Derby County Community Trust recently started running weekly multi-sport activity sessions for residential pupils at The Royal School for the Deaf Derby (RSDD) thanks to funding from the Premier League Fans Fund. The Premier League Fans Fund provides grants to support football clubs at all levels of the game to strengthen connections between them, their fans and local communities. 

Ran by Derby County Community Trust staff, the weekly sessions at RSDD are attended by residential pupils at the school and are aimed at increasing confidence, fostering friendships and providing opportunities for the children to participate in football. 

Last week’s session had a very special visitor, Derby County first team goalkeeper, Jacob Zetterström. Jacob got involved in a range of activities including relay races and a football match. The students then tested their skills in a penalty shoot-out against Jacob. 

Throughout the session students and staff from RSDD taught Jacob some British Sign Language (BSL). He learnt to spell his name, say “Nice to meet you!” and at the end of the session the group taught him how to sign “Come on you Rams!” 

The students also gave Jacob a football related sign name. The first time you introduce yourself in BSL, you fingerspell your name, and after that you can use your sign name as a quicker way to communicate. Sign names are individual and unique to each person and are usually inspired by character or traits for example, their job or hobbies.

Teaching Assistant Barry Clampitt from the Royal School for the Deaf Derby said: 

"I've been teaching him [Jacob] his sign name, which the children have given him. I've taught him how to spell his name which is fantastic, he's learnt that really quickly"

On how nice it was to have Jacob at the session, Gaby Tabbenor, Inclusion Mentor at Derby County Community Trust said: 

"It's brilliant. It's something they're going to be buzzing about for ages I think." 

On his time at the Royal School for the Deaf, Jacob said: 

"Football is the most enjoyable thing in my life and just to experience that with even more people and just see the joy in each and everyone's face, including mine....it was an amazing hour with an amazing group of young people."

Derby County’s fixture against Coventry City was their dedicated Unite for Access fixture. The Level Playing Field 'Unite for Access' campaign is an annual period of inspiration and celebration of good access and inclusion at sports venues.  Hundreds of sports clubs get behind the campaign each year by dedicating a matchday during this period to Level Playing Field, highlighting the work done for disabled sports fans.

The students that attended the session with Jacob were invited down to the fixture to see Jacob in action and witnessed a 2-0 win! You can watch the full video of the visit here.

The Trust offer a multitude of activities for people with disabilities. You can find out more about these sessions by visiting dcct.co.uk.