WEST YORKSHIRE DRAGONS CELEBRATE AWARD FROM THE MARS REFUEL DRINK FUND
Published on: 12th October 2011
The West Yorkshire Dragons, based at Armley Leisure Centre in Leeds, is celebrating after receiving a £500 donation from the MARS Refuel Drink Fund.
The team consists of 15 visually impaired players who meet once a fortnight to play Goalball; the world’s only sport designed exclusively for visually impaired and blind people.
Established a year ago the team, aged 18-25, is eager to play in as many tournaments as possible. But due to the specialist nature of the sport, the equipment needed and entry fees to games can be costly.
Unlike other ball games, the court must be tactile and is made with string and tape. The ball is rubber with bells inside, and after each training session the court needs replacing.
Players wear eyeshades to equalise the difference between those with a visual impairment and those who are blind, as well as specialist facial protection and knee and elbow pads. When you consider that the only equipment available has to be imported from Canada, the team is understandably struggling to cover their costs.
Yvette Adkins, Chairwoman, says: “The West Yorkshire Dragons is delighted to have been awarded with a donation from the MARS Refuel Drink Fund. Goalball offers the visually impaired community a fantastic opportunity to participate in a team sport. Our members come from far and wide to participate in training sessions and games.
“With this donation from the MARS Refuel Drink Fund we can purchase specialist equipment and pay for entry into tournaments. This will be a great boost to the West Yorkshire Dragons as it means we can play Goalball for longer. A big thank you goes out to MARS Refuel, from the team.”
Research undertaken by MARS Refuel earlier this year revealed that almost a quarter of people feel that they don’t have enough money to start participating in sport, or to keep that involvement going.
The MARS Refuel Drink Fund was created to help people overcome the financial barriers and to play sport for longer by offering £500 awards to teams and individuals.
More information about the MARS Refuel Drink Fund can be found at www.marsrefuel.com
