FOLLOWING the success last year’s Waverley Para Games, South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt has confirmed the 2016 games will take place again next month.

The annual event will once more take place at The Charterhouse Club, in Godalming, with Surrey Paralympian Rachel Morris again supporting the event, along with international para dressage rider Erin Orford.

Each year, more than 100 young special educational needs (SEND) students (aged 11-14), from schools across Surrey, have taken part in the games, and it is hoped this year’s event will attract even more athletes.

Mr Hunt (pictured right) said: “I am so pleased we are in a position to run another Waverley Para Games this year thanks to the generous sponsorship of COINS Foundation and The DFN Foundation.

“This year’s event is looking like it will be even bigger, with new schools taking part from across Surrey. We also hope to be able to offer some new sports in a bid to broaden the appeal and variety on offer to young athletes.

“To this end, we will be liaising with sport’s national governing bodies who are interested in developing more community groups for disability sport for young people in the area.  

“We will also be working with Active Surrey again who do a great job in coordinating the event to ensure the smooth running of the Waverley Para Games on the day. Roll on more paralympic gold medalists from South West Surrey.”

Wendy Newton, youth sports development manager at Active Surrey, said: "We are delighted, for the third year running, to be delivering in the Waverley Para Games project, which has now been fully embedded into the Surrey School Games programme, co-ordinated by Active Surrey.

“Inclusive events like this enable us to reach more young people who would not otherwise have as many opportunities for competitive participation, especially those with special education needs and disabilities in mainstream schools.

“Feedback from the schools involved each year is hugely positive and we look forward to running another well supported event in March."

The games, which take place on Friday, March 18, will again be hosted at Charterhouse’s facilities including a sports hall, studios, a pool, plus outdoor athletics and all-weather pitches.

The use of the venue has afforded the opportunity to further expand the breadth and reach of Waverley’s Para Games – increasing the number of participants and diversifying the programme of sports on offer as well as including a more significant and specialist element of teacher-training for teachers in the county.