What is Adaptive
Kendal Snowsports Club - Adaptive Skiing
(skiing for those with difficulties, disabilities or disadvantaged)
Background
Kendal Snowsports Club was established in 1984 and is an entirely voluntary organisation providing an artificial snowsports slope, no one is paid in any capacity. Members pay a small annual membership fee and a fee for use of the slope or lessons. The club also allows community groups to use the slope with appropriate supervision.
In the early 2000’s the club allowed two disabled skiers to organise sessions at no cost and they formed a group called Snowability. The group ran monthly with small numbers until 2020 at which time the organisers, who no longer skied, decided it was appropriate to cease.
In June 2021 a proposal was made to Kendal Snowsports Club that they “adopt” Snowability with the following aims:
•Provide increased opportunities for individuals with any disability at any level to enjoy skiing, on their own or with their families; helping participants to ski as independently as possible and promoting integration into able-bodied activities when applicable.
•Make local communities and organisations more aware of the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in skiing.
•Attract, train, develop and retain helpers and instructors in order to provide sustained support to disabled skiers.
Adaptive Skiing at Kendal Snowsports Club has grown
The adaptive skiing sessions continued from September 2021, every 3 weeks for 1.5 hours with 4-5 participants.
In December 2021 six volunteer helpers were recruited from within club members. During the remainder of the 2021/22 season the helpers were trained using a programme developed internally. The season commenced with average attendance at each session of 6, the season ended with an average attendance at each session of 11.
The numbers of participants have gradually increased and the frequency of sessions made available have been expanded. In the 2023/24 season (September 23 to April 24) there are 16 Saturday afternoons planned, on the most recent Saturday afternoon (24th February 2024) a total of 40 adaptive skiers were able to enjoy snowsports, ten times the number of only 3 years ago. The club now has one of the larges adaptive ski sections in the UK.
All seated skiers have 1:1 help and instruction, half the standing skiers have 1:1 help and instruction, the remaining standing skiers (and family) are instructed in small groups.
Who benefits from the Adaptive Skiing at Kendal Snowsports Club?
The adaptive skiers have a wide range of physical and neuro-developmental issues; the majority have multiple issues. Approximately 25% of our adaptive skiers are seated skiers, 50% are standing skiers and the remaining 25% are family members. Ages range from a 6 year old deaf/bind child to an 84 year old with dementia; there is really no barrier to taking part.
A special benefit is to be able to support families to enjoy an activity together, many comment that skiing is one of the few (or only) activity they can do together and a number of families have progressed so well that they have been able to have a Snowsports holiday together. The club has recognised the importance of providing support in the best way to attendees, prior to every session all possible attendees are contacted and asked if they wish to attend and at what time - it is recognised that caring for someone who has a disability is difficult and often revolves around a routine, so we try to organise the skiing opportunity around the individual.
The catchment area is significant. Skiers attend from the Scottish Borders in the north, Teeside to the east and Preston to the South. The nearest alternative opportunities for adaptive skiers are Glasgow to the north and Manchester to the south, both of which charge users for lessons.
All adaptive skiing is free - Kendal Snowsports Club is exceptionally generous in allowing this free use as part of its support to the community. To put this into context, the largest snowsports disability charity in the UK provides lessons which cost £65 per hour, in the current season (23/24) the adaptive section will have provided approximately 500 hours of lessons with a “market value” of over £32,000 to the disabled community.
To date the adaptive section has created formal links with two national charities, British Blind Sport and Cerebral Palsy Sport to encourage participation.
The adaptive section has also undertaken opportunities when they have been available. In September 2022 the section applied to Snowsport England to be part of a national Community Innovation Project and was one of only three successful bids. This allowed the club to develop a project to attract persons with visual impairment to the club. In conjunction with students from Kendal College a video was produced aimed at providing parents with an understanding of what was passible. This, together with working with two local organisations (Sight Advice South Lakes and Barrow Vision), has enabled 28 new visually impaired children to try snowsports.
What is going to happen in the future and what are the challenges?
The club hopes that the adaptive section will continue to support the community and increase participation, this will be dependant on a number of things:
1. The availability of time on the slope at Kendal Snowsports Club.
2. The availability of trained volunteer helpers.
3. The availability of volunteer instructors to undertake specialist training in adaptive skiing.
4. The availability of specialist equipment to help the most disabled participants.
All are significant , however, the greatest challenges are those of slope space, instructors and equipment.
In the UK Adaptive Snowsports Instructors are licensed through the British Association of Ski Instructors (BASI). The training is specialised and builds upon previous ski instructor training. It involves a greater cost in terms of money and time. A Level 1 instructor qualification costs approximately £1000 to undertake and the volunteer most attend approximately 10 days training. Following supervised practice they are licensed and insured to teach bi-ski (one type of seated skiing) and persons with learning difficulties in the UK. To achieve a Level 2 instructor qualification, which provides a licence to teach all types of adaptive skiing costs approximately £5000 and involves approximately 30 days training, mostly in a mountain environment and some 200 hours practice. Currently the lead adaptive instructor is qualified at this level and is approaching the end of their career. Kendal Snowsports Club instructor training is self funded, however, the club must find a way to assist adaptive training given the significant additional costs.
The adaptive section inherited some equipment for seated skiers and in the last 3 years has had two child sit-skis donated and has purchased one adult sit-ski. The majority of seated skiers are children and children inevitably grow and will eventually need to use adult size equipment. The equipment is not made in the UK and must be imported from the USA or Europe, a modern adult sit-ski cost between £7000 and £9000, depending on the adaptations.
Why is Adaptive Skiing important at Kendal Snowsports Club?
People with a disability or difficulty are sometimes marginalised within society. The adaptive skiing at Kendal Snowsports Club is one small way of adjusting the balance within the community. The benefits extend beyond the obvious ones of activity and interest, it can help the disabled individuals to believe they can achieve things they never thought they would be able to experience. It can change patterns of behaviour in a person and make family life better. It can help parents understand that their children are more capable than they imagine and, with help, most exceed their parents expectations.
Any support you can give the club and the adaptive skiers would be gratefully received and put to good use.
Geoff Hind
Adaptive Co-ordinator/Coach
Kendal Snowsports Club