'It's more than what happens on the pitch'

BARTON Inclusive Football Club was founded in 2019 to give a space and opportunity for individuals with additional needs or long term mental health difficulties.

- By DONNA CLIFFORD

The club is made up of more than 300 players and 50 volunteers and we headed along to the training session with their pan-disability teams and walking football team to meet the inspirational and dedicated people behind this successful club.

Founder Sophie Bartup explained how it all began and what they're achieving: “While at the University of Lincoln I was really lucky to volunteer at a local disability football club which really shaped my philosophy and understanding of sport. I’ve always been very lucky to have the opportunities within sport that have helped shape the individual I am so when I moved back home after finishing university I was really keen to continue my involvement within disability football.

“At that time there wasn’t any within Barton so with support from the community and existing clubs we set up Barton Inclusive Football Club, initially as a pilot to see if there was a need for it and we very quickly realised we needed to increase our number of teams and increase our number of volunteers.

“We have grown and grown to 16 teams and we continue to grow. What's really special now is that we have a pathway for our players to become coaches and volunteers. We provide a bespoke, structured pathway that’s person centred to allow that individual to give back and utilise their skills, we embrace them for who they are and we've had some real success stories.”

She said: “BIFC was set up for individuals who are neurodiverse and individuals who have physical disabilities to play in a meaningful football environment. It’s more than what happens on the pitch with the football, it’s what happens off pitch too. The friendships that have developed, the increase in individuals' confidence, the increase in self esteem.