Fantastic news!!!!! Special Olympics GB outlines new concept for 2026 National Summer Games

Posted on October 11, 2025 by specialolympicssuffolk

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The Board of Trustees of Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) has approved plans to stage a newly structured National Summer Games in 2026, which could provide competition opportunities for around 1,700 children and adults with an intellectual disability.

Easy Read Version

Following extensive consultation with the Special Olympics GB network, the Athlete Leadership Team and National Sports Advisors, a hybrid concept has been approved for the event, consisting of:

– Multi-sport (four-five days) event held at a single cluster of venues/location, prioritising Special Olympics GB’s most popular participation sports:

* Athletics, Boccia, Football, Artistic Gymnastics, MATP, Swimming

– Single-sport (one-two day) national competitions, following the successful 2022 Summer Series of Sport model, hosted in different locations for:

* Remaining Tier 1 and selected Tier 2 sports, including: Badminton, Basketball, Bowls, Cycling,
Equestrian, Golf, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Tennis

* Competitions may be expanded versions of current national single-sport events

Special Olympics GB’s National Office team is now working with multiple venues, local stakeholders, and partners to identify the most appropriate location and dates for the multi-sport event.

“The National Summer Games has been an important topic of interest among our membership since our return to competition in 2022, following the pandemic,” said Laura Baxter MBE, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB. “We recognise the passion of our membership for this event so we undertook an extensive consultation process, which the vast majority of accredited clubs engaged with. We’ve listened hard to their feedback and ambitions for this event and are delighted to now have a concept to take forward.

“Not only does this hybrid approach provide competitive sporting opportunities for a significant number of our registered athletes, but it is also consistent with the financial sustainability of our movement.

“The world has changed a lot since our last major National Summer Games, in Sheffield in 2017, and it is imperative that we consider the increased cost of living and the reduced amount of external funding that we can access. Borrowing or taking financial risks on behalf of Special Olympics GB is not something we can consider.

However, we believe that this model can change the lives of many people with an intellectual disability, giving them an opportunity to meet fellow athletes from around the country, make new friends and be part of an event that celebrates their participation. It will also provide a pathway for our athletes to qualify for selection for the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile.By Laura Baxter MBE

“We have already held very positive discussions with venues and potential partners regarding our primary multi-sport event. Discussions are also continuing with our National Sports Advisors, who have played an integral part in this process, regarding the additional single-sport competitions to be staged over the summer.”

Further details on the date and location of the 2026 National Summer Games will be confirmed in winter 2025/26. In the meantime, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Time to celebrate the 10th Year Anniversary of Special Olympics Suffolk!

Posted on November 13, 2024 by specialolympicssuffolk

Have you heard people exclaim “How time flies!”? Well, for Special Olympics Suffolk, not a truer word has been spoken…

This month, we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Special Olympics Suffolk and the great thing is, there are many athletes, volunteers and coaches who remember the day back in November 2014 when the months of hard work came to fruition and Waveney Gymnastics Club hosted the launch of the organisation. You may recognise some of the faces in the photographs below – these people played a pivotal role in getting SO Suffolk started in 2014 and still play a huge role in the running and organisation of it today.

Since then, SO Suffolk has gone from strength to strength, with our athletes training hard and competing at local, regional, national and international level in Alpine Skiing, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Equestrian and Gymnastics. Our coaches and volunteers have worked tirelessly with athletes and behind the scenes to ensure the very best support has been available.

The athletes have been on TV and radio, featured in news paper articles and on the bill-boards high above Piccadilly Circus in London, and even visited Number 10 Downing Street to showcase disability sport and inspire others to join in.

Over the past ten years, SO Suffolk has grown and flourished thanks to a team of dedicated athletes, devoted coaches and an army of supporters and well wishers. We would like to thank them all for playing their part in making SO Suffolk so successful.

On 9th March 2025, we aim to host a Celebration of Sport to mark the 10th Anniversary of Special Olympics Suffolk and will be sending out invitations to past and present athletes, coaches, volunteers and friends – please save the date!

Inclusive Boccia Tournament hosted in Suffolk – July 2024

Posted on July 30, 2024 by specialolympicssuffolk

Special Olympics Suffolk delivery partner, ActivLives,held the second Inclusive Boccia Tournament recently in Stowmarket, Suffolk. The event attracted 42 competitors, who played a total of 70 ends of boccia, over 26 matches, scoring 123 points. There were over 75 people attending the event, during the course of the day.

Boccia (pronounced ‘botcha’), is a target game, played with balls, where all of the participants are required to sit down whilst they play. “It is one of those sports that is relatively easy to play, but devilishly tricky to play well”, said Mike McCarthy, from ActivLives. The sport is particularly suitable for players with a disability, and will be part of the Paralympic programme being held in Paris next month.

The tournament in Stowmarket consisted of three divisions, where players competed in teams of three, in a round-robin format. The day concluded with a ‘spider decider’ mass team event, with all 42 players involved.

“The atmosphere has been absolutely brilliant, with plenty of very close matches throughout the day. It has also been great to welcome visiting players from Special Olympics Peterborough and Kent”.

Many thanks to all of the athletes, to our brilliant team of volunteers, to our supporting partners Special Olympics Suffolk, Special Olympics GB, the Suffolk Community Foundation and to our hosts for the day at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre.

If you would like to find out more about how to get involved with boccia in the Stowmarket, Ipswich or Felixstowe areas, please call ActivLives on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk