Any-Body Month is the university's annual disability sport awareness event, which breaks down barriers to participation while inspiring more people to become active.

The initiative, which is in its third year and provides all students and staff with the chance to try 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sports for free, won the Inspire mark award in 2011.

This followed the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) ‘Diversity in Sport Award’ the same scheme won in 2010.

Hannah Webber, Disability Sports Officer at the university and Any-Body Month organiser said: “The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the barriers facing disabled people accessing sport, as well as inspiring more people to get active. We are really keen to include and celebrate sports which feature in the Olympic and Paralympic programme."

Organisers hope to attract record numbers to the events held over three weekends next month. Those that attend will be able to have a go at wheelchair rugby, badminton and swimming at University Park on March 10th, goalball and dance at Sutton Bonington on March 17th and tennis, sitting volleyball and yoga at Jubilee on March 24th.

To help participants to get the most out of the sessions, representatives from national governing bodies and regional sports groups have been signed up to deliver coaching, while a number of the university’s sports clubs and societies will help with the sessions and learn how to make their own clubs more inclusive.

Daniel Griffin, Sitting Volleyball Development Manager at Volleyball England said: “The event encapsulates the spirit of Sitting Volleyball, a sport that can be played by people with or without a disability.

“2012 is a crucial year in the development of Paralympic sports in Britain so it is great to see 2012 Inspire marked events giving people the opportunity to try these sports and develop a greater understanding of them. We hope that by giving people the opportunity to play Sitting Volleyball, they will decide to take up the sport in the future!”

Seb Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, added: “I am proud that with the help of partners such as the University of Nottingham, we are delivering our vision to use the power of London 2012 to boost participation among people, no matter what their ability or past experience.”

By Stuart Appleby