Cambridge United’s Every Player Counts session has opened up a new world of opportunities for Zoe.
How Cambridge United’s Community Trust has fueled Zoe’s fire to prove doubters wrong.
Zoe lost her sight aged 21 and felt she also lost her place in the community as she had to quit her job. She had constantly had people tell her she couldn’t do certain things anymore. This was all until Cambridge United’s Disability Officer, Phil approached her whilst she was queuing in her local town.
She recalls: “My husband walked me in to my first Cambridge United Community Trust Visually Impaired session at Coleridge Community College, that was the first Sunday after I’d been approached by Phil and that is it, I’ve been back every week since!”
Cambridge United are part of the Every Player Counts programme which is funded by Wembley National Stadium Trust and EFL Trust. Every Player Counts has, over the past five years, helped get over 13 000 people with a wide range of disabilities playing football – many for the first time .
Zoe had not previously met any other visually impaired people within her social circle. However since attending she said: “ I have a full range of friends in the community… it’s opened up opportunities to meet other visually impaired people in different parts of Cambridge with other social things that are going on.”
More so, Zoe has extra motivation in her children as she explains: “The more people say you can’t do that, the more I’m driven to prove that I can. I’m trying to push the female side of the sport and be a good role model for my kids too. I want them to know it doesn’t matter whether you have a disability or not, you can do it. It’s trying to make them proud that mum is doing something.”
Cambridge United has not only opened a whole new community and a wealth of opportunities for Zoe but she is now also part of the England Women’s Blind Football Talent Pathway.
Cambridge United are one of 28 Football Club Community Organisations across the country that offer the programme, which is specifically developed for the needs of people in their local community, including those with both physical, mental and learning impairments.
