FUNDING for sport provision for disabled children in Flintshire will continue for another year.

Councillors have welcomed the decision after they had feared grants would not be renewed in 2011.

Sport Flintshire runs two programmes for young disabled people in the county.

The Disability Sport Wales community programme, which covers all ages, all impairment groups and all sports, is funded entirely by Disability Sport Wales.

The second programme run by the county is the Active 8-2-16 scheme, a physical activity on referral programme for disabled children and children at risk of exclusion.

It is funded by the Children and Young Peoples Partnership Cymorth fund.

Current financing for these programmes will run out in March 2011.

Chair of Flintshire County Council’s lifelong learning committee, Councillor Peter Macfarlane, said: “The definitive level of some of the grants are still being awaited.

“The members of the committee were very keen that this funding should be maintained. It has produced excellent results so far so the news it will continue is welcome.”

A total of 735 disabled people are involved in the Disability Sport Wales programme and 140 children participate in the Active 8-2-16 scheme.

Cllr Chris Bithell added: “The funding will be much appreciated. People look forward to these things and are reliant on them.”

The Active 8-2-16 scheme is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, who say FCC will get Cymorth funding, but the exact amount is yet to be decided.

The Disability Sport Wales programme is funded by Sport Wales.

In a joint statement, they said: “Funding for the community disability sport programme in Wales, including Flintshire, will continue in 2011. In fact, at the recent Sport Wales Board meeting, funding was confirmed beyond next year and up to 2013.

“While the formal process of allocating budgets is still being undertaken, the intention is for the programme to continue its work at grassroots level.

“We are extremely proud of the programme and we recently held a celebration in North Wales to mark a decade of its work. When disability sport officers were placed in the 22 local authorities ten years ago there were only around 1,000 dedicated opportunities annually in disability sport in Wales. Now that figure is 700,000.

“Despite financial challenges, we are confident that investment in disability sport will continue to produce impressive participation opportunities, and help us to keep punching above our weight at elite level.”