After hearing about the success of the RANS (Rovers Adult Neurodiversity Project), a project delivered by Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, Rovers' Support Liaison Access and Inclusion Officer, Christina Haines, attended one of the weekly RANS drop-in meetings to explore how the club could support individuals who are neurodiverse in attending live football matches.

This week is Neurodiversity Awareness Week and offers us the perfect time to go into detail about what the RANS project does?

The RANS programme delivers a comprehensive service for adults with neurodiversity.

The service focuses on the following areas of delivery to support neurodiverse adults aged 18 and above:

Peer Support groups and 1-1 support
Information advice and guidance
Building and developing life skills
Group-based social and leisure activities
Behaviour management support and workshops
Employment support and workshops

At the meeting, Christina met Joanne, who had been part of the programme for some time. Through her involvement in the project, Joanne’s confidence has grown, and she has developed strategies to manage her anxiety, enabling her to navigate public spaces much easier.

At the meeting, Joanne expressed a strong desire to attend a football match at Ewood Park and wanted to familiarise herself with the stadium ahead of a matchday. Along with Christina, Joanne explored key areas of our home on a non-matchday, including where to go upon arrival, accessible gates and toilets, concourses, the sensory room, and an explanation of the emergency evacuation plan.

The first recommendation was to have Joanne arrive early, around 45-60 minutes before a match starts, when there would be fewer supporters. This would allow her to enter the stadium and settle into her seat in a quieter environment.

Ewood Park includes various features aimed at supporting individuals with neurodiversity:

Accessible toilets located at each corner of the lower tier stands (no radar key required).
Sensory packs offered free of charge, though they must be booked in advance and are non-returnable. We advise bringing them to each matchday after initial use.
A sensory room, recently refurbished, available before and during the game, with access via the Blackburn End Reception.
Ear defenders: The club recently introduced 10 pairs of children’s ear defenders, though Joanne was encouraged to bring her own.

It was suggested that Joanne start by attending a women’s fixture, as the atmosphere and setup differ from a men’s game. Women’s games have fewer supporters in attendance, and only part of the Jack Walker Stand would normally be open. Joanne agreed to this and attended Rovers Women's game against Portsmouth. A matchday itinerary was created for her, and a steward was assigned to meet Joanne at the turnstile, escort her to her seat, and offer assistance if needed during the match.

Building on the success of attending the Women’s game, Joanne was eager to attend a men’s first-team match at Ewood Park with other participants from the RANS project, with arrangements made to ensure the matchday would be as smooth and calm as possible, replicating the approach used for the Women’s game.

Joanne and the other RANS participants attended the win over Plymouth Argyle in early March, with both Joanne and fellow RANS member Junaid sharing their thoughts:

Joanne said: “Attending a Rovers game was an amazing experience.

"Everything was so well organized, which made it easy to navigate and access everything, removing any stress from the day. I had only ever heard the crowd from the outside before, but being part of it felt surreal. Ilyas and the club have really helped boost my confidence. My self-esteem was not great at the time, and their support has made a huge positive difference.”

Junaid added: “At the match, it was clear that Blackburn Rovers Community Trust had gone above and beyond to ensure a fantastic experience.

"We were well supported by Ilyas and Callum throughout the day and spending time together was a wonderful part of the experience.

"Sitting together in Riverside was also a great decision – we had excellent seats and the view was perfect.”

Supporters can watch a feature on RANS by viewing the video below, which was broadcast on ITV's EFL highlights show earlier this month:

Neurodiversity Awareness Week: Rovers Adult Neurodiversity Project