The MOVE Partnership

Background

The MOVE Partnership was established in 1999 by The Prince of Wales’ Advisory Group on Disability, as one of the flagship projects designed to accelerate the inclusion of disabled people into society. By 2007, this project’s potential for achieving real progress meant that the MOVE Programme and its development would be the charity's sole focus.

The organisation consists of 6 members of staff and thousands of volunteers, and operates across Europe bringing opportunities for mobility and independence to those with severe physical disabilities and/or complex needs. The inspiration for this programme came from work undertaken in the late 1980’s in the US by MOVE International, after it was discovered that many physically disabled children were leaving school with fewer skills than when they started.

Fundamental to the approach is the recognition that movement stimulates learning. A child restricted to a wheelchair does not have the same learning opportunities as a child able to explore their environment. The more a child can move and interact with their environment, the more opportunity they have to be stimulated by it. As interest grows, so does motivation and, with it, the ability to play a part in the world around them.

The MOVE Programme is now being used throughout the world to transform the lives of disabled children in a number of different countries. To find out where MOVE is based, please see MOVE Across the World.

Our work so far

More than 4,000 children and adults have already benefitted from the MOVE Programme. Many of these were not expected to make much improvement in their capabilities, but most have exceeded all expectations, in both their mobility and independence. Perhaps more significantly, all have made progress to the best of their abilities.

Currently, over 500 schools, adult centres, hospital departments and child development centres already use the MOVE Programme. It is also an integral part of the MA course in Special Educational Needs (“Enabling Learning, Inclusion and Institutional Development”) offered by Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent.

Read more about the MOVE Programme.