Scottish Disability Sport are working in partnership with East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club and Lothian Disability Sport to plan and deliver an exciting new opportunity for players with a physical, sensory or learning impairment.  The development day will provide an insight to the sport of bowls for new players while also providing coaching and participation information for existing bowlers.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is the recognised governing body for para bowls in Scotland and are excited to be working alongside local partners to identify players in the east region of Scotland with the aim of establishing a regular para bowls session at East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club.  The details of the session can be found below and also by clicking here.

Event:   East of Scotland Para Bowls Development Day

Date:     Sunday 12^th February 2017

Time:    12 noon – 2.00pm

Venue: East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club, East Lothian, EH33 1LZ

To express an interest or for further information, please get in touch on 0131 625 4414 or  email neal.herbert@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

 

 

 

Forth Valley Disability Sport Awards will recognise the commitment, achievement and contribution that our athletes, coaches, volunteers and clubs have made to our community in Forth Valley in 2016.

The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Monday, 20th February 2017 at The Stirling Albert Hall, Albert Place, Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2QL. We welcome all award applications with a closing date of Wednesday 25th January.

For more information and if you would like to make a nomination please see the Forth Valley Disability Sport website.

Congratulations to Scottish Disability Sport Academy athlete Brad Stewart from Ladybank who won the Double Portsmouth Shoot at Bannockburn with personal best scores in both morning and afternoon sessions of the 60 arrow shoot.

The Disability Sport Fife archer shot 576/600 in his first session and improved on his PB with a second session score of 588/600 to take the title. Brad is part of the Edinburgh University Archery Programme and he is coached by Alistair Whittingham.

Brad is very committed to his sport and also his strength and conditioning programme which is supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. Brad is a regular visitor to the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre gym and his strength gains have impacted significantly on his competition performances. Brad’s ambition is to secure a place in the Great Britain archery squad.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Visibility are holding a Family Day on Saturday 28th January 2017 from 10.30am-1.30pm which will be held at Lanarkshire Touchbase, 4 Leys Park, Hamilton ML3 9EQ.

We are offering information and relaxation sessions for parents and music sensory and physical play for children.

Places are limited so booking is essential by calling Visibility on 0141 223 4632 and asking for Clare Sweeny.

2016 has been a real breakthrough year for Bell Baxter HS teenager Oliver Carter from Carnegie Swimming Club. Throughout the year the young Disability Sport Fife member has swum well in major Championships north and south of the Border and he finished off the year in spectacular fashion. At the East District Championships at the end of November he set a new Scottish Record for 400m freestyle in the S10 class of 04:29.38. The previous record was held by five times Paralympian Paul Noble MBE and set back in 1994. In all his five Paralympic Games Paul was a medalist in the S10 class, confirming the significance and quality of the performance of young Oliver from North East Fife.

In mid December at the National Para – Swimming Championships in Manchester, Oliver continued his run of form with four personal best performance swims, three silver medals and one gold medal. Oliver won silver and broke the Scottish Record for 100m freestyle in the S10 class, previously held by Robert Dalgleish. Most significantly Oliver became the first Scot in the S10 class to swim under one minute for 100m freestyle when he recorded 59.25. Oliver’s gold medal swim came in the 200m IM with a time of 2:31.95. His weekend was rounded off with silver medals in 100m butterfly (1:11.52) and 400m freestyle (4:37.29).

Cara Smyth from INCAS and Dalgety Bay also competed in the S10 class and returned from Manchester with silver and bronze medals and two fourth place finishes. Cara similarly has had an impressive swimming year under the guidance of coach Garrie Roberts and there is a strong feeling in Fife that the best is yet to come from this Fife youngster. Cara won silver for 100m breaststroke in 1:43.06 and bronze for 400m freestyle in 5:30.87. Cara’a 4th place finishes were 200m IM (3:07.75) and 100m butterfly (1:34.41).

Steven McCormick from FINS also had a successful Championships setting three personal best performances in 100m freestyle (1:21.16), 100m backstroke (1:38.01) and 400m freestyle (5:30.87). Steven’s final swim was in 50m freestyle where he recorded (36.90). By a long way Steven’s best British Championships to date.

Cameron Hemphill from Ladybank was competing in the youngest age group in his first Long Course British Championships and set three personal best times. 100m breaststroke (2:54.40), 50m freestyle (49.37) and 100m backstroke 2:29.75. Cameron recently switched from Cupar and District SC to INCAS to access more training sessions and within a short period of time the benefits of the move are obvious. Another young Fife swimmer where the best is yet to come.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

In the proud and impressive history of Disability Sport Fife (DSF), 2016 will be remembered for many important events, performances and celebrations. Top of the list of course was the selection of Kieran Steer (boccia), Derek Rae (athletics) and silver medalist Alison Patrick (paratriathlon) for the Paralympic Games in Rio. All three were first time Paralympians and reached the highest level of their sport by hard work, dedication and no shortage of skill and determination. Since its formation in 1977, twenty five Paralympians from Fife have proudly represented Great Britain.

