SDS is excited to be supporting the development of the Daily Mile Inclusion Model which provides a participant centered approach which will provide guidance to teachers, support staff and volunteers to include learners with disabilities in the Daily Mile.

The model currently being developed reinforces the message of inclusion that was promoted at the launch of the Daily Mile Partnership yesterday in Glasgow.

Catherine Goodfellow, Scottish Disability Sport Chairperson attended the launch and was delighted to see so many of the learners enjoying participating in the Daily Mile with World Champion Frame Runner Kayleigh Haggo.

The Daily Mile, supported by INEOS, has entered an exciting new partnership with the UK Athletics, Athletics Northern Ireland, England Athletics, Scottish Athletics and Welsh Athletics. These partnerships emphasise a shared commitment from the organisations across the UK, helping to demonstrate the important role that physical activity plays in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The partnership was launched in a celebration between the two organisations. The union will help bring ambassadors together, from Olympic and Paralympic athletes to key people from the athletics community – inspiring both young people and teachers to get involved and become a part of The Daily Mile community.

The Daily Mile is a transformative initiative where children run, jog, wheel or walk for fifteen minutes every day. The initiative has enjoyed phenomenal success since it was started by Elaine Wyllie eight years ago when she was headteacher at a primary school in Stirling.

Elaine Wyllie MBE, founder of The Daily Mile has commented, ‘I’m delighted that we will be working together with UKA and the Home Nations. This is an exciting new partnership for The Daily Mile working with leading governing bodies to promote the physical and mental health benefits of The Daily Mile. I am particularly excited about a focus on inclusion and ensuring children with a disability are provided with the opportunity to participate. It is important to me that irrespective of age, ability or background The Daily Mile is accessible to all and is fun for all. This partnership will help us deliver this ambition.’

Sport and physical activity have an important role to play when discussing mental and physical wellbeing, both which have suffered immensely during the last 18 months. As the country continues to respond to the challenges and effects of the pandemic, and it’s crucial to appreciate the role of this in the long-term recovery of the virus.

Collaborative working is at the forefront of these partnerships. The bringing together of these teams will result in a greater focus on physical activity and sport, as part of a national initiative towards positive health and wellbeing for primary aged children.

Inclusivity and accessibility has always been at the heart of The Daily Mile – getting young people involved regardless of ability. The partnership is committed to supporting schools and teachers in providing opportunities for children with a disability to participate, so ensure they’re able to enjoy all of the benefits of physical activity. The focus is always on the child’s ability, and appropriate adjustments or modifications can be made to ensure a positive experience. For more information on The Daily Mile and this partnership, please visit: www.thedailymile.co.uk.

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If you or anyone you know would like to know more about opportunities to participate or volunteer in, please telephone 0131 317 1130 or alternatively email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Go Kids Go are running Wheelchair Skills Sessions across Scotland in October.

This is a great chance to learn skills to help you become more independent. Manual or powered wheelchair users welcome, extra wheelchairs provided for family members to participate.

Young people from 2 years upwards welcome!

Small groups – Covid secure setting.

• 11th Oct –  Inverness
• 13th Oct – Aberdeen
• 16th Oct – Edinburgh (details tbc)
• 17th Oct – Glasgow

UK have recently launched In Tandem, an exciting new pilot project that aims to give people with a visual impairment more opportunities to experience the joys and benefits of cycling.

Cycling with a visual impairment is entirely possible, all that is needed is a tandem bike and a sighted person to ride in front.

To help develop new activities Cycling UK would like to offer free tandem try out sessions across the West of Scotland to both Vision Impaired and sighted people. Training and rides can be delivered during the week or at weekends locally throughout the West of Scotland and we’d like to encourage all curious people, of all experience levels, to get in touch.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining a session or would like to know more about the project then please get in touch with Andrew.campbell@cyclinguk.org

Sharing inclusive practice was the game of the day at the Local Authority Professional Officers Group Meeting last week. SDS with 85 professional officers from 30 local authority areas joined together to hear how partners had embedded inclusive practice throughout school and community sport.

