Month: August 2016

Central Events Calendar

Central Disability Events and Coach Education Calendar

Scottish Disability Sport (Central) is delighted to launch the Regional Disability Events Calendar for the forthcoming academic year (August 2016 – 2017).

Cheryl Willet, SDS Central RDM, would like to thank partners from Forth Valley Disability Sport, Clackmannanshire Council, Active Stirling, Falkirk Community Trust, Scottish Swimming, Scottish Athletics, Scottish Boccia and the Scottish FA for their ongoing support in collating this robust calendar for the year ahead.

Please click on links below for information:

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact: Cheryl Willet – cheryl.willet@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830 360

 

Central Scotland Disability Tennis Session

Disability Tennis Central Come and Try

Both of the following sessions are free of charge and will promote pathways for regular tennis sessions for players with a disability.

Wheelchair Tennis Open session

Monday 5th September 2016, Gannochy Sports Centre, 6 – 8pm. To book a place on the day please use the link below:

https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/OpenDays/GannochyNationalTennisCentre/12e22fc1-89bf-4bdd-949c-9edeb0d64aa3

Disability Tennis for Players with Hearing and Visual Impairments

Sun 18th September 2016, Stirling Lawn Tennis Club, 2 – 4pm. To book a place on the day use the link below:

https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/HannahPickfordCoaching/Coaching/Session/1b986d16-fef3-4193-b295-c13473f10982

For more information on both open days, and regular disability tennis sessions, please contact Kirsty Humphries at Tennis Scotland on Kirsty.Humphries@tennisscotland.org.

Kirsty Brunton with Cheryl Taylor and Sheila Herron

PB For Fife Swimmer at Great Scottish Swim

As well as being an extremely competent distance swimmer in the pool and an important member of the Fife physically disabled swim squad, Kirtsy Brunton from Dalgety Bay is a very able open water swimmer. Kirsty was in fine form in the recent Great Scottish Swim at Loch Lomond where she swam a personal best for the event of 42:18.

Kirsty set a PB earlier in the year at Windermere and indicated she enjoyed Loch Lomond immensely because “the water temperature was 16.5 and a wee bit chilly around the face.”

Kirsty is a relative newcomer to DSF but an inspirational personality in so many ways. Kirsty is a very competent sailor who will try anything new that is presented to her. Aquatic sports are her specialty and DSF has benefited enormously from her arrival on the scene a couple of years ago.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Dumfries & Galloway Council logo

Boccia and Football Coaching in Dumfries & Galloway

Boccia Leaders Award
Saturday 10 September 2016, 11am-2pm
DG One, Dumfries
£20 per person (this course is subsidised through Awards for All funding and would normally cost £30 per person)
Boccia is a Paralympic sport. The Boccia Leaders Award will provide coaches, teachers and volunteers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to introduce boccia to children, young people and adults with a wide range of abilities. The tutor will organise theory and practical sessions that provide an overview of the structure of the sport. rules and relevant practices.

Coaching Footballers with Disabilities
Sunday 16 October 2016, 10am-4pm
Annan Athletics Football Club
£30 per person (this course is subsidised through Awards for All funding and would normally cost £54 per person)
This six-hour course is open to all interested parties aged 16 and over, experienced or otherwise, who work with, or have an interest in working with, footballers with disabilities. Using practical and workshop teaching methods, the course is designed to give coaches an insight into best practice when delivering coaching sessions to groups of players with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.

For further information on either opportunity or to register, please contact Susan Bryson, Coaching Development Officer, on 0303 333 3000 or email Susan.Bryson@dumgal.gov.uk.

 

August 22, 2016

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 22nd August 2016 at Caledonia House, South Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9DQ at 1700 hours.

Attendees:

Catherine Goodfellow, Vice Chair
Gavin Macleod, CEO
Dave Rhoney, Director
Oliver Barsby, Director
Sandra Proudfoot, Director
Anna Tizzard, Director
Ailien Pallot, Finance Manager
Caroline Lyon, Company Secretary

Apologies:

Janice Eaglesham MBE, Chair
Claire Morrison, Director
Iain Smith, Director
Gerry Milne, Director
Jennifer Griffin, sportscotland Partnership Manager

Welcome, Apologies, Conflicts of Interest and Legal Register

Board members were all welcomed to the Board meeting.  With apologies received from the Chair, the Vice Chair would chair this meeting.

No conflicts of interest were reported and there were no pending items for the legal register.

Agreement of Minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting on 13th June 2016 were agreed with minor amendments.

