Attending my first inclusive sport festival as part of my role with the Youth Sport Trust was an unforgettable experience. Hosted at the English Institute of Sport, the event brought together young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), alongside their teachers and support staff for a day filled with inclusive, engaging, and fun physical activities. Each activity station was thoughtfully designed with inclusion at its core, offering adaptations such as different sized equipment, to ensure every young person could participate in meaningful activity, regardless of ability or experience.

I had never witnessed an event like it before, and I was sold. What truly moved me was standing beside a Teaching Assistant who was overcome with pride and joy as they watched the student they supported feel confident enough to take part in an exploration activity which they had previously been too afraid to try. In that moment, I realised the inspirational power of inclusive sport festivals, not just for the young people participating, but for everyone involved, including educators, organisers and young leaders.

These festivals offer more than just a fun day out. They are a powerful example of what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice. Yet so many teachers are entering the profession without the confidence or training to deliver inclusive PE for pupils with SEND. The Equal Play campaign highlighted this gap, calling for teacher training to be adapted to ensure the next generation of teachers are equipped with the skills and confidence to deliver inclusive, engaging PE and school sport experiences.

Inclusive sport festivals can play a crucial role in addressing this gap. They provide:

• Exposure to new sports and physical activity ideas
• Practical demonstrations of how to adapt activities to meet diverse needs
• The use of accessible equipment, technology, and creative resources
• Real-life examples of safe, meaningful, and inclusive delivery

Equally as important, these festivals create powerful opportunities for professionals to observe and share best practice. At a recent inclusive tennis festival, I watched a teacher creatively adapt an activity to ensure a student with limited upper body movement could participate in a hitting task. Inspired, a young leader then stepped in to lead the activity with the same inclusive approach. That moment was a clear example of how ‘learning by doing’ passes on knowledge, building confidence and capability.

Events like this also highlight that inclusive practices do not need to have a price tag attached, having seen organisers using balloons and water bottles to mark out spaces and deliver engaging activities. It was proof that creativity, not cost, is the key to accessibility.

At a recent celebration event in Hertfordshire, parents and carers were also invited to attend. For some, it was the first time seeing their child confidently try a new activity or ride an adaptive bike for example. These moments challenged perceptions of what was possible, while also creating space for families to connect, share advice, and build support networks. As the day ended, everyone involved was already looking forward to the chance to do it again, a testament to the power of these experiences not just for children and young people, but for the adults in their lives too.

In a landscape where the time for physical education in schools is increasingly squeezed, the need to champion inclusive physical activity has never been more urgent. The Youth Sport Trust’s PE & School Sport report 2025 report highlights the scale of the challenge: since 2011/12 schools have delivered nearly 45,000 fewer hours of PE and in 2024/25 alone 17% of young people reported cancelled PE lessons. Time and resources for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are also limited and staff are under pressure.

Yet inclusive sport festivals offer a practical solution, allowing school staff to build skills and confidence while making a tangible difference for their students. These festivals are models for what is possible, showing us how sport and physical activity can be reimagined to empower every child, regardless of ability.