over four days covering 276 miles. It was the latest fundraising adventure by Woodland Group, based in Chelmsford, who have supported Panathlon since 2011