At the 2016 AGM and Awards Evening of DSF, the late David Thomson and swimmers Lucy Walkup and Craig Rodgie were inducted into the DSF Hall of Fame. Throughout the evening athletes, players, coaches, volunteers and administrators were recognised for their immense contribution to the success of DSF during the year past. West Fife CSS was voted member organisation of the year and Maureen McSeveney DSF Ambassador of the Year. Pamela Robson and Alex Bird shared the award of Coach of the Year and Steven Anderson claimed the prestigious award of Volunteer of the Year. Carolyn Clunie received a Service to Sport Award and there were many other members recognised for their achievements in specific sports or to the Association in general. Alex Bird, Paul Noble and Anna Tizzard were recognised by Scottish Disability Sport at the equivalent National Awards Evening later in the year in Stirling.

In their final year as pupils of Buckhaven HS, the school cross country team won their first ever Inter Schools Trophy by lifting the Russell Hogg Cup at the Fife Cross Country Championships at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy. Woodmill HS completed the double in swimming and athletics by winning Russell Hogg Inter School Trophies at Lochgelly HS and Pitreavie and Balwearie HS reigned supreme yet again in 7s Inter Schools football. John Fergus School in Glenrothes retained the Anne H Brodie Inter School Swimming Trophy and Fife swimming and athletics teams excelled at the National Championships organised by SDS in Grangemouth and Glasgow. There are now six cross country events organised by SDS, Scottish Athletics or DSF available to junior athletes. Throughout 2016, DSF was well represented in cross country by schools from St Andrews to Dunfermline.

DSF is proud of the achievements of its performance bowlers. World Championships medalists Martin Hunter, Maria Spencer and Michael Simpson join Billy Allan, Barbara McMillan and Eleanor Clark in the National Squad with an impressive programme of International Events at home and overseas planned for the year ahead. Fife Teams were again hugely successful in Scottish carpet, indoor and outdoor bowls Championships during the year past and DSF is particularly proud of the achievement of our leading bowlers with a learning disability who retained the Inter Area Team Trophy. DSF is indebted to the inclusive bowls clubs across Fife that support the Fife bowls programme throughout the year. Mary Wilson joined Team Fife this year and has already made her mark at national level.

Physical activity, including sport features, prominently in the schedule of the staff who work within East, West and Central Fife Community Support Services. West Fife CSS members have had a wonderful year winning the Inter CSS swimming and track and field titles plus the Pat Gemmell Trophy and making considerable progress in the sports of bowls and badminton. East and Central Fife CSS members excelled in bowls at local and national level and were well represented in Inter CSS events throughout the year. The three CSS provided a significant number of athletes for the Fife team that retained the AR Mitchell team trophy at the Scottish Senior Track and Field Championships and finished runners up once again at the Scottish Senior Swimming Championships at Tollcross International Aquatics Centre.

In addition to Derek Rae, Owen Miller, Sam Fernando and Michael Mellon were in outstanding form in 2016 on the track, roads, field and cross country. Susanne McGrath inspired us all with her amazing marathon pushes and youngsters Callum Sloan and Cameron Adam confirmed that DSF has an effective athletics youth policy. The Fife junior athletics squad won the National Sportshall title for the second time in Grangemouth.  Youngsters Oliver Carter and Cara Smyth enjoyed their best performance swimming year to date and showing great promise are juniors Stephen McCormick, Cameron Hemphill and Cerys Venters Scott. Brad Stewart (archery) and Stefan Hoggan (Paratriathlon) reached the top in their sports but have yet to find that little bit extra that will take them to the highest level in performance sport. 2017 will be an important year for all Fife performance athletes and players.

DSF continues to grow its weekly programme of sport specific and multi sport sessions and the Association was thrilled to be one of only three SDS Branches and 18 UK agencies to be selected to participate in the Go Out and Get Active (GOGA) programme. The programme is supported by Spirit of 2012 and will run for three years. GOGA in Fife was launched by the Depute Provost of Fife in November and a Walk Leaders Course and Pool Workshop in November have identified potential volunteers for GOGA. Five DSF weekly sessions have attracted GOGA participants in a matter of a few weeks with more to follow. Fife Council and the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust are key partners in GOGA in Fife.

DSF is proud of the quality and commitment of its coaches and volunteers. During the year we have featured on our website parent volunteers who have embarked on very successful coaching careers and have become key members of our coaching workforce. DSF is keen to encourage performance athletes into volunteering and coaching and retired GB international swimmer Lucy Walkup is the major success story of the year and features in a sportscotland article about this unique national inclusive coaching initiative. DSF has a squad of peer mentors with Steven Anderson, Briony Clark, Adam Faulds and Ryan Spearman in particular committing many voluntary hours per week in support of fellow athletes.

