How Greater Manchester’s Visually Impaired Sports Day is rewriting the rules of inclusion

By GM Moving | 10 December 2025 | TAGS: Children and young people, visual impairment, GM School Games

A dedicated sports day for visually impaired (VI) children in Greater Manchester has been hailed as a revolutionary success, with one coach saying "(it’s) the most highly attended visually impaired specific event I have seen. Having over 70 VI pupils at one event is unheard of.".

The Greater Manchester Visually Impaired Sports Day, which catered for 82 young people took place in July of this year and is being recognised as a leading example for inclusive sport nationwide. The event ran for second time after the success of the first event back in July 2024.

GM Moving, through their school games approach have worked alongside Manchester Sensory Support Services and Goalball UK for the last 2 years to address a critical gap. Insights revealed that for VI children, school sports days were often disappointing, reinforcing feelings of being different. For many, these events become reminders of what they cannot do rather than celebrations of achievement, often leaving them as spectators on the sideline.

The vision was clear: to create a sports day where VI children could compete on equal terms, where the experience was designed specifically for them "not as an accommodation, but as the main event".

Collaboration and Inclusivity in Action

The success was built on a powerful collaboration. Manchester SSS took the lead on pupil engagement, connecting with other Sensory Support Services across the region to ensure participants aged 3-16 from eight Greater Manchester boroughs were included. GM Moving funded the venue and organised appropriate deliverers, while Goalball UK contributed planning, insight, and activities. Participants were linked to the event primarily through their Sensory Support teacher.

Held at the Manchester Regional Arena and the National Squash Centre, the day offered adapted versions of Football, Cricket, Baseball, Athletics, Cycling, Goalball, and Archery. The children were also inspired by role models including Paralympic gold medallist Lora Fachie OBE. Lora is a visually impaired English former racing cyclist who competed in para-cycling tandem road and track events.

Creating Meaningful Impact

The day’s impact extended far beyond the medal podium, generating connections and confidence:

• Emotional Freedom: One Teaching Assistant (TA) noted a pupil’s profound physical and emotional breakthrough: "It was the first time her children and young people had run freely in open space without holding someone’s hand".
• New Horizons: Many children tried a new sport for the first time, especially cycling. Following the event, four children have now attended their local inclusive cycling centre, and 12 are going on a trip to Simply Cycling sessions.
• Peer Support: The event fostered critical peer connections; two children with multi-sensory impairment met someone else with the same condition for the first time.
• Family Comfort: The sports day helped a parent with her anxiety about her daughter's diagnosis.

Reflecting the sentiment of the participants, one young person simply declared it the "Best day of the year!". Organisers are now looking into part-funding from the SSS to ensure the event's longevity and continued growth.

The effect continues to ripple

The success of the last 2 years events has now seen Dan Stroker from MSS services invited to speak early next year at a national event for qualified teachers of the Visually impaired. Dan will be speaking about the importance of proving opportunities for visually impaired pupils to take part in sport physical activity and competition to support the wider health, well-being and sense of belonging for VI pupils and their families.