Month: October 2016

Active Schools Boccia Session

West Fife Active Schools October Programme

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) is privileged to enjoy a very special relationship with the Active Schools team in Fife. Staff members across Fife are constantly on the lookout for youngsters with a physical, sensory or learning disability who might benefit from DSF activities and in some areas of Fife Active Schools staff organise very successful inclusive weekly multi sports sessions and specific holiday programmes.

In the west of Fife for example there are well established early evening multi sports sessions at Beath Community Use HS and Dunfermline Community Use HS. When approached by Andrew Baird from the Active Schools team in the west of Fife for support with their 2016 October holiday programme, DSF was happy to approach partners, athletes and volunteer coaches to assist with the delivery of some sessions at Dunfermline Community Use HS for pupils with additional support needs.

DSF athletics coach Gayle Sloan from Dunfermline, ably assisted by athlete Callum Sloan, delivered a run and jump and throws session which was well received by all the enthusiastic young participants. Fresh from their exploits in Rio, Paralympian Kieran Steer from Crossgates and  GB Boccia coach Claire Morrison from Dalgety Bay, followed up two days later with an equally challenging and exciting boccia session. Young senior high schools volunteers from local Secondary Schools were in attendance to offer their support.

The Fife model of inclusive programming and delivery offers the opportunity for more children to be more active, more often regardless of ability. The October Active Schools programme in west Fife involved a wide range of partners and the beneficiaries were the many youngsters with additional support needs who signed up for the sessions. Partnership working in Fife is the norm not the exception.

Photo: Claire and Kieran – Active Schools staff Murray McBain and Andrew Baird – Queen Anne HS volunteer Sophie

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Deaf-Friendly Swimming Lessons

Want to improve your swimming skills and make new friends?
Sport Aberdeen in partnership with The National Deaf Children’s Society are holding deaf-friendly swimming lessons for deaf children and young people in two Aberdeen locations!
The activities are suitable for all abilities from complete beginners to confident swimmers. You will take part in fun activities and learn new skills, delivered by fully qualified swimming teachers

To make a booking or for further information please contact  Eleanor Connelly, Swimming Development Officer:  0141 354 7850  swimming@ndcs.org.uk

Please click here to download the flyer

Please click here to down load the Additional Information form

 

 

 

 

Frame and football

Frame Football in West Lothian

Use a walker style frame? Exciting football opportunity for young people.

 Frame football is an excellent opportunity for individuals who use walking / gait training equipment such as a Frame or Walker to try and play football and this opportunity will be open to young people aged between 3 and 16 years old.  Please see the details below surrounding an exciting new opportunity in West Lothian.

Day:       Friday (beginning on 4th November)

Time:    5pm – 6pm

Venue: Linlithgow Academy, Linlithgow, EH49 6EH

Cost:      Free

If you are interested to find out more about this opportunity or to book a place at the session, please contact Kevin Ferguson on 0776 788 6710 or kevin.ferguson@westlothian.gov.uk.

Please click here to download the session flyer.

RNIB Scotland/Royal Blind Transition Weekends

RNIB Scotland Education and Family Services and the Royal Blind School will be running a weekend for young people aged 15-18 years at Drever House, 12 West Savile Road, Edinburgh EH16 5NB on, either 11-13 November 2016 or 3-5 March 2017.

The weekend aims to bring together young people who are blind or partially sighted in a relaxed and informal setting so that they can share experiences, offer and receive support, provide advice and guidance to each other as well as to have fun!

The weekend will include exploring sight loss, independent living skills, mobility, mindfulness and social events to help develop independence for transition to post school placement or employment.

There is no charge for this weekend, all accommodation, activities, meals and drinks are included. There is no transport included, but if this is likely to be a problem please contact us.

If you have any questions or would like more information please contact Anne Marie Fleming on 0131 652 3140 or email efs@rnib.org.uk.

 

 

 

Gordon Reid

Reid Heads Entries for NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters

It’s official. The international Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed that four British players, including Paralympic gold medallist and Wimbledon men’s singles champion Gordon Reid,, will compete at the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters 2016 in London (30 Nov-4 Dec).

Tournament success throughout the year has ensured Reid (world No.2), Andy Lapthorne (quad world No.4), Jordanne Whiley (world No.5), and Lucy Shuker (world No.8) will all fly the flag for Britain at the ITF’s year-end wheelchair tennis singles championship at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

Reid, from Helensburgh in Scotland, said: “I know you are only as good as your last match and that the competition will be really intense at the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters. I’m just going to knuckle down and work hard to give myself every opportunity to win this title. That would be a dream finale to my year.”

Competition will be tough in all of the disciplines, with Joachim Gerard (Belgium), Jiske Griffioen (Netherlands) and David Wagner (USA), the respective reigning men’s, women’s and quad champions, all returning to defend their titles.

The top eight ranked men’s and women’s players and top six quad players at the ITF ranking list cut-off of 10 October qualify for the Masters making it one of the most prestigious events on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Photo courtesy of the Tennis Foundation.

 

 

South Lanarkshire and Perth & Kinross

PKDS & SLDS ensure 100% Branch MOR Success

The remaining two member branches to complete their Minimum Operating Requirements (MOR) were celebrating at this year’s SDS AGM as they were notified they had been successful in their efforts to ensure that their branch was fully aligned to the SDS MOR criteria.

