COVERED SPRING 2020

35 @TRENTBRIDGE disability bowling at someone in a wheelchair – and they’re able to have a proper game between them thanks to Super 1s,” says Redfern. “We might swap the wooden cricket bat for a plastic one or a tennis racquet, but there’s always a way to tailor it so that anybody can get involved. “We’ve had people with one hand – or even no hands – taking part in our sessions, and when you see what they’re capable of you can’t help but come away feeling inspired.” Super 1s’ influence stretches far beyond the cricket pitch and the friendships formed on it. Lifestyle workshops aim to set attendees up for a healthy life – something which Redfern admits can be a challenge. “I used to work in disability cricket for the ECB, and one of my players was a teenager who ate far too many crisps,” he recalls with a smile. “We asked him to cut down, and he gleefully came back the next week to say he’d managed to go from eating four bags per day to just the one – the problem was, he was now getting through a big ‘sharing’ bag each day! “There’s no doubt there are challenges when it comes to educating people to be healthy – and there’s a big difference between what you’ll need to tell a 12- year-old and a 25-year-old – but we engage with mums and dads as well, and lots of them are really keen to take in what we have to say.” While this practical advice may be well-heeded, it is often something more intangible which keeps parents coming back. For Redfern, the peer support network which Super 1s provides is one of its most valuable aspects; parenting a child with disabilities – as he knows – can sometimes seem a lonely place. “My youngest has Down’s Syndrome, and at times we don’t have a lot of people to talk to about it,” he says. “You find yourself learning as you go along, but then you meet people going through similar issues at these sorts of groups. “The conversations you have are great for the parents.The support you get reminds you that you’re not alone – there are a lot of people facing the same challenges as you.” The vast majority of those setting foot into a Super 1s hub are not aiming to progress into elite sport. For them, gaining skills for life is their sole objective. But if Redfern and his colleagues spot the required talent and aptitude, the pathway is there to progress from inner-city Nottingham to the growing international scene. “Before Super 1s, there wasn’t really a pathway in Nottinghamshire through which people could make it into the England team, but that’s all changed now,” he says. “We want to identify people who can play, and who have the desire to take their game further. “As we get more people at our sessions, we can start to look at forming a representative team for Nottinghamshire, “A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DON’T GET THE CHANCE TO TAKE PART IN ACTIVITIES LIKE THIS, SO SUPER 1S PLAYS A GREAT ROLE IN HELPING THEM TO MAKE FRIENDS.” Graham Redfern COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT