Co Down schoolboy one of thousands of disabled athletes feeling pain of Special Olympics Ireland shortfall

Luke Weadock’s mother says her six-year-old son who attends Harberton Special School in Belfast relies on his local club as a lifeline.

The charity for disabled athletes is facing a near-£700,000 budget hole due to pandemic restrictions.

A major fundraising drive by Special Olympics Ireland was called off in an unprecedented shutdown of the group’s activities amid the spread of coronavirus.

Luke’s mother Donna said he needs to get out and exercise every day on his bike because he becomes “destructive” if left inside.

She said: “There are not a lot of clubs that cater for children with special needs. It supports the parents and the kids physically and mentally, and all that funding money will support the athletes getting back into the clubs and help with training volunteers and even with equipment and getting the athletes back training and all together again.”

During lockdown, Luke, from Bangor, was anxious at not seeing other children.

His mother said: “We were completely indoors, my husband and I were working at home so we were at home with Luke and had no support with anything. Obviously we had home-schooling as well.”

Donna said: “Special Olympics Ireland has been such a lifeline for us. Luke has loved every minute of it and has made so many new friends, it’s incredible to see.

“It’s amazing going into Special Olympics and seeing children of all different needs – the brilliant thing is that their disability goes as soon as they walk in the door and the focus is on their ability, and not their disability.”

Shaun Cassidy, regional director for Ulster, said: “Since 2007 it is certainly the greatest challenge en masse.

He said it was the first time in the organisation’s history where it has had to close its special needs programme and move everything online.

From March the group shifted staff to homeworking and switched athletes from club programmes to virtual sessions: “It has brought a number of personal challenges for individuals and their families.”

Shaun said people with learning disabilities were more prone to adopting a sedentary lifestyle if they did not have a face-to-face connection with others and encouragement from clubs, coaches and volunteers.

“If they do not get that from their family at home, they get into the routine of sitting at home,” he said.

Special Olympics Ireland has 1,811 registered athletes participating in 15 sports across 59 affiliated clubs and groups in Northern Ireland.