Dougie Millen, Lead Manager from sportscotland set the scene for the day by explaining the importance of embedding inclusion within practice and the importance of engaging participants with disabilities in physical activity and sport as they have the lowest representation in sport and have been impacted the most by the pandemic.

The SDS Performance Manager then gave an overview of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games and highlighted the performances of some of the 33 Scottish Para athletes competing in the games before an overview of Return to Sport was presented by regional manager Lynn Allison.

The morning was rounded off by the SDS Regional Team facilitating sessions on a new Inclusive Club Resource being developed and “Having the Conversation” with participants with disabilities.

Particular thanks go to Fiona Donald Swim IT, Brian Pahlmann and Ruth Watson Aberdeen AAC, Chris Cleary and Jill Coleman, Renfrewshire and City of Edinburgh Councils respectively who presented in the afternoon sessions providing an overview of and Inclusive Mainstream Clubs and Inclusive Leadership Programmes.

A managers discussion group discussed how the gathering of local data and how it can be used to inform planning. Thanks to Lori Ure (Live Argyll) and James Fenna (Dundee Leisure and Culture) for delivering presentations on their practice.

Gavin Macleod SDS CEO said “We were delighted to see the large numbers in attendance at the recent Local Authority Professional Officers Group Meeting. This demonstrates the significant commitment to equality and inclusion at a local level and the role that SDS continues to play in embedding inclusion for participants with disabilities within strategic planning and operational delivery.”

The date for the next meeting is Tuesday 1 February 2022. If you are a professional officer or manager and would like to join the network, please contact admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or telephone 0131 317 1130.

Have you been inspired by the Paralympians in Tokyo? Would you like to get involved in physical activity and sport?

We believe sport is for everyone and has an ability to change lives. At SDS we can help you find an appropriate and inclusive opportunity for everyone to experience the physical, social and psychological benefits that physical activity and sport can bring.

  Hear from people who have experienced the #PowerOfSport and how being active has changed their lives

If you would like to get involved in physical activity and sport, please email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com and we can help find the right opportunity for you.

The Inclusive Apprenticeship programme will empower young people (aged between 16 – 24) with physical, learning and sensory disabilities throughout Scotland to develop their confidence and coaching skills over a one-year period. The young people will gain coaching qualifications or equivalent CPD.

Programme Outcomes:

• 7 confident qualified young people with disabilities actively coaching throughout Scotland
• Increased opportunities for young coaches with disabilities to network (at least two events per year)
• Profile of coaches with disabilities raised
• Awareness of development opportunities raised
• Team of young Peer Mentors developed

Find out more about the programme by watching out Young Start summary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B11EN5iA17w

To be considered for the programme, young people must:

• Be aged between 16 and 24. Participants must be 16 as of the 7th October 2021 to apply for the programme.
• Have time available to commit to the programme and to volunteering within their community: Meet at least 4 times with their mentor; Attend Young Start coach get together’s and the programme residential.
• Have the ambition to become a coach and to achieve a Level 1 qualification or equivalent.
• Complete a coach profile (x2) and personal development plan (Mentors will provide support to do this).
• Submit brief quarterly reports updates to Scottish Disability Sport.
• Attend at least one CPD opportunity as agreed with your mentor.
• Link with branches to support ongoing developments.
• Be open and ready to participate in all learning opportunities.

Other information:

• Coaches who meet the expectations outlined will be able to access a budget of £200 towards coaching qualifications.
• A budget will also be available to support the people who are selected to become peer mentors.
• Occasionally the relationship between the coach and the mentor simply doesn’t work. This could be for a variety of reasons including geographical, philosophical or technical. If this happens, no explanations are required form either the mentor or the coach and contact should be made with Victoria so alterative arrangements can be made.
• We are looking to develop a network of young people from across all areas in Scotland.

Contact Details:

Victoria Clark, Lead Mentor – email: victoria@activeadvantage.org, tel: 07969 751 470

Heather Lowden, Education and Development Manager – email: heather.lowden@scottishdisabilitysport.com, tel: 07787 151 043

Young Start Apprenticeship Application 21 22

Young Start – Programme Summary 21 22