Sensory bags sent to Jersey football community

Football clubs across Jersey are being given sensory bags to support people with autism.

The Jersey Football Association has teamed up with Autism Jersey to create and distribute the bags across the football community, with items inside to help children and adults to self-regulate in over-stimulating environments, such as football matches.

Tim Pryor, Chief Executive Officer of the Jersey FA, said:

"We want to be doing things that remove barriers for people getting involved in football, whether that's on the pitch or watching in the stands.

"A lot of people might think the Jersey Football Association is very much about things like Murattis, about winning, about losing, but our ethos is football for all - that's very much what we're about each day when we turn up in the office to try and improve football and to remove barriers to football - whether that's financial, whether that's something stopping someone going to a game.

"If we can make these improvements here or there, for some these will be big changes that will help them get involved in our sport and help them feel comfortable in our sport."

The bags will include sensory balls, fidget toys, and ear defenders to dampen crowd noise.

Lesley Harrison, Head of Charitable Services at Autism Jersey, said:

"It's great that you've got an opportunity where you can genuinely have an inclusive event.

"It is very difficult whenever you're an autistic individual, or you've got children who are on the spectrum, neurodiverse individuals can find situations such as a football event very overwhelming.

"The noise, the atmosphere, as much as many of them want to be a part of it, it can create a lot of challenges, so to have the ability to access a sensory bag that can have fidget toys in it that can be a slight distraction whenever children get a bit overwhelmed or whenever the noise gets a little bit too much, reach into the bag and you've got a pair of defenders that you can pop on your ears and reduce some of that impact.

"It means, truly, you're creating an inclusive event."

The bags are being sent to local clubs, and will also be made available at Springfield Stadium.

They will be made available at Jersey FA representative team matches, such as Muratti fixtures, and for families collecting children from, or watching, the JFA's community programme activities.