National Paralympic Day was a celebration of the Paralympic movement and an opportunity for people in the UK to come together to relive the wonder of London 2012.
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The first National Paralympic Day (NPD), was delivered by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund as part of the initial development of Spirit of 2012. NPD brought Paralympic sport back to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2013, following the London 2012 Games, alongside the Mayor of London’s Liberty Festival. This event was established to celebrate and promote Paralympic sports, aiming to increase public engagement and challenge perceptions of disability.
Off the back of its success, the British Paralympic Association approached Spirit of 2012 to support further editions in 2014 and 2015, to provide a bridge between the London 2012 Games and Rio 2016. On 30 August 2014, an estimated 30,000 visitors attended the event on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park showcasing the highest quality of disability sport and arts in the UK. Spectators attended boccia, goalball, and wheelchair basketball events, while the London Aquatics Centre hosted its first elite international para swimming competition since London 2012. There were also opportunities to meet a number of GB athletes and come and try sports.
The event was captured by Channel 4, who featured highlights and interviews with Paralympians. It was regarded as a significant success by supporters, athletes, and organisers. Volunteers from Inclusive Futures – a leadership and volunteering initiative for disabled volunteers delivered by Youth Sport Trust and also funded by Spirit of 2012 – supported the events, ensuring that disabled volunteers were present and visible throughout the day. The feedback showed that spectators were very positive about seeing disabled volunteers at these events.
There was no scheduled NPD in 2016 because athletes were competing in Rio. Instead, the BPA successfully applied for funds from Spirit to build on the regional roadshows started in 2014 and 2015, alongside a Schools Torch Relay. There were 6 carnivals in England, Scotland and Wales that reached 13,500 people.
The popularity and exposure of Paralympic sport in London 2012 gave a huge boost to the first two National Paralympic Days in 2013 and 2014. Re-use of the facilities on the Park and aligning the weekend with the Mayor’s Liberty Festival was hugely popular and footfall, and ticket sales, were high. Combining the weekend with the London Anniversary Games in 2013 and 2014 meant that they had ticket sales from people who were travelling to the Park to see the athletics and took the opportunity to also see some Para sport. Swimming was the most popular and well received spectator event.
The evaluation indicated that a substantial portion of attendees were repeat visitors or had prior exposure to disability sports. Attracting a more diverse audience, including individuals without previous engagement with Paralympic events, would be essential to expand the reach and impact of important events such as these.
By 2015 the numbers were down by about one third. Very bad weather was certainly a factor but there was also a feeling that being 3 years out from the Games and the lack of para-sport exposure between Games cycles impacted the audience figures.
Get Out, Get Active is an initiative to get people active in locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.