Perth & Kinross Disability Sport (PKDS) and South Lanarkshire Disability Sport (SLDS) have worked hard in improving their branch operations across the five main headings of the SDS Strategic Plan 2012-2017:

  • Branch, Local & Regional Opportunities
  • Developing Talent & Performance
  • Education & Coaching
  • Governance & Infrastructure
  • Communication & Leadership

For Perth & Kinross this achievement has been an immediate positive by-product of their appointment of a professional officer (Caroline Ness) through their position as an official charity of the 2014 Ryder Cup. Lynn Melville – the current Chair of the organisation – said

“PKDS are delighted to obtain the branch Minimum Operating Requirements and provides us with a robust and strong structure behind the charity and allows us to continue with our exciting development plans. Well done to Caroline Ness for all her hard work and the branch trustees who have supported this process.”

For South Lanarkshire it is testament to the hard work undertaken by the board of trustees of the charity in making stronger links to the local authority and trust through Patrick Murphy the Development Services Manager of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture.

SDS had set a target of all branches achieving MOR before March 2017 and these presentations confirm this success well ahead of schedule. The process now continues with ongoing evaluations and a re-accreditation process to ensure branches remain fully fit for purpose.

Congratulations to PKDS and SLDS on their respective achievements.

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SDS Boccia Open Championships (Non-Bisfed) 2016

Saturday 8th October 2016 – [EN]GAGE Sports Centre, Napier University, Edinburgh

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) were supported by local branch, Lothian Disability Sport (LDS) to deliver the annual Scottish Boccia Open Championships for players out with the bisfed classification, attracting around 60 players to Edinburgh on Saturday 8th October.

The event saw players from across Scotland, as well as entrants from England (Derek Sked) and Northern Ireland (Caroline Millar), compete in sections for players with a physical disability (class A), players with a learning disability (class B, male and female) and a junior section for players under the age of 16.  The large entry allowed for some excellent competition throughout the day in all sections, providing players the opportunity to test themselves against their peers from across the country – some renewing old rivalries and some experiencing the competitive stage for the first time.  This competitive element was particularly evident in class B as numbers allowed for four groups in both male and female categories, meaning that the group winner only would qualify for the semi final stage – this was tough for some players who managed to claim a number of victories and were disappointed as first place was decided on shots difference.  Lothian continued their proud record of dominance in the female section as Jodie Lavin (Lothian Special Olympics) defeated experienced campaigner Kirsty McCallum (No Limits, Lothian) in a tightly contested final, 3-2.  Philippa Robertson (Lothian Special Olympics) produced some excellent shots in the bronze medal match, defeating Harriet Davis 6-5 meaning that the region recorded a clean sweep in the medal stakes.  James Muirhead of Kirkriggs Boccia Club adapted superbly to the transition between junior to senior competition, claiming an impressive victory in the male class B section at the first time of asking – narrowly defeating Tayside Special Olympics player David Carlin in a tie break after the players were locked at 3-3 after four ends.  Forth Valley’s Darren Rooney proved victorious in the 3rd/4th place play off, defeating Scott Bruce (Lothian Special Olympics) 4-3 in another display of impressive boccia.

Class A provided a slightly more UK-wide feel as entrants from England and Northern Ireland supplemented the entry from across Scotland.  Last year’s winner Derek Sked (England) replicated the form from 12 months ago to claim victory in convincing fashion with a 7-0 win against Northern Ireland’s Caroline Millar at the final stage meaning he would take the gold medal across the border once again.  The bronze medal match was contested by two East of Scotland Boccia club players as Heather Nicolson and Adam Stafford battled out a closely contested match with Nicolson building on her victory at last weekend’s Borders Boccia competition to claim victory 6-3.

The junior category was another hotly contested section with Dumfries & Galloway player Morgan Deer displaying consistent and impressive form throughout, culminating in a 6-5 win against Michael Gilhooly  (Kirkriggs Boccia Club) in the section final.  Calum Thomson capped off an enjoyable day, defeating Kaitlin Dow 6-4 in the bronze medal match.  Additionally, the most improved junior is also recognised at these championships with Dundee Boccia Club working closely with clubs across the country to identify a youngster who has developed their game over the previous 12 months.  This year’s selected recipient of the shield was Patrick Boyce of Kirkriggs Boccia Club.

The championships were supported superbly by the staff at [EN]GAGE who provided an excellent environment for players to express themselves on the court.  Thanks is also extended to the dedicated and knowledgeable band of officials who allowed the day to run smoothly from start to finish, alongside announcer Richard Mann whose expertise on the microphone added to the atmosphere throughout.  Lastly, the clubs, coaches and players continue to support the event in their numbers and continue to produce the performances that seem to make the event a greater

Badminton Inclusion Workshop Central region

Monday 10th October saw the success of the Central Badminton Inclusion Workshop hosted by Clackmannanshire Council, Badminton Scotland and Scottish Disability Sport. 13 enthusiastic coaches, teachers and volunteers attended the practical workshop and covered topics such as disability inclusion and how to increase technical knowledge in sport.

Many thanks to Clackmannanshire Council Sports Development for hosting the workshop and Badminton Scotland for tutoring the course. 

Gemma Lumsdaine

House of Lords Launch for Wheelchair Rugby Campaign

Angus-based athlete Gemma Lumsdaine travelled to Westminster last week to address guests at the House of Lords in an event to launch “Supporting Tomorrows Superstars”, a campaign which is raising money to buy a new wheelchair rugby chair for each wheelchair rugby club across the UK and Ireland.

The campaign is run by children’s rugby charity Wooden Spoon, and Gemma, who plays wheelchair rugby, spoke about the benefits of disability sport in general. Gemma also outlined how wheelchair rugby in particular has helped her as it is geared towards athletes impaired in both upper and lower limbs.

Gemma described giving the speech at the House of Lords as nerve-wracking but ensured she made the most of the opportunity to promote disability sport to the audience which included sportsmen, dignitaries, charity funders and ex-Paralympians.