The GSD work with international sports organisations to help young athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as with developing countries as they train and prepare for international competition that would otherwise be out of reach.

The partnership will begin with the GSD helping the IPC hold its first youth workshop in March this year in El Salvador, as part of a new initiative to increase the numbers of athletes participating at the Paralympic Games.

The IPC is receiving $50,000 (£31,000) from the GSD for the initiative and will be working together with neighbouring countries during the workshop including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.

The workshop will include 50 youth coordinators who will receive training in Paralympic sport and as ambassadors to promote disability sports in their own countries.

The IPC estimates that these 50 trainees will influence 1,000 people following the workshop experience while each of the trainees will be equipped to repeat the workshop in their own communities.

Using this model, the IPC hopes to spread Paralympic values in several regions worldwide, with the next workshop to take place in Africa later in 2011.

IPC chief operating officer Georg Schlachtenberger said: "The purpose of this initiative is to engage and identify new athletes, and build a network with the NPCs.

"The workshop will be one week long, ending with a competition for all participants."

A GSD statement added: "We are very excited, and are looking forward to reporting on the success of this campaign after it has concluded.

"For now, we can only anticipate the lives that will be changed and perhaps even the talent that will be discovered.

"But in a few short months, those hopes will become reality."

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