SeakAid at the Croydon Multi-Sport SEND Festival (Croydon) — 19 February 2026

On Thursday 19 February 2026, SeakAid was proud to be part of the Multi-Sport SEND Festival at New Addington Leisure & Community Centre (Croydon), delivered by Access Sport in partnership with Croydon Council. The festival brought together disabled children and young people aged 5–25 and local providers, creating a welcoming space to try activities, meet organisations, and learn what support is available.

For us, days like this matter because they put young people and families at the centre. They also remind us that inclusion isn’t just about “having a session” — it’s about listening, understanding what makes sport feel safe, and removing the barriers that stop people from taking part.

What we did on the day

SeakAid had a table in the community hall where we:

• Shared information about our work across Greater London

• Spoke with families, young people, and professionals about what inclusive sport should look like in real life

• Gave out NEW sports kit and helpful items where we could

• Signposted people to local opportunities and next steps
  

It was a great chance to connect with the community, meet new partners, and hear directly from people about what’s working — and what still needs to change.

The biggest thing we learned: ask young people what they need

We’re delivering our Lottery-funded project: Inclusive Sports Access & Well-being for Disadvantaged and Neurodivergent Youth across Greater London. A big part of doing this well is making sure we don’t guess what support looks like — we learn it from the people who experience the barriers.

SeakAid also managed to collect two short questionnaires to help shape our next steps:

Happy new owner of pre-loved boots

• Support Needs Questionnaire — a quick way for parents/carers, young people, professionals, and supporters to tell us what they’re looking for (equipment support, inclusive sessions, volunteering, partnering, project updates).
  

• Sport Form: Participation Support Questionnaire — a deeper look at sport participation, interests (football, netball, athletics, swimming, multi-sport and more), barriers (cost, transport, anxiety, sensory environment, accessibility), and the adjustments that help most (clear routines, visual supports, smaller groups, quiet spaces, flexible rules, trained staff, buddy support).
  

Having fun with sensory toys

These insights will help us design inclusive opportunities that are practical, respectful, and genuinely useful — especially for neurodivergent young people.

What’s next

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be following up with those who asked to hear from us, and using the feedback to:

• Improve how we support young people with equipment and apparel

• Shape inclusive sport pop-up sessions that fit within existing youth clubs and programmes

• Strengthen partnerships with schools, clubs, and community groups across London

If you met us at the festival — thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Your experiences and ideas help us do this properly.

Want to get involved?

If you’re a parent/carer, a young person, or a professional supporting young people in London, we’d love to hear from you. Email: info@seakaid.com

Together, we can make sport feel more accessible, more welcoming, and more inclusive — one conversation, one partnership, and one young person at a time.