Daily Activity
Daily Activity plays a key role in developing healthier schools.
Date: 21 April 2026 Author: Bethany Brown
Five SEND schools from across the Havant and Portsmouth area attended the Havant Activity Festival this April. The event brought pupils aged 8-14 together for a day focused on fun, inclusion and trying something new.
Following the Children and Young People event in Havant last year, local professionals identified a clear need to better support SEND children and young people to be physically active. First, Horizon Leisure Trust hosted a SEND fayre to raise awareness of the inclusive opportunities already available in the local area. Now, we’re helping children and young people try some of those activities.
The festival gave children the chance to try activities they may not usually have access to, including, karate, trampolining, target games, dance, PAN/Disability activities and cricket. For a lot of children, this was a completely new experience. As one teacher shared at the start of the day, “we’ve got three children who’ve never been on a school trip before so we don’t know how this will go.”
Energise Me, Horizon Leisure Trust, Havant Borough Council and School Games Organiser, Nikki, worked closely with local schools and professionals to create a day that put SEND children and young people’s needs front and centre. From the length of sessions to the start and end times to the types of activities, we all wanted to make sure the day worked for everyone attending.
The result was a day full of exploration and play! The sounds of the festival filled the hall – laughter and gleeful shouts as children shared moments with their friends. Children running, throwing and kicking as they explored different ways to move their bodies.
It’s been amazing watching lots of different children come together, and just take it at their own pace, their own level, finding what suits them and doing it their way.
Emma Cunningham, Community Health & Wellbeing Manager at Horizon Leisure
Allowing and encouraging freedom and flexibility throughout the day helped to keep children engaged. So, what did that look like?
Also, the soft play centre was available all day as a place for groups to return to if children needed a quiet place to go. Which was especially welcomed as, given the busyness of environments like those, SEND children and young people often don’t get to access them.
Across Horizon Leisure Centre, children were trying new things, taking chances and believing in themselves. They were red-faced and sweating but smiling all the way. One school group found their confidence growing as they went on, staying longer and longer in each session as they became more comfortable and familiar.
There were supportive cheers from peers and lots of helping each other throughout the day, with two friends steadying the bow so their friend could ready the arrow.
A similar moment took place on the trampolines when one girl bounced with excitement, calling out, “again? Again? Shall I do it again?”
“Yes! But even higher!” their friend replied.
And when the girl hopped off, they both celebrated just how high she’d managed to go.
They’re just kids, but nobody gets them. Today has been amazing. Today, they’ve just had the chance to be kids.
Teacher
A few of the comments made by pupils throughout the day included:
“I feel good!”
“I liked trampolining because it was bouncy.”
“I like the kick pads – it’s like Kung Fu!”
“I love throwing axes.”
“It’s a good hard.”
“I’ve enjoyed today a lot.”
All of which was fantastic to hear, but there was one comment repeated the most… “can we have this every term?”
While children were getting active, teachers and activity providers were swapping contact details, opening the door to bring more active opportunities like these into schools in the future.
Events like this remind us of how important inclusion is, it helps give every child the chance to have a positive physical activity experience.
Juliet Bowskill, Community and Inclusion Officer at Havant Leisure Centre, said it best, “what stood out is not just children’s participation, but their teamwork. All I’ve seen from everyone at this event is happiness, smiles on faces, and that is the best thing. Everyone is going home with memories that they’re going to talk about and hopefully want to do it again. For me, today has really illustrated what inclusion is all about.”
No matter where you are across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, join us in our mission to make physical activity a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
How can you do this?
Helping us tackle inactivity to boost health and happiness
