Last week the West & Central Region for Riding for the Disabled (RDA) had great pleasure in welcoming Sam Orde, Chairman of RDA National, to the Region.  Sam met and rode with the Strathearn/Rideaway Group. Sam said “The Big Ride part was lovely and I think that Crieff Hydro Stables looked after us very well with excellent horses and route, coaches and refreshments. It was great to have the chance to see Rideaway in action with their usual morning sessions and get a chance to talk to volunteers and riders”.

In the afternoon Sam Orde  visited the Auchterarder group who ride at Gleneagles Equestain Centre.

Sam commented that “The second part of the day at Gleneagles was lovely and very interesting for me as Chairman and I enjoyed talking to everyone. What brilliant facilities the Auchterarder Group have! It was a touching moment at the end to see Daisy, one of their riders, present the long service award to Paddy,their pony.

Also this week Argyll Driving Group held the Group Picnic and combined it with the Big Drive. Patsy’s drivers from Forth Driving Group joined us and our Raffle for Lowlands brought in £100 to which the Trustees are adding a donation.

Breadalbane & District Group held their own Big Ride for 7 riders earlier in the week to join the fundraising efforts.

Carrick Group are also donating funds from an art exhibition later in the year.

Sam  Orde has planned the ’The Big Ride’ to support the fund raising campaign for the new RDA National Training Centre near Birmingham, which will benefit all groups within the UK, with training opportunities.  Sam’s money raising target is £20,000 from across the regions. There is  good news on the fundraising with money from Big Rides continuing to come in and taking us over the £10,000 mark, then Westmorland RDA Group kindly donating £20,000! All fantastic news for our National Training Centre.

Sponsor Sam at: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/samorde

Ayrshire Sportsability held their annual competitive swimming festival on 12th September at KA Leisure’s lovely new facility at The Portal, Irvine.

Children from schools all over Ayrshire came along to compete and medals were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Special thanks to Ayrshire College students for volunteering, Gillian Mitchell for being our starter on the day, Anne Johnstone from Kilmarnock Jets and Lauren Campbell, ASA volunteer.

As part of Scottish Swimming and Scottish Disability Sport’s commitment to providing more opportunities for people with disabilities to get involved in swimming, Aberdeenshire Council ran an Inclusive Swimming Teaching workshop at Inverurie Swimming Centre.

Sixteen swimming teachers took part in the insightful workshop, which aimed to provide them with a better understanding of their swimmers’ impairments and needs.

The workshop was predominantly interactive, and included elements such as: etiquette guidelines to help teachers interact positively with swimmers; communication tips for teaching people with sensory impairments, communication difficulties, and learning disabilities; guidance on adapting activities using SDS’s Sports Inclusion Model and STEP framework; and best practice guidelines on supporting, assisting and assessing swimmers in the water. There was also a practical opportunity in the pool for candidates to work alongside swimmers with various physical, sensory and learning disabilities from the local area in order to put their newly-acquired skills into practice.

It is hoped that the workshop will strengthen the Learn to Swim programme within Aberdeenshire, with 10 pools across the region now having suitably qualified teachers. It is expected that those teachers who are already working with swimmers with disabilities will have improved confidence and better knowledge and awareness of how to modify and adapt their practice to suit the individuals.

For those who aren’t already teaching swimmers with a disability, it will hopefully give them the skills to start getting involved, meaning more instructors will be willing, able and trained to teach children who require 1:1 lessons or modify their group lesson to accommodate everyone.

Thanks go to Moira Harkins from Aberdeenshire Council for organising the workshop, and to all the volunteers swimmers who enabled the teachers to practice.

If you would like to find out more about disability swimming or sport in the Grampian area, please contact Alison Shaw, SDS Regional Manager, on alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07828 744 848.

On Saturday 28th of October from 10.45am-1pm we will be taking part in a Go Karting session at The Experience, Lothian Street, Hillington Park, Glasgow, G52 4JR.

The Experience offers fully accessible Go Karting so we will be traveling round the track with a co-pilot who will do all the hard work while we enjoy the ride!

Places for this event are limited so booking is essential.

If you would like to join us on the day please get in touch by calling Clare Sweeney on 0141 332 4632 or emailing Clare.Sweeney@visibility.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you all on the day.

