A mum frustrated at having her take her disabled 18-year-old son to women’s toilets at football grounds has made her local stadium completely accessible - and now wants other non-league clubs to follow suit.

Penny Woods has upgraded Sheppey United’s Holm Park so that her sports-mad son can watch his favourite team without worrying about how he’ll get around.

Harry Mosdell, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, has supported the Isthmian League side since he was seven, partly because his other footballing love, Liverpool FC, was too difficult to get to.

The mum and son duo, who live in Queenborough, watch the Ites home and away but, during their travels, they found most non-league grounds do not have disabled facilities.

This included Sheppey’s Holm Park where there was no way for Harry to access the bar in the main building, where fans are able to meet the players after games, as there was no lift.

While there was a disabled toilet in the same building it was difficult to access as the only ramps were via the players’ dressing rooms or available by exiting the stadium and using a side entrance.

This all changed after former club chairman, Tony Hughes, met Harry shortly after he took over the day-to-day operations at the club in August 2023 and heard first-hand the issues the family faced when supporting their team.

After speaking to Penny, 41, he saw she was passionate about changing things and brought her in as the disability and inclusion officer last February.

Since then, the Minster Primary School teaching assistant has installed ramps, a stairlift to the upstairs bar in the main building and a designated wheelchair space in the stands.

The £5,000 upgrade means all areas of the ground are now fully accessible for visitors.

Penny told KentOnline she would like to see other clubs follow suit.

She said: “Not a lot of non-league clubs are accessible with some not even having disabled toilet facilities.

“It's hard work sometimes going to the away games if Harry needs to go to the toilet.

“He's a young lad now, he doesn't want his mum taking him into the ladies' toilet.

“Unfortunately, we have to do that because it's just very rare that there are disabled facilities.

“So all the changes we have made here have been because I want Harry and other disabled people to enjoy football and not have to worry about where he can go to the toilet.

“I see at away games all the boards with advertisers and just think that these clubs should be using those companies to help them fund their upgrades.

“We have shown that it can be done at a minimal cost to a club."

Harry, who is studying design and media at Canterbury College, says he is “very proud” of his mum and the club for bringing in the changes.

He said: “It means a lot to me because, at the end of the game, all the Sheppey players go up to the top bar and have a little conversation with the fans.

“When we didn't have the stairlift my mum would always say ‘no’ to going up there.

“But since all the changes it's been very easy and I always go up and speak to the players.

“I would like to see other football clubs bring in facilities like we have.

“When we go to away games there are no disabled toilets and I don't feel comfortable going into the ladies' room as I should be going to the men's.

“So I'm very proud of my mum and of all the work she has put in.”

The club has also set up its first pan-disabled team, which caters for children aged between six and 16 with learning difficulties or hearing impairments.

It is managed by Chelsea FC development coach Scott Teague and is set to join the Kent Disability Football League in September.

The dad of three, who lives in Grove Park in Sittingbourne and is a coach at Milton and Fulston Under 13s, says things are coming along nicely.

He said: “It is really rewarding and great to give these lads a chance at playing football when there aren’t always teams around for them.

“My motivation is that my 14-year-old son Olly is autistic and, while he isn’t that into football, I just want to be able to give something back to these lads.

“The parents are really supportive so I’m looking forward to when we get involved in the league.”

Mr Hughes, speaking before he stepped down as chairman of Sheppey United at the weekend, told KentOnline the measures the club had brought in were part of an effort to make the stadium the “centrepiece of the Island”.

He said: “We want it to be a social place for people to come, where everyone feels included and not left out because they can't get somewhere in the ground.

“So it's been absolutely fantastic to be able to offer that to Harry and the community.

“Penny's done an amazing job up here with doing the pan-disability football. She's made it a club to be proud of, from a disability point of view.

“We wouldn't be where we are today without the likes of Penny doing what she's done.”