A NEW disability sport team has been awarded a funding boost by Sport England to help them increase the number of people who can take part.

Darlington Powerchair Football Club, set up last year by father and son team George and James Radcliffe, has been awarded £6,500 to purchase new equipment.

The club will use the money to purchase a new powerchair, goalposts, balls and to pay for volunteer training.

The award was made as part of Sport England’s Get Equipped initiative, which aims to distribute £1m of National Lottery funding to provide more specialist equipment that will increase opportunities for disabled people to get active or try a new sport.

The Darlington Powerchair Football Club works in partnership with Darlington Football Club, taking on the team’s colours and badge.

Club manager James Radcliffe, 17, said: "The club is delighted to have been successful in receiving this funding from Sport England and look forward to using it for the benefit of our club members to buy some of the equipment we need.

“This award is an endorsement of our aim of helping people with some of the most severe physical disabilities in the Darlington area to play competitive sport.”

Sport England’s director of insight, Lisa O’Keefe, said: “We are delighted to award these vital funds to Darlington Powerchair Football Club, which will play a transformative role in opening up sport to many people who previously found it inaccessible.”

The powerchair club is looking for new members – the next training session will take place at Darlington School of Mathematics and Science on Thursday (February 13) from 6pm to 8pm.