Two year fixed term contract with the option to extend subject to funding

Salary £22-25,000

Scottish Rowing is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to fill the role of Regional Development Manager for the West Region. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to grow the sport across the region which includes Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Dumfries and Galloway, North and South Lanarkshire and will share our passion and vision for the development of rowing. This role will require leadership, planning, delivery and communication skills along with the ability to network successfully within the sport and with all current and potential partners and relevant agencies

For a full job description, candidate specification, application and monitoring forms see our website.

http://www.scottish-rowing.org.uk/index.php/about-us/vacancies

OR contact Carol Ann Ellis, Scottish Rowing Administrator.

Telephone: 01698 250206

Email: office@scottish-rowing.org.uk

Application Process:

Applicant to return completed application form, CV and Monitoring form by email to office@scottish-rowing.org.uk, or by post to Scottish Rowing, Scottish Rowing Centre, 366 Hamilton Road, Motherwell, ML1 3ED.

For more information or an informal discussion please contact Mark Senter on 01698 250206 or email mark.senter@scottish-rowing.org.uk

Applications for this position close at noon on Monday 2^nd October 2017.

Interviews will be held at the Scottish Rowing Centre, during the week commencing 9^th October 2017.

Scottish Rowing is committed to selecting staff solely on the basis of their ability to do the job for which they are being recruited, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The continuing successful and fruitful partnership between Scottish Disability Sport and WestMARC (West of Scotland Mobility and Rehabilitation Centre), resulted in another fantastic event on Saturday 16^th September.

A collaboration between the two organisations led to a clinic on running on prosthetic limbs, delivered by UK Athletics physiotherapist Penny Broomhead.

The day was split into two sessions, the first being for young people and the second for adults.

Penny presented firstly through a Powerpoint Presentation giving some very useful information on the Impacts, Challenges and Solutions in running on a prosthetic limb.

The participants were then asked to to join in a practical session which set out to increase knowledge and raise confidence in running, and improve technique. Everyone took everything in their stride and enjoyed the activities and challenges set by Penny.

Within a two hour period, almost all involved felt more confident and the overall observations from the physiotherapists and prosthetists working in WestMARC, saw a marked improvement.

During the initial presentation, the participants and staff were delighted to welcome a surprise guest to the event, none other than Richard Whitehead MBE, T42 Paralympic 200m world record holder and marathon runner!!  To say everyone was starstruck is an understatement! Richard brought with him his Paralympic medal and a wealth of knowledge and experience which he kindly shared with everyone at the clinic.

Thanks go to everyone who attended, the fantastic staff at WestMARC and Penny Broomhead, for a thoroughly informative and enjoyable day!

If you have a disability and wish to get involved in sport in the West of Scotland please contact either:

• Lynn.allison@scottishdisabilitysport.com  07974448580
• or Lori.ure@scottishdisabilitysport.com    07806815591

GB Paralympian Derek Rae interrupted his Saturday morning training run to represent Disability Sport Fife (DSF) on the Esplanade at Kirkcaldy and offer best wishes to the staff of Commscope Technologies from Lochgelly who were heading off on their annual charity fund raiser walk/cycle.

Disability Sport Fife has been selected by the staff to be the recipient charity from their efforts. Approximately 19 walkers planned to cover 22 miles along the Fife Coastal Path and finish at South Queensferry. A separate cycling group headed off around the same time to cycle 68 miles taking in Dunfermline, Stirling, Airth, Crossford and also end in South Queensferry.

Derek and the DSF President offered the walkers and cyclists all the very best and waved them off on their challenging trials.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

48 children from five high schools and three primary schools in the Forth Valley area came to Lornshill Academy in Tullibody on Tuesday12^th September 2017 to compete in the FVDS Regional Cross Country.

The young athletes with physical, sensory and learning disabilities challenged themselves competing over a 1km Cross Country course. On behalf of FVDS many thanks must go to Clackmannanshire Council for hosting the event and for organising officials for setting up the course and for marshalling. Thanks must also go to Falkirk Community Trust, Active Stirling and Lornshill Academy sports leaders for providing helpers for the event.

If you are an adult with a disability, or are the parent or carer of a child with a disability, and would like more information about athletics opportunities in Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire, please telephone Forth Valley Disability Sport on  01786 466486.

FVDS Cross Country Results