Popular disabled karate event in Ciren (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Popular disabled karate event in Ciren

CHILDREN and young people from across the region flocked to the Cotswold Leisure Centre last week for the south west's first martial arts festival for people with disabilities.

Groups from 16 different schools got stuck into a variety of events including karate, judo and kick-boxing.

Alan Reid, festival organiser and leisure marketing manager at Cotswold District Council, said the event had been a roaring success.

He said: "We're absolutely delighted with it, at two minutes to ten there were only two people here and then all of a sudden they all piled in."

The idea to hold the festival in Cirencester came about after Alan took a group of students from Cirencester College to another martial arts event in Kent.

"That was the nearest festival," explained Alan. "And because one of our students won the group we thought we would host it."

The event, which was sponsored by Cotswold District Council, Cirencester Town Council, D&J Sports and Cirencester College, now looks set to become a regular event with next year's festival hopefully taking place in the new leisure centre.