Sport in the Community Awards: Hereward Heat bounce to success

Cambridge United disability sports group and company of the month winners

Hereward Heat Wheelchair Basketball Club are the disability sport group of the month.

was founded in 1995 and has been active ever since, with more than 150 athletes with lower limb disabilities being given an opportunity to play in the 22 years of their existence.

Hereward Heat are based at Comberton Village College for training and play in the British Wheelchair Basketball National League.

Steve Spilka, secretary of Hereward Heat, said “For people with a disability, the team environment and social inclusion of sport helps overcome the feeling of isolation, helps develop social skills, builds self-confidence and self-esteem, improves communication and encourages a commitment to others.”

Company of the month:

Anglia Ruskin University are keen to help sports clubs in the region in a number of different ways.

They have an agreement with Cambridge City Hockey Club where ARU students can train with and represent the club while studying, and the club provide coaches for the teams to raise hockey standards.

ARU also sponsor the men’s and women’s first teams and the under-16 team.

They also have a similar partnership with Shelford Rugby Club, who coach the ARU rugby team and the top players at the university represent the club.

ARU are keen to support their athletes as much as possible and they look to the community first, with the athletics club training at Cambridge & Coleridge, the fencers get extra practice at Huntingdon Fencing club and they also have strong links with Cambridge Volleyball Club, Girton Golf Club and Express Rowing.

The students’ union also do volunteer coaching in schools.