How sports clubs are boosting accessibility

Volunteers who help drive Cornwall's sporting scene have spoken of how physical activity is helping bring people together.

Four competitive groups and individuals have been nominated in the Active category of the BBC Radio Cornwall Make a Difference Awards 2025.

The nominations span disability cricket, golf, surf lifesaving and a football team with a special focus on mental health.

In their fourth year, the awards will be announced at a ceremony in September.

Among the nominations is the Speak Out United Mental Health Football Club, which was set up to "to bridge the gap between mental health and football".

At the park in Illogan, volunteers in green T-shirts call out instructions, while brightly-bibbed children run around seemingly at random, booting footballs and shouting gleefully.

At the heart of it is the club's founder, Jack Underwood.

"As a kid I lost my dad to suicide when I was six," he said.

"I always felt as I was growing up I needed to do something to make a difference and help as many children and adults as possible that are struggling, whether they're male, female, with disabilities, I want everybody to feel that football is a home and a sanctuary."

Lesley Upperton's nomination in the Active category all revolves around the rolling fairways of Budock Vean Golf Club near Falmouth.

At first she volunteered to help out by taking on the role of welfare officer, before she was tasked with running the juniors.

Next on her journey was a new course run by England Golf to become a community golf instructor, giving her the skills to teach others.

"Golf is known as quite an elite sport," she said.

"So my mission is to make it a little more accessible and not so intimidating really.

"As a retired physiotherapist I know that keeping active is a really important part of maintaining your physical and your mental health.

"It gets the kids away from their screens and we have quite a few members here in their 80s and 90s and they still play golf, which I think is fantastic, golf is a sport for life."

Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth is a picture-perfect image of a Cornish seaside resort.

It is also a training camp for lifesavers of all ages, and Gyllyngvase Surf Life Saving Club chairwoman Lois Leonard is at the heart of it.

"I just love it," she said.

"Surf lifesaving is an amazing thing to be part of. It's all about becoming a beach lifeguard, but also there's a strong sport element behind it as well."

For the Cornwall Super 9 Disability Cricket Team, external, these are exciting times.

They have been crowned South West League Champions in only their second competitive season this summer.

Head coach Dan Tonkin said: "We give individuals with disabilities the opportunity to compete in cricket in an ECB competition across the country.

"A lot of these guys can't access normal open-age cricket because of their impairments or disabilities, so this is a great opportunity for them to get that competitive edge and actually go out and compete in a competitive sport."

The winners of the BBC Radio Cornwall Make A Difference Awards 2025 will be announced at a ceremony in Falmouth in September.

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