Bristol Karate Academy

A visit from CP World Games athlete Thomas Stamp was the perfect way to celebrate a year of fundraising by Bristol Karate Academy members.

Thomas - who took part in the Cerebral Palsy World Games in Barcelona in 2018 – is a Young Ambassador for CP Sport and came to a Karate class on Sunday in Backwell to pick up a cheque on behalf of the charity.

Bristol Karate Academy members raised a mammoth £1,000 through a combination of events, raffles and other donations. Funds raised will go towards encouraging children and young people with Cerebral Palsy to enjoy sport. The well-needed funds could, for example, be used to fund up to 200 places for a SportsStart Day for the first time.

Thomas - who last year took part in BBC Children In Need’s Rickshaw Challenge - is a T35 sprinter from South Gloucestershire athletics club and is a regular medallist at Cerebral Palsy Sport athletic events.

Thomas shared with Academy members some of his own personal experiences and about the great work of Cerebral Palsy Sport before being given a quick Karate demonstration by some of the members of Bristol Karate Academy.

Thomas is an inspirational young man. After being assaulted in a park before the Barcelona World Games it wasn't clear that he’d be able to take part.

“I didn’t know whether I would be able to compete in Barcelona,” said Thomas. “But I didn’t give up – I just kept on going. When I was there I beat my Personal Best in the 100 metres and won two silver medals for my country. So no matter what life puts in your way, don’t ever give up. Always keep on going!”

The charity was nominated by Academy member Annette Connell, who had a relative with Cerebral Palsy and was there to present the cheque. Alongside her was club member Pip Mannings who has Cerebral Palsy and been doing Karate since 2012. Pip was amongst those people giving a demonstration of pre-arranged partner drills.

Since 2016, Bristol Karate Academy – who train in Nailsea, Backwell, Long Ashton and Westbury-on-Trym – have picked a charity or cause to support each year, with over £3,500 raised over the last four appeals.

The Academy’s chief instructor Tim Griffiths said, “We’re delighted to have Thomas here with us today to share his inspirational stories and were pleased to hand over a good sum of money to Cerebral Palsy Sport too, thanks to the generosity of our members and friends – so a big thank you to them!

“In our busy lives it’s easy to forget about what goes on outside of our immediate circles and so to hear about and be able to help support such worthy charities as this – it’s fantastic. We’re passionate about Karate but also about giving back to the communities that we live and train in.”

The aim of CP Sport is to raise aspirations, promote inclusion and support people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities to play, participate and enjoy sport and active recreation. To find out more about Cerebral Palsy Sport, visit cpsport.org

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