The disability sports charity SportsAble could face closure after transforming the lives of disabled people for more than 45 years.

An emergency fundraising campaign has been launched which needs to raise £46,000 in two months if the club is to survive.

This year the charity which built its own clubhouse in Braywick Park in Maidenhead should be celebrating its 46th anniversary.

But the pandemic forced it to close its doors almost a year ago. Now it is now facing permanent closure if it does not raise vital funds.

ALSO VIEW: SportsAble exercise sessions on Zoom throughout lockdown

John Jenkins MBE, president of SportsAble said: “Being part of a club like SportsAble is a lifeline to people living with disability, their families, and their friends too. Indeed, many of our members have credited the charity with saving their lives.

“SportsAble is so much more than just a sports club. Its purpose-built clubhouse is a safe place where disabled people can meet, socialise, support each other, have fun and join in a variety of activities, including playing sport to whatever standard they want to. We focus on what people can do, not what they can’t.”

ALSO VIEW: Disabled sports charity at Braywick faces uncertain future

SportsAble has 300 members and is supported by over 100 volunteers who use the club regularly and sometimes travel more than 10 to 15 miles to do so.

Some members have gone on to represent Team GB in the Paralympics.

Before Lockdown, SportsAble offered members more than 14 different sports and activities including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair dance, air weapons, archery and many more.

During Lockdown more than half of SportsAble members did not socialise with anyone outside of their family and almost all have indicated they want to return to SportsAble after the pandemic.

Mr Jenkins said: “We are passionate about disability sport because we know it is good for disabled people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

"If we can raise this money, we can save SportsAble and the charity can keep the doors of its clubhouse open,continuing to provide an essential service to disabled people and the community at large, transforming many lives in the process.”

You can donate on the Just Giving site https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/SaveOurSportsAble or on the Crowdfunding site https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/saveoursportsable