The latest member of the IMAS Training team Ella Sky has recently had an article published in the Somerset Recovery College Magazine. Ella who proclaims on her Facebook page that she is "Autistic and Proud" brings a new skill set to the weekly IMAS...
We are delighted to announce that Pamplona-based Iruña Rugby Club has become our latest Mixed Ability Accredited club! The accreditation plaque was presented yesterday in Pamplona, with high-profile city and sports personalities of attending the ceremony which was...
Anthony Brooke a huge rugby fan from Bradford had always wanted to play the sport, but on approaching clubs was offered the position of water boy or encouraged to play tag rugby due to his learning and physical disabilities. In 2008 in an adult social skills class...
By Dr. Jen Dyer It is widely recognised that disabled people often face barriers to participating in sport and, particularly, in mainstream sport. In fact, it has been noted that sports ‘infrastructure’ is set up to encourage separation of disability sport rather...
With new Mixed Ability activities beginning to spring up in Lancashire and the North West, IMAS were thrilled to be approached by Bidston Sports Ability (BSA) recently. BSA director Peter Jones explained “we run tons of activities out of Wirral Tennis and Sports...
With health inequalities related to disabilities remaining stark and entrenched, it’s no surprise that health outcomes for disabled people tend to be poorer through more preventable chronic and secondary conditions, avoidable hospitalisations, and higher rates of...
Mixed Ability rugby includes both disabled and non-disabled participants playing full-contact rugby within a mainstream club environment. Playing to the 'just another team' ethos all players are members of the club, train weekly and participate in fixtures. The...
IMAS is incredibly pleased to welcome on board two new Ambassadors who have extraordinary experience in promoting inclusion through rowing! Cristina Ansaldi and Mark Dewdney are two internationally renowned coaches in the para-rowing scene, who over the years have...
IMAS is delighted to announce our support for the Ability Rugby International (ARI) championship. This is a cross-border competition built on the Mixed Ability principles of inclusion and diversity, and open to any Mixed Ability rugby side, male or female, from...
IMAS is delighted to announce that Barry Horne MBE has joined the IMAS Board and the Mixed Ability family! Barry is the Chief Executive of Activity Alliance, the National charity which works to get more disabled people active across England. Over the past 12 years,...
The International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament (IMART) is the world cup for Mixed Ability rugby teams. After the incredible success of the 2022 edition in Cork, IMAS is seeking new expressions of interest from clubs, unions, cities, or other parties to host the...
IMAS and Mixed Ability Sports Ireland are incredibly excited to unveil the official Mixed Ability Week and International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament 2022 photobook as part of the event legacy programme. Following the incredible success of a week of fully...
New clubs achieve accreditation. Two community clubs of very different sizes and sports were recently recognised for their dedication to inclusion through their Mixed Ability offers. People’s Park Bowls in Grimsby, supported by 2020 Community Sport have established...
Two pioneering clubs and their journeys to becoming fully inclusive. Picturesque Bingley St Ives golf club in West Yorkshire overlooks the Aire Valley, a route to the beautiful Yorkshire dales. The club has come together with International Mixed Ability Sports...
Since 2019, IMAS has provided experiential learning opportunities for healthcare students and practitioners. The placements have been shown to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support disabled patients. This is crucial in reducing the...
The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent an urgent call for action and are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There are clear links between IMAS work and the SDGs. Exploring these links is important given the...
Erasmus+. Yes of course! That was my answer when I was asked to participate in the Mixed Ability Rugby for All (MIXAR) project back in 2018. Being able to go abroad and learn from like-minded people, who wouldn't want to do that? As you notice I was immediately...
Cannons and Dynamite blast a road to inclusion in the South East. When Matt Kuhn and Medway RFC President Mark Marriott attended the England Rugby Mitsubishi Volunteer of the Year Award in August 2021, they couldn't have foreseen how a conversation with players...
On Wednesday 21st September, IMAS Trainers Bronte and Cam attended an online meeting with the House of Lords, to discuss how sport can be made more inclusive and accessible for young people. This blog is a selection of excerpts from the meeting transcript. We’d...
Ever since Anthony Brooke founded the Bumbles RUFC in 2009, asserting his right to play full contact rugby, Mixed Ability has grown across the globe and across a wide range of sports. From rugby to rowing, bowls to basketball, grassroots sports clubs are...