DSF depends on a significant number of partners for funding and the Fife Council recurring grant is particularly important to sustaining the DSF Administrator’s post. The DSF Service Level Agreement with the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust provides many benefits and funding from the Scottish FA, Tennis Scotland, Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport has supported sport specific initiatives including the football and tennis Academy programmes. DSF now offers bursaries funded by the Association of Fife Rotary Clubs, Bill Pullar Trust, Russel Hogg Trust and the St Andrews Kilrymont Rotary Club. Long term partner the Order of St John in Fife continues to support DSF.

The Design Team at the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust has been instrumental in helping DSF reach a much wider audience. The DSF website hosted by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust is now well established. Early in 2016 DSF secured its own Facebook page with support from the FSLT and in a matter of months it has improved significantly the ability of DSF to communicate with existing and potential members. The DSF monthly newsletter has a considerable circulation and DSF is well supported by the local media in celebrating the achievements of individuals and teams. Celebrating success and inspiring potential participants with physical, sensory and learning disabilities to be active are key priorities of DSF. The advice and expertise of the FSLT Design Team have been invaluable over the last year in particular.

DSF enjoys a very healthy relationship with the three Sports Councils in Fife. DSF members feature prominently at the Awards Evenings of Kirkcaldy and Central Fife Sports Council, East Fife Sports Council and Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council. Alison Patrick, Martin Hunter, Derek Rae, Lucy Walkup and Michael Simpson were among the main award winners in 2016. Kirkcaldy and Central Fife SC provided a significant grant to DSF to support the development of gymnastics for juniors with Down Syndrome at the Enigma Club in Leven. DSF also enjoys enormous support from the Sports Leaders at Kirkcaldy HS who turned out in significant numbers to officiate at the DSF Swimming, Badminton, Track and Field and Cross Country Championships.

In 2016 DSF said farewell to David Thomson one of our founding members and key volunteer for almost four decades. David represented Fife in athletics, bowls and archery and served the Association as secretary and treasurer. Also we lost John Hick following a lengthy illness. John represented DSF in swimming, badminton ad table tennis and more recently was becoming more involved in coaching. Our thoughts are with their respective families. Parents are most valued volunteers in DSF and last year Bob Donaldson, father of bowler Craig Donaldson passed away after a lengthy illness. Lorraine Russell, mum of Kieran Steer passed away suddenly on the day before she was scheduled to travel with Kieran to a major overseas event. Lorraine’s influence on Kieran was unbelievable and how Kieran coped up to and including the Games in Rio admirable. Our thoughts once again are with the respective families.

2016 has been a spectacular year for Disability Sport Fife. Many thanks to athletes, players, coaches, volunteers, partners and parents who have played such a significant role in that success. Complacency is not a word that features in our vocabulary and plans are well under way for new and innovative projects and programmes in 2017. Happy New Year to all our supporters and friends as we embrace 2017 as our 40th Anniversary Year.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

It is always a pleasure to write about the achievements of performance athletes of the present but at the same time never forget, in this our 40th Anniversary Year, the talented performers of the past who have contributed so much to the development our movement.

There were a significant number of youngsters with spina bifida in Fife in the 70s and 80s and quite naturally the first Disability Sport Fife sports development programme centred around this section of the junior population. It became clear however that there were a significant number of potential participants in the Kingdom with cerebral palsy. A change of focus resulted in an explosion in performance sports development in Fife across all age groups in the sports of swimming, track and field in particular.

10 (5 men and 5 women) of the 25 Paralympians from Fife (1977 to present) competed in classes for athletes with cerebral palsy. Colin Keay, Aileen Harper, Ann Swann and Maxwell McKay led the way with medal winning performances at the Paralympic Games in New York in 1984 and the form continued with further medal winning performances at future Games from Kerry Taylor, William McQueen, Caroline Baird, Pauline Latto and Paul Johnston. The tenth Fife Paralympian with cerebral palsy may not have won a Paralympic Games medal but his contribution to performance sports development was equally significant.

Adam Morley was born south of the Border but spent most of his life in Scotland. Initially he lived in St Andrews but is now well settled in Glenrothes where he has contributed significantly to the development of disability sport in Fife. Adam attended Graysmill School in Edinburgh before registering as a College student in Fife. Adam initially worked in reception at the Fife Sports Institute where he influenced so many individuals with whom he came in contact. When the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre opened, Adam resumed his duties as a Fife Sports and Leisure Trust telephonist.

