A frame football club in Suffolk which works with youngsters with disabilities is hoping to raise money for the club to be able to get ‘game frames’.
Coplestonian FC Frame Football Suffolk is hoping to buy these specialised frames for the club, to enable the team to compete more often and offer children more opportunities to take part.
Frame football is an opportunity for children with disabilities to play football with the use of their Kaye walkers.
Coplestonian is looking for donations to help them buy ‘game frames’ which are stronger and wider than normal frames.
Eoin McNamee, coach at Coplestonian FC Frame Football Suffolk, said: “The frames they have at the moment obviously help with getting around, but they are designed for getting about and walking, they are not designed for football.
“Wider frame offers the chance to develop better control with their legs, and they’re also bigger and stronger.
“We had an incident recently when a part of his frame broke, the boy had to wait three weeks for someone to come and fix it.
“Obviously with it being his normal frame too, he couldn’t come to football for a few weeks, whereas if he had a football frame and a school frame, he always has a backup and isn’t going to be prevented the opportunity to play football.”
Another benefit of game frames is that they are manoeuvrable. “If a player wants to go quicker, we can add different wheels to the frame.”
They are also able to customise them to fit the team’s kit colour to create a stronger identity.
Mr McNamee said: “Some of the boys, had never seen another kid with a frame before, let alone coming to a club with nine or ten others, so turning up in the same kit, and then also the same colour frame, is going to strengthen the bond the boys have.”
The team will be attending an event at St George’s Park later this month, where teams from all over the UK, and beyond go to train, connect and compete for the Richard Seedhouse Cup, named after the man who came up with the idea of frame football.
To find out more, head to the Coplestonian's Frame Football Facebook page and to donate, click here.
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