A SPECIAL loan for business start-ups is helping two Yorkshire social entrepreneurs share the joy of sport with people who would usually miss out because of disability.

Sports development expert Richard Szostak, and champion wheelchair racer Louis Speight, have delivered hundreds of specialist coaching sessions across West Yorkshire since receiving a Start Up Loan from Transmit Startups.

Their social enterprise is called Omnis Circumvado CIC, meaning ‘all-encompassing’ in Latin, and runs adapted sport and PE sessions for special education needs schools, community groups and local authorities. Omnis has also developed special programmes including wheelchair skills training and visual impairment awareness training to teach people about sight loss.

Now the Huddersfield-based company is celebrating its first birthday with plans to double the number of people it reaches with its crucial support.

Richard said: “It’s been a fantastic first year and we’ve never looked back since getting our initial funding from Transmit Startups.

“We knew there was a real need for our services but we’ve been blown away by how well they’ve been received. This year we’ve worked with 465 people and now we’re aiming to recruit new trainers so we can double our numbers in 2020.

“Too many people of all ages currently miss out of mainstream sports because of physical or emotional challenges but we’ve proved it doesn’t have to be that way!

“With some creative thinking and a bit of determination, we’ve developed lots of innovative ways to involve children and adults in fun games and activities and the results have been amazing.”

The idea for Omnis came about when Richard and Louis met while working at a coaching company, and discovered they shared an ambition to introduce sport to people who would not otherwise have the chance to take part.

Drawing on Richard’s 20 years’ experience working in the disability sector and Louis’s celebrated background as an ex para wheelchair sprinter and disability activist, the pair realised they had the expertise and passion to make a real difference by launching their own company.

Transmit Startups is part of the Transmit group of companies which offer funding, consulting, coaching and mentoring services to entrepreneurs throughout their business journey.

For more information about Transmit Startups visit www.transmitstartups.co.ukand to discover more about Omnis visit www.omniscic.com