Sense

Sense Active is dedicated to empowering disabled people with complex needs to lead active, healthy lives across England, supporting them to move in any way they choose.

Partnering with National Governing Bodies and local expert activity providers, Sense Active coordinate over 100 regular, meaningful and person-centered activities for disabled people with complex needs. Activities are available in-person or virtually and range from traditional sports and physical activity to more relaxed, social activities.

Alongside participation, Sense Active offer a range of training workshops, resources and guidance for anyone interested in helping disabled people with complex needs to be active, including teachers and teaching assistants.

What Sense Active offers

Sense Active provides a range of inclusive activity formats, guidance and support for schools and colleges to help staff deliver appropriate and meaningful activities for disabled students with complex needs. Their support includes:

Sensory Sport

Sense Active's award-winning initiative provides meaningful sports opportunities for disabled people with complex needs. By simplifying typically complex sports, such as badminton, football, tennis, rounders and snooker, you can provide person-centred activities that allow students to enjoy the physical, social and mental benefits from taking part. As part of the Sensory Sport initiative, they provide weekly virtual activities for schools, together with training workshops, practical toolkits and step-by-step videos for teachers and teaching assistants.

This also includes School Games Sensory Rounders resource cards, designed in collaboration with Rounders England.

Sensory Walks

Enables people with complex needs to more meaningfully enjoy local walks, connecting with their surroundings. Sense Active has partnered with Ordnance Survey to host an array of Sensory Walks routes online, and they also provide training workshops and practical toolkits, supporting you to lead your own walks.

Sense Active also provide handy guidance and practical resources across other activities, including Yoga, Sensory Exercises and Mini-Games. All resources have step-by-step instructions to support teachers in providing meaningful activities for all students. Follow the links below to access.

General guidance and training support

• Sense Active activities
• Training and resources for teachers

Activity guidance and resources

• Sensory Sport
• Sensory Rounders School Games Card
• Sensory Walks
• Virtual activities via Zoom or telephone
• Yoga toolkit
• Mini-Games toolkit
• Sensory Exercises

Equipment needed

Sense Active activities are designed to be delivered indoors or outdoors, with minimal equipment. Try using:

• School sports equipment, including balls, hoops, cones, rackets, skittles, hoops and bean bags
• Sensory objects, including items of different colours, lights, weights and textures
• Adapted sports equipment that allows individuals to take part in a way that they prefer

Please note: Sensory Sport equipment packs are available by request.