FIFTEEN years of helping disabled people get involved in sports has been celebrated – and the people behind it praised.
Members of the North East Lincolnshire Disability Sports Forum and their families danced the night away at a disco in the New Standard Club, in Freshney Drive, Grimsby.
The forum is described as a "lifeline" to members and their families, who through it, have not only discovered their sporting talents, but made friends along the way.
Founder and chairman Colin Woodford and Joan Borrill are hailed inspirations for their dedicated work in helping their members, who otherwise may struggle to socialise.
Colin said: "This is a huge achievement. Some members have enjoyed some amazing sporting successes, for others it has improved their social life.
"It means different things to different people, they are such a great bunch."
Among the success stories is paralympic wheelchair racer Jamie Carter, from Binbrook, who made it into a final at this year's paralymics, and Chloe Osborne, 15, a talented table tennis player who represented our region in the National Junior Games.
But while Colin, a champion table tennis player, despite his own disability, thrives on the sporting successes he has helped hone, he also gets a buzz from members enjoying themselves at the Tuesday club each week in Clee Sports Hall.
Colin took redundancy from Dunlop Oil And Marine to set up the forum, and believes it has helped change perceptions of people with disabilities in North East Lincolnshire.
There are now 143 members of the forum and 35 regular attendees at their Tuesday club.
He continued: "I was determined to set this up and I feel very proud of what we have achieved. I wanted to open doors for youngsters. There has been so many highlights over the years, but there is so much left to do. We are definitely going to keep going. We have never been busier."
Among those benefiting is Liam Davey, 14, of Cleethorpes, who is autistic. His grandmothers Anna Davey and Pauline Brown have seen a noticeable change in Liam since he started two years ago.
He said: "I have improved in table tennis and boccia and have made lots of friends. It makes me feel happy."
Anna added: "I have seen a definite change in him. He is more outgoing, he interacts more and his sport has really improved. It is fantastic."
The forum was presented with £50 from the Humberston North Sea Lions for bringing the biggest team to their Humberston Fun Run.
Chairwoman Elaine Kitchen added: "What they do is absolutely wonderful."
