We recognise the value of sport to develop personal skills, build relationships, foster wellbeing, and promote positive changes in the lives of those most in need. Physical activity encourages good mental health and can stimulate people to be proactive in other areas of their lives or their communities. In many cases the sport related projects which we support engage individuals with intellectual or physical disabilities, or those requiring special provision. An outstanding example of such a project is the Warwickshire Bears Wheelchair Basketball Club.

Warwickshire Bears Wheelchair Basketball Club provides a platform for young, disabled individuals, supporting them to participate in sporting activities and to develop their skills.

Founded in 2002, the club’s growth reflects its popularity among those it supports, fostering a sense of community between its athletes and members. The club’s ethos prioritises inclusivity regardless of age, gender, or ability, with experienced staff who provide individually tailored coaching.

They field multiple teams in the National League for both men and women, as well as a junior team: The Cubs.

Their Junior Wheelchair Basketball Project benefits young people with disabilities in Birmingham by providing weekly activity sessions for children between 5 and 18 years old.

The project works to increase sporting engagement for young people with disabilities by providing weekly sessions throughout the year, organised by age group, and delivered by qualified volunteer coaches.

Having established engagement, junior players are offered the opportunity to join competing teams and represent The Bears in The British Wheelchair Basketball Junior League – or to move on and play for the West Midlands Regional teams, which can lead to opportunities to play at national level and above.

Junior participants can also obtain coaching qualifications which will enable them to help with coaching young players at the club and provide them with career opportunities in a sporting pathway.

Since a specialist sports wheelchair can cost £3,000, funding is a significant barrier to participation in the sport for many. A grant awarded by The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation has helped to ease the financial strain on participants and their families by covering all costs associated with the Junior Project, including travel to and from tournaments. The project enabled Warwickshire Bears to purchase ten specialist sports wheelchairs in order for the club to continue their support for the team and to reduce barriers to participation.

The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation awarded a grant of £60,000 to Warwickshire Bears Wheelchair Basketball Club in 2022 for their Junior Wheelchair Basketball Project.

“Without this help, it would have been impossible for many of the parents to afford the costs of taking their children to play the sport they are so passionate about.”

Since then, the project has provided 125 junior sessions, engaging more than 50 young participants per session. The club itself has had impressive success in that time, having attended 12 tournaments.

The funding also enabled Warwickshire Bears to enter their U18 and U14 teams in the national leagues. According to the club chairman, Tom Masterson, “without this help, it would have been impossible for many of the parents to afford the costs of taking their children to play the sport they are so passionate about.”

The tally of their achievements is impressive and includes their U18’s team finishing 2^nd in both the British Wheelchair Junior League North and the British Wheelchair Junior League National Junior Championships. Their U14’s team won the National Junior Championships, and 10 of their Juniors have been selected to join the England pathways, with 5 being selected to represent England in the National School Championships.

To find out more about The Warwickshire Bears, click the button below.

The Bears

The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation is proud to support successful clubs such as The Warwickshire Bears and wishes them every success in future events.