While living in the east of Fife Adam travelled regularly to the Fife Sports Institute for land training with staff member David Sellar and water based training with others. It was only a matter of time before he moved to Glenrothes and following a short career as an international power lifter in the mid 80s, he committed himself totally to the sport of swimming. Adam’s first international experience was in a powerlifting competition in Belgium.

Swimming success at local and national level led to selection for Team GB for the Paralympic Games in Seoul in 1988, Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996. Adam offered so much more to Scottish and GB teams than simply swimming competency. Rarely without a smile, always available to chat, Adam is one of those special people who goes through life without an enemy and gathers around him so many friends. An exceptional sportsman and a wonderful ambassador for Disability Sport Fife and his wonderful family.

 

Adam has put so much back into disability sport as a long serving member of the DSF Management Committee. Adam has been a key DSF representative at Scottish Disability Sport AGMs and Branch Conferences. He has never been afraid to voice an opinion or represent the interests of athletes with severe mobility challenges and cerebral palsy specifically. Adam is one of the most respected Scottish disabled sports participants both locally and nationally.

Adam no longer competes as a swimmer and spends a lot of his leisure time listening to music, attending concerts and supporting his beloved Manchester United. Adam has a wide range of leisure interests and his knowledge of a wide range of subjects has made him a very important member of a local quiz team that also includes DSF Chairman Paul Noble. For many years the DSF Quiz Team reigned supreme at the East Fife Sports Council Annual quiz and in 2016 lost out on top spot by only one point. Adam has always been a key member. Adam also starred on the TV Quiz Show Eggheads.

Disability Sport Fife is proud to have a number of athlete ambassadors whom it can call upon to motivate others, raise awareness of the benefits of sport or share their life experiences as a performance sports person. Adam is a unique all round good guy. He was a top swimmer and one of a small number of athlete ambassadors who has given so much back to the disability sports movement in Fife over many years. Adam is always willing to listen, inspire and encourage novice athletes and players of all levels of ability. Adam has been the first line contact at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre for many and so many users are proud to call him their friend.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Nominations are invited for election to the roles of the Chair and Director at the British Paralympic Association

The British Paralympic Association has commenced the process of electing the next Chair and three other directors of the British Paralympic Association (BPA), a registered Charity (charity number 802385).

The BPA is the lead organisation responsible for the Paralympic movement in the UK and our focus is on ensuring we retain our status as a world leading nation by creating a ‘best prepared’ environment for our athletes to thrive at future summer and winter Paralympic Games.  At the same time we are committed to building on the successes of London, Sochi and Rio to maximise our impact and the delivery of our wider vision: “through sport, to inspire a better world for disabled people.”

The BPA is looking to encourage nominations for both Chair and Members of the Board of Directors from a broad cross section of potential candidates.  However, it should be noted that under its Articles of Associations, nominations may only be submitted by a voting member body of the BPA’s National Paralympic Committee.  A full list of voting member bodies is available on request.

Role Title:	Chair and/or Director, and Trustee, of the Charity
Salary:	This is a volunteer, non-remunerated role.  Reasonable expenses are reimbursed.
Location:	London based at British Paralympic Association (“BPA”) headquarters at 60 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NU
Job Description:	The main responsibility of the Board is the overall governance and strategic direction of the BPA. The Board is responsible for developing the organisation’s strategy, in accordance with its values, and in line with legal and regulatory requirements. The Chair’s key responsibilities are: ·         To lead the Board in ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of BPA ·         To work in partnership with the CEO to help maintain BPA’s strategic direction and achieve BPA’s mission The Chair also has a formal external role to play, representing the organisation in the UK and at an international level. ________________________________________________________ The BPA is fully committed to the principles of equality of opportunity and is responsible for ensuring that no employees, Board members, volunteers, supporters, participants, job applicants or members are unlawfully discriminated against because of age, gender, marital status, religious belief, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability or socio-economic background. BPA welcomes applications from everyone irrespective of gender and ethnic group but as women and members of ethnic minority groups are currently underrepresented BPA would encourage applications from members of these groups.
How to apply:	For further details on the role(s) and information regarding the nomination and election process please request a Nomination Pack to from elections@paralympics.org.uk
Closing Date:	Nomination Forms must be submitted by Voting Members of the BPA by 5:00pm, Friday 27 January 2016
Election Meeting:	Tuesday 28 February 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennis Scotland has recently restructured and is currently developing an ambitious strategic plan to ensure a strong, sustainable legacy from the current high profile of the sport in Scotland due, largely, to the ‘Murray Effect’.

We now seek to appoint a new CEO to deliver our strategic plan, with a clear focus on continued growth and increased participation at all performance levels. To ensure we find the strongest candidate for this key post, we are now launching a second recruitment campaign.

For full information see the Tennis Scotland website here:
https://www3.lta.org.uk/in-your-area/Scotland/news/January-17/Job-Opportunity—Tennis-Scotland-Chief-Executive-Officer-/