The Community Sports Foundation (TCSF) has launched a new multi-sport coaching scheme for disabled children, and is hoping to attract youngsters from across Wandsworth to take part.

Training sessions for schoolchildren under 16 will take place at Linden Lodge School in Southfields, a special school for children with visual impairment and multi-disabled visual impairment.

The project is backed by Wandsworth Council, and involves one after school sports session a week, which is free for all children and lasts two hours. The training will be directed by qualified multi-sport coaches, and is open to children from all over Wandsworth.

Joe Noble, Chief Executive and Founder of TCSF, is keen to stress that the idea behind this new project is to have one initial central hub for multi-sport disabled coaching in Wandsworth, instead of having several sites around the borough that may only attract a handful of participants.

Noble said: “We found that instead of having three coaches doing separate sessions, we’d have a central hub, and invite children to take part. It’s one big project.

“It’s all about making sure that children can get involved, and multi-sport is the key. We have started, and had seven children in our first session, with five more coming the next time. The capacity is 15-20.

“The concept we want to roll out is that this is an after school activity for two hours for children. The first few weeks will be open multi-sport sessions, then after that we’ll allow children to vote on sports they want to participate in. There will be a wide range.

“This partnership between the council and TCSF is a first. It’s a big thing to have the full support of the council behind us, which makes it less of a battle with the schools. It’s also relatively low cost.

“Wandsworth Council came on board when we put in a bid for something else. Wandsworth had money they wanted to give to schools and we had a proposal that was sport-based. They liked our bid so much that it opened up the proposal for this project with the sports department at Wandsworth Council.”

Noble has big plans for the project, which has been endorsed by Paralympic British gold medal-winning swimmer Giles Long MBE, and hopes to make Linden Lodge a focus point for multi-sport activities for disabled children in Wandsworth.

In addition, Wandsworth may expand the number of sessions held across the borough, with the Linden Lodge project a pilot scheme.

To become part of a sporting legacy by supporting or getting involved with The Community Sports Foundation, or to offer a donation, telephone 0203 346 3064 or visit www.tcsf.org.uk.