A local charity has been moved to action following “disgraceful” cuts to disability sports provision in County Fermanagh.

Enniskillen Rotary Club read The Impartial Reporter’s coverage of Boccia athlete William Graham, whose hopes of competing in the 2020 paralympics in Tokyo have been “wiped out” by the Disability Sport NI cuts. They also read that his friend Ben Thompson’s Fermanagh Laker’s team faces the chop and that Fermanagh Inclusive Sports Officer Roisin Henry has been let go.

“The Rotary Club wants to support the boys on account of their funding being cut. They are two local lads who are very committed to their sports and we like to support local people,” explains Rotary member Kenny Fisher.

The disabled sportsmen were invited, along with their families and Ms. Henry, to a Rotary meeting on Tuesday evening, where members pledged their support to help the athletes progress in their beloved sports.

“We will fundraise for them throughout the forthcoming year and incoming president Ken Rainey will take them on as his chosen charity,” Mr. Fisher explains.

William and Ben have also decided to take a petition to Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín asking for a reversal of the budget cuts.

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has cut its budget to Sport NI. Consequently, Sport NI has cut the amount of money it will give to Disability Sport NI.

DSNI says that an extra £39,000 would allow them to keep the Boccia and the wheelchair basketball up-and-running.

The friends who have represented Northern Ireland in Boccia and wheelchair basketball have vowed that they “will not take these cuts lying down”.

“The Sport Minister needs to get her act sorted out,” states William’s father Joe Graham. “With disabled people, you are limited in the sports you can compete in. Able bodied people can partake in a choice of sports so disabled people should be entitled to sport too, but due to these cutbacks, it’s disabled sports that are being cut completely,” he adds.

“Everyone who has read about William and Ben are saying these cuts are shameful and disgraceful.” The nearest Inclusive Sports Officer is in Cookstown, now that Roisin Henry’s post has been removed. “The West is being completely cut off,” Joe comments.

“William and Ben want to ask the Sport’s Minister: ‘Why are we being penalised?’” UUP Councillor Raymond Farrell states: “I wish to commend both William and Ben in their determination to see this injustice to those with a disability being adequately funded to attend and participate in sporting activities and events.

“Sport is an excellent forum to participate, engage and improve fitness for many people and it does annoy me that disabled sport is to suffer from these cutbacks.

“William and Ben are speaking out admirably by standing up for disabled people and I would urge people to support this petition by signing up and standing up for people with disability and allowing them the same rights as other sporting organisations.” In the Assembly, UUP MLA Tom Elliott asked the Sports Minister “whether she accepts that the effect on the disabled community of the significant financial cuts to Disability Sport NI will be disproportionate when compared to funding reductions in other areas of her budget”?

Ms. Ní Chuilín replied: “I share the Member’s disappointment that, potentially, £16,000 of Disability Sport NI’s budget will be cut. That £16,000 means an awful lot to it and goes an awful long way. However, as I have done in previous years, I am looking at potential end-of-year funding and potential bids along with Sport NI to try to increase that, looking through its Activ8 and sports programmes, particularly for people with disabilities, in communities and at grass-roots level.

“The Member may also be aware that Disability Sport has been protected at 10 per cent while others in the sporting community have received a cut of over 11 per cent. I am happy to try to make an argument for Disability Sport in the future.”