“I would personally like to thank everyone who has ever supported our club, provided funds for equipment and for developing and running the club. Without these kind people our club would not have been able to help so many people get enjoyment out of sport.”

Philip, Head Coach

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council helped start our disabled badminton sessions in 2005. This is now our Thursday multisport session.

New for 2011, WHBC have just provided some funding for an exciting new project to develop coaching videos for the iPad. We will film various shots and techniques, which will then be usable by our disabled coaches, Stuart and Gobi, using the iPad.

Welwyn Hatfield Sports and Physical Activity Alliance gave us funding to buy a lot of the equipment we use at our multisport session on Thursdays. More recently they have brought us a Boccia ramp which will help people with Cerbral Palsy, such as Amy, take part. They have also help fund the expansion of our one hour badminton session on a Thursday to a two hour multisport session.

Comic Relief provided funding for us to buy some Table Cricket equipment and funded the training so that we can run this activity at our multisport session on Thursdays. They are also funding us to train up a disabled player to become a badminton coach.

Herts Sport Partnership provided funds to help our wheelchair badminton session. Many people have had a go, travelling from as far afield as Aylesbury. Denny who joined us for a while has now started his own club, in Aylesbury, with another two of those who came along to our club. Jack is now competing in other sports (see below). Gobi has gone from strength to strength and has been the undefeated UK level 3 Wheelchair badminton champion for a number of years running and is currently no. 8 in the World. Stuart is training to be a coach.

HSP also provided money for us to work with two boys with autism. After initial sessions we were able to integrate them into our mainstream junior club. HSP also helped fund the initial transition from badminton club to multisport club.

North Herts District Council helped start our junior sessions in 2003, along with some local businesses, by supplying funds to purchase much needed equipment. Later they provided funding for the trophies we have, as well as to part fund a special needs training course. And even now they are supporting the local session at Knebworth Village Hall by provided grant-aid to support its activities.

On the Herts Community Foundation website they use the phrase “Together we can make a difference”. It’s true as they helped us apply for the Grassroots Funding, which enabled us to purchase a new laptop, video camera and software for our club. The main focus for buying the video camera is to be able to video our players to help improve their movement and shots for badminton.

In 2005 we received an Awards For All Fund to:

• Start up an integrated daytime coached session for adults with learning disabilities and adults over 50
• Start up an integrated evening session for single parents and adults with learning disabilities
• Bring the club up to Clubmark standard through officials attending courses etc and to support the Clubmark standard through the first year.

We then went on to meet BADMINTON England’s various club standards and are now a Premier Club.

One Sunday in 2007 I met up with Jack’s dad. Jack wanted to set up a wheelchair badminton club, as the weekly travel from Watford to Nottingham was too much. The very next day I met Gobi, (see above), playing with his friends.

The Big Spend and Local Network Fund enabled us, along with our own fund raising event, to purchase six sports wheelchairs. Jack has since gone on to play powered wheelchair football for England and table tennis for England.

However, Gobi has gone from strength to strength and has won the UK class 3 wheelchair singles title many times in a row. He has also gone on to compete in the European championships, as well as the World Championships in Korea and is now no. 7 in the world.

Our six sports wheelchairs were designed around the needs of Gobi. We have 5 different widths and all are adjustable to cater for any shape or size, from junior to adult. These were supplied by Bromakin.

BADMINTON England have provided us with funding to run a number of six week lessons for children from special needs schools. We have run them at Lakeside school in Welwyn Garden City, Lonsdale school in Stevenage and are due to run a set at Greenside school in Stevenage.

They have also provided some money for some of the equipment that we use on the courses.

The Hertfordshire Children’s Trust funded three six week multisport sessions and some equipment for two special needs schools: Lakeside school in Welwyn Garden City and Lonsdale school in Stevenage. The activities included, badminton, boccia and goalball.

Last but not least, we would like to thank Welwyn Hatfield Community & Voluntary Service through the services of their volunteer web site designer, Ray Wilson, who has helped design and implement this web site. Without his help and Lorna our ex-chairman, this site might not have got off the drawing board.