How Chloe inspires children with special educational needs

Chloe McBratney has been named Community Captain by Cardiff City in recognition of her incredible contribution in raising the profile of Premier League Primary Stars in local special educational needs (SEN) schools.

Chloe was born with vision impairment, and at a young age was diagnosed with bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia, a condition that causes further visual reduction. Subsequently, she was also diagnosed with macular hypoplasia and will eventually lose her sight.

Despite her prognosis, Chloe’s love for sports has driven her on to overcome challenges and succeed in her role as SEN multi-sports coach at Cardiff City Community Foundation.

In her role at the Community Foundation, Chloe has made a significant impact in 12 local primary schools working with children who have special educational needs. By building strong connections within the SEN community, she has supported and developed the delivery of the PL Primary Stars programme in the Cardiff area. Thanks to Chloe, these schools now also have access to a sensory room at Cardiff City Stadium to further enhance their opportunities.

Additionally, Chloe has actively taken the lead in organising inclusive football festivals, social action projects, one-to-one interventions and delivering physical education lessons with multiple schools. This hard work has provided increased opportunities for children with SEN to engage in physical activity and sport. 

Chloe has been rewarded for her outstanding contribution to her local community by being honoured with the Community Captain accolade, part of the Premier League's “More than a game” campaign, and becoming the third such award winner to have a bespoke mural painted, the other two being at Newcastle United and Burnley.

In keeping with her determination and desire to make the mural as accessible as possible to all, Chloe was involved in the project from the start.

The mural of Chloe and Emily displays the key message "Your disability doesn't define your ability", and includes a tactile plaque designed for people with visual impairments, while a braille pad is to be installed.

Cardiff City captain Joe Ralls was present at the mural reveal along with staff from the Community Foundation, Chloe’s family and her beloved guide dog Emily, who has become an integral part of Chloe's life and journey since 2019.

Emily has proven to be a perfect partner, assisting with Chloe's efforts to support the mental and physical wellbeing of children, particularly those with disabilities. Emily plays a crucial role in facilitating interactions with children, contributing positively to their overall experience on the Premier League funded programme.

To celebrate the Premier League's More than a game campaign, Ralls also presented Chloe with the Community Captain's armband before Cardiff's home Championship win against Stoke City. There are now 164 Community Captains recognised across England and Wales.

Luke Jenkins-Jones, PL Primary Stars Coordinator at the Community Foundation said: "Well done Chloe, our Community Champion! This well-deserved award is a testament to the positive impact you've made through your hard work in primary education, especially with young people with additional learning needs - and the positive influence you've had on our community."

Chloe's efforts have significantly widened access to exercise, sport, and football for children in South Wales. Her commitment to diversity is evident in every aspect of her work, reinforcing Chloe's - and the Community Foundation's - dedication to changing lives and transforming communities.

What is Premier League Primary Stars?

Premier League Primary Stars is the Premier League's primary school education programme, using the appeal of football to support children to be active and develop essential life skills. It is available to every primary school in England and Wales, with over 19,000 schools engaged with the programme. More than 1.3million school sessions and events have already been delivered.

Funded by the Premier League, through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the programme has enabled over 68,000 teachers to use resources for English, PSHE, PE and Maths, to help children to be active and develop essential life skills. There are 650+ free resources available.

Currently 104 professional football club charities from the National League to the Premier League run in-classroom Primary Stars sessions in local schools, with over 18m attendances by primary school pupils.

To find out more about delivering the programme in your school, please visit plprimarystars.com.