A brief introduction to KEEN Oxford
‘KEEN’ stands for Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, although everyone calls us KEEN!
What does KEEN do?
KEEN, run by Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University students along with other young people from the local area, provides sporting and recreational activities for children and young adults with special needs in Oxfordshire.
The beginning
KEEN was founded in 1988 by a New College Graduate, Elliott Portnoy, who developed it from a small tennis coaching programme for a handful of children.
Today
Today, KEEN offers activities to about 240 children and young adults with special needs (ranging in age from 5 to over 30) - the KEEN "athletes".
The volunteers
The KEEN "coaches" are there to provide support for the athletes during sessions. KEEN coaches are made up of students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes as well as local people, usually between 16 and 25.
KEEN coaches are often a similar age to the KEEN athletes, which encourages peer support and helps the coaches and athletes to become friends. Many athletes look up to the coaches as role models.
We offer one-to-one and even two-to-one coaching for the young people we work with, which allows us to tailor each activity to suit the individual within the structure of a close knit group instructed by volunteer session leaders. This means our athletes have the double benefit of individual attention within a team set up.
The sessions
KEEN runs four weekly activities during the Oxford University term: AllSorts, a Saturday sports session; Zig-Zag, a drama and crafts workshop which is aimed at primary school aged children; KEEN Teens, a social club for 11 to 17 year olds; and GrEAT our over 18's social club.
Special events
KEEN also offers a range of special events throughout the year, including day trips, treasure hunts, ice-skating, a Christmas disco, and the KEEN Olympics.
Holiday activities
We also run holiday activities between terms which we call KEEN+. Recent holiday activities include carol singing, a disco, rock climbing, a swimming party, trampolining, an Easter Egg hunt and rounders match, and a music concert.
The cost of KEEN
All of our activities are offered FREE to everyone (both coaches and athletes), apart from some of our over 18s activities. We provide free transport to and from sessions and some KEEN+ activities for those who live in Oxford and would not otherwise be able to come.
The KEEN athletes
KEEN’s activities are open to all young people in Oxfordshire who have special needs and their siblings. We work with a huge range of abilities from mild learning difficulties to quadriplegia, Down's Syndrome to Autism. It’s exciting and challenging to have such a mix of abilities. Many athletes are able to help others out, letting them to put their own disabilities into context.
Fun!
Fun is a key word at all KEEN activities! Socially, physically and mentally, the emphasis at KEEN is on fun. Our sessions are always full of smiling faces. For many of the athletes, and coaches, KEEN is the highlight of their week. As Tom, one of our most devote athletes, says, "I miss KEEN when it is not on".
Benefits
The benefits of KEEN are almost too numerous to mention. Athletes often gain confidence, pride, and a sense of belonging, as well as making great steps physically. The students become their friends as well as their coaches. For the often over-worked parents, KEEN provides a much-needed break, and all activities are free. For the students, KEEN - as well as being a lot of fun - offers a chance to become more involved with the local community.