Actions:

  • Live testing of policies is under review and a number have been tested in real circumstances recently.
  • The target tracker and governance framework have been distributed.
  • A meeting had been held with the Celtic FC Foundation and funding was secured for another year. The Inclusive Sport programme will continue, belonging to Celtic FC Foundation and run by SDS.
  • The Articles of Association had been amended to reflect the point concerning removing the need for re-election of the CEO on the Board and should be circulated to member Branches.
  • The Recruitment Policy is to be amended and the CEO asked sportscotland for examples to use in the draft. OB will forward examples from Scottish Target Shooting.
  • The CEO had met with Jacqueline Lynn and James Steele of sportscotland regarding Active Schools, Direct Club Investment and Community Sports Hubs. sportscotland will be unlikely to view Branches as Community Sports Hubs. It was however, requested that Disability Inclusion Training be rolled out across Scotland although there was no funding commitment at this stage.
  • Work on the new SDS database is ongoing.
  • 14th October was set as the date for the sportscotland investment presentation.
  • Jennifer Scally had been appointed to the part-time Tayside Regional Manager post.
  • The new SDS website was operational and staff were thanked for the considerable work involved and for costs savings by being able to develop this in-house
  • The training and skills audit was to be conducted as part of the Board planning sessions in October.

Matters Arising

  • The sportscotland development audit was likely to be held in February/March 2017. A briefing session had been held and attended by four staff and Board members. The full audit was expected to take up to six days.

Sub Groups

Governance

Finance

  • The Finance Manager provided an update. The operational plan format remains the same but will incorporate five new headings. The plan has been costed and some of the funding request is aspirational, and may have to be adjusted depending on the outcome of the funding proposal to sportscotland.
  • A request would be made for consideration of a Boccia development officer.
  • The performance budget is still to be finalised.
  • Additional funding will be required for sending bowlers to Australia next year in preparation for the Gold Coast 2018.
  • Specific targets will be set for bowls and Boccia to reflect governing body status.
  • Education and training estimates include Active Schools and hubs training. There is still some input from Sainsburys and Education Scotland funding.
  • The finance report was circulated.
  • Costs would be investigated for the office refurbishment.
  • An overview was given of the draft management accounts. The biggest potential change was to the performance budget.
  • A target was set to establish two new Branches for the West of Scotland.
  • The advanced level of the Equality Standard for Sport was to be investigated but the aim for the moment would be to retain intermediate status.
  • sportscotland had been approached regarding funding for a communications and marketing resource but it was more likely that alternative funding sources would be considered.

Policy Review

  • The Business Continuity Plan had been amended and distributed. The changes were operational and the policy was agreed.
  • The Recruitment Selection Policy had been discussed at the previous Board meeting and sent to Iain Smith for review and comment.
  • The Articles of Association had been amended and would be presented at the AGM.
  • The Transgender Guidelines had been circulated.

AGM

  • The arrangements for the Annual General Meeting at Stirling Court Hotel were detailed.  This was the first AGM which was to be combined with the Branch Conference.
  • The Board were formally invited to the Branch Conference.

Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards Dinner

  • Three seats were available at the Team Scotland dinner on 28th September and all interested parties were asked to notify the CEO.
  • The Linlithgow Grange Rotary Club dinner would be held on 16th September, and would be attended by the CEO and the Pathways Manager. An athlete and companion were also invited and suggestions for invitees should be made to the CEO.

Strategic Plan Update and Presentation

  • Work on the draft strategic plan was in progress. A draft would be available for presentation at the AGM. The plan would be high-level with outcomes and models discussed in the investment presentation. The role of Local Authorities would be clearer in the draft. It was agreed the strapline would still refer to athletes with a disability. Feedback would be requested from Board members not present.
  • A pod meeting (an internal group from sportscotland with a responsibility for SDS) had been held with CEO
  • The Board sub group on the Minimum Operating Standards (MOR) would meet on 23rd September to discuss MOR submissions from Perth & Kinross Disability Sport and South Lanarkshire Disability Sport.
  • It was agreed that “engagement sports” should be changed to “signposting sports”.

Board Members’ Updates

  • The Chair had attended several strategic planning group meetings.
  • Anna Tizzard, Dave Rhoney and Oli Barsby had all attended the summer sports camp. Preparation for the camp was started the day prior to the Camp and it was agreed that this made the launch of the camp easier. A huge amount of effort had gone into the organisation of the camp and appreciation was expressed to Mark Gaffney, Opportunities and Events Manager, and Kate Shaw, Administrator. The feedback received from parents and children had been extremely good and this positive feedback had been passed onto Celtic FC Foundation, partners in delivering the camp.

Partners Update

  • A ParalympicsGB media brief had been circulated and was considered very positive. There had been good media coverage in the run-up to the Games.
  • A daily sport update would be posted on the website during the Games and athlete and coach profiles highlighted.
  • The CPISRA General Assembly would be held in Barcelona in November and the CEO and Chair would attend. Peter Drysdale was standing for president and SDS would nominate him.
  • UKSA had been unsuccessful in their bid to Spirit of 2012 for My Sport, My Voice and the office was now closed. Tracy McCillen, the CEO, remains the only member of staff. A conference call had been held with the Board last week to confirm the decision and she will move to working on a part-time consultancy basis.
  • It had been confirmed that Deodora would be the venue for the football at the Paralympic Games.

AOB

  • The Chair and Vice Chair would consult regarding the format of the Board planning session on 28/29 October. This would allow greater focus on a number of areas, including sourcing additional income and fundraising.
  • Boccia Championships were to be held at Napier University, Sighthill.

