Panathlon’s Deaf football event at Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool saw local authority Deaf Impairment leads calling Panathlon Deaf events “a fabulous experience for children who can often feel isolated.”
Julie Croft, Wirral Council’s deaf lead, comments: “Panathlon is still the only provider of Deaf school sport across the north-west. The impact lies in getting children out so they feel less isolated in school. Most deaf children are, even in their own schools in different year groups, so events that Panathlon run enables them to communicate across year groups and establish their own identities.”
Lyndsey Hignett, teacher of the Deaf for Halton and Widnes, concurs, adding that Deaf children need to be around their own peers, to extend their worlds, which reduces isolation. She sees the Panathlon Deaf events as developing their deaf identity, establishing friendships, with boys and girls together in team environments, and helping to release pressures on their mental health.
Lyndsey sees Panathlon’s own James Dixon as a perfect Deaf role model, having developed his own identity which children relate to, seeing his experiences and the roles in which he contributes to society.
She also says: “Our children love it at these competitions. They love the competitive nature of it but it’s also about meeting other children.”
Sarah Elms from the Trafford Council Deaf team sees Panathlon also as a break from the mainstream load of learning, communicating amongst their peers: some children are reluctant to wear their applications within mainstream but here they see others and feel OK about it!
Sarah says one of her pupils , Oliver, is an example: “His mother says that he is the happiest child he can be on the morning of a Panathlon Deaf event. It allows him a sense of freedom to be among his peers and be able to feel connected to his peer group.” Again Oliver sees James as a role model.
“Everybody can be involved here and they can feel that sense of competition and team spirit. Their achievement will be celebrated in the school to recognise their talent in a sporting capacity – a feeling they won’t be used to.
“They are a minority in mainstream schools so to come and interact with a whole hall full of other deaf children is so valuable for them.”
Panathlon thanks the Ovingdean Hall Foundation for support of their Deaf programme.