Date of Next Meeting

  • AGM: 2nd October 2016 at Stirling Court Hotel.
  • Board: 28 October 2016 at 1600 hours
Sam Fernando

Outstanding PB by Fife Athlete

12 months ago at the England Athletics Age Group and IPC Championships in Bedford, Sam Fernando from Gateside and Fife AC ran a time of 4:28.93 for 1500 metres. On Saturday 27th August 2016 Sam returned to Bedford for the same event and ran 4:19.88, an improvement of around 9 seconds.

Sam is coached by Ron Morrison and competes in the T20 class in disability athletics. Sam is the leading Under 20 athlete in the T20 class and was voted leading male athlete at the Disability Sport Fife Championships earlier in the year. Sam has top three UK rankings across a range of distance events.

1500 metres is the only distance event available to T20 athletes on the Paralympic programme and In Sam Fernado and Owen Miller from Dunfermline, Fife AC has two of the country’s leading T20 athletes. Sam has made significant progress since he joined coach Ron and Owen similarly has had a fine season to date under his new coach Steve Doig.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Drumchapel Table Tennis Club

Drumchapel Table Tennis Club British League Match

British League Premier Division
Saturday 27th August 2016 at 3.00pm

Drumchapel Table Tennis Club will be hosting their first British League (Premier Division) match of the 2016/2017 season, on Saturday 27th August at 3.00pm.

Entry is free and everyone is welcome. A good crowd to cheer on the team would be wonderful.

DRUMCHAPEL GLASGOW 1 v HALTON 1

Playing at Drumchapel Table Tennis Club
195b Drumry Road East
Glasgow G15 8NS
Tel: 0141 944 7276

Alex Philips

Lothian Disability Sport Lawn Bowls Championships 2016

Sunday 21st August 2016

Longniddry Bowling Club

Longniddry Bowling Club welcomed a number of new players to this year’s annual Lothian Disability Sport Lawn Bowls Championships, providing the stage for many individuals with a physical disability or sensory impairment to showcase their undoubted talent on the green.  The competition attracted three new players from Edinburgh and the Borders to compete alongside some of the more experienced campaigners on the disability bowls circuit and the result was some excellent shots and some very tight and entertaining matches.

The event saw an increase of 27% on last year’s number and this is an area that the branch is extremely keen to develop.  Although the competition received some withdrawals on the day, the organisers were able to draw two groups of players, resulting in some enthralling bowls.  Last year’s Section 5 winner Carole Martin (Longniddry Bowling Club) was matched with two newcomers this year in Mike Nicoll (Jedburgh Bowling Club) and Mary Wilson (Fife) and although played well throughout, was pipped to first and second by Nicoll and Wilson respectively.  Robert Kelly, the East Lothian bowler, continued his incredible record at the competition as he claimed his third successive title in the combined section without dropping any points on route to victory. However, he was pushed all the way by Alex Philips (Sighthill Bowling Club) and Gary Clelland (Bellsburn Bowling Club).  Philips was competing at this first LDS competition and has only been bowling from a Bradshaw Buggy for a number of weeks, highlighting the potential he has in the sport.

The club once again provided hospitality that was second to none with President Mike Carey and Treasurer George Anderson on hand throughout the day to assist with setting the green up, marking ties and all round support for all players involved.  A special mention to the club members who also provided the wonderful assistance serving lunch, teas, coffees and cakes.  Additionally, many thanks to all LDS committee members who supported on the day and in the lead up to the event.

Bowls in the Lothian region is exciting at the moment, with the increase in numbers attending local opportunities to the recent appointment of the East Lothian Indoor Bowls Coordinator.  This post holder will work closely with Lothian Disability Sport to increase awareness of local and national opportunities in the sport and engage more players from the region.  If you have a disability and you are interested in the sport, please get in touch for more information – admin@lothiandisabilitysport.co.uk or 0131 475 2364.

Derek Rae with Scottish Athletics Teammates

Fife Athlete in Top Ten Finish in Dublin

Paralympian Derek Rae from Kirkcaldy and Fife AC will head out to Rio on 8th September to join his Great Britain team mates. Coach Ron Morrison has scheduled quality races and a very detailed training programme between now and departure date. The most recent competition involved a return to Dublin for the Frank Duffy 10.

For the first time in 2013 Scottish Athletics invited Derek to join the squad for the Frank Duffy 10 mile around the streets of Dublin. This was Derek’s first call up by his governing body and he justified his selection with a time of 56.54 and 41st place. One year later, he returned to Dublin and finished 26th in a time of 54.47. There were only 5 minutes between Derek and the leading athlete on the day.

Conditions this year were extremely challenging so the time became irrelevant for coach and athlete. A top finishing position was the target for the day and true to form Derek delivered. 8th place and only 2.30 behind the leader for a best performance by far in the Frank Duffy 10. Another very positive result for the man from Fife who will be Great Britain’s only ambulant marathon runner at the Paralympic Games in Rio in September.

Photo: Derek extreme right with his Scottish Athletics colleagues

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife