Month: January 2019

McCraw and Gillan win trebles at National Championships 

Michael McCraw and Diane Gillan were both treble winners in the Division 1 events for players with a learning disability at the inaugural Scottish National Disability Championships in this form, held at the Dalkeith Campus on Saturday 26 January. 

McCraw finished ahead of James Pert in the singles, before teaming up with Kevin Dobson to beat Dean Bernard and James McNeil in the final of the men’s doubles. Gillan beat Kerry Duncan to the top spot on the podium in the women’s singles and battled to a hard-fought doubles title with Hazel Irvine, beating Duncan and Emma Stewart 21-19 17-21 21-9 in the final. McCraw and Gillan then teamed up to win the mixed, winning all their matches to top the group with Bernard and Irvine taking the silver medal. 

The winners of the men’s singles divisions 2, 3 and 4 for players with a learning disability were James McNeil, Gregor Hardie and Nathan Boyle respectively, while Emma Stewart won the women’s singles division 2. Boyle and Alastair Daniels won the division 2 men’s doubles and Edward Hagerty and Emma Stewart won the division 2 mixed title. 

Grant Allen beat Richard Lean 21-13 21-17 in the final of the SL3-SU5 men’s singles and Lean also won the SL4 men’s singles, beating David Purdie into second place. Colin Leslie beat Logan Welsh 21-11 21-12 to win the SL3 men’s singles and Mary Wilson beat Lesley Johnstone 21-7 21-7 to win the SL4 women’s singles. Leslie and Lean won the SL3-SU5 combined doubles with Allen and Purdie finishing second, and Leslie also won the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles with Wilson, while Lean and Tracey Thomson were runners up. 

In the SS6 events Bobby Laing beat Andrew Davies 21-12 21-18 in the final of the men’s singles before they teamed up to win the men’s doubles, with Ross Foley and Jack Purvis runners-up. 

Fiona Christie won the combination wheelchair singles, beating Anthony Stott in the final 21-7 21-10 but Stott got his own back in the doubles when he and David Birtles beat Christie and Duncan Taylor 13-21 21-14 21-19 in the final. 

A total of 100 matches were played over 21 events and we would like to thank the University of Edinburgh for providing the scorers and the Lothian Disability Badminton Club committee for their unstinting support throughout.  

These championships have been three years in the making and is a true representation of partnership working between Scottish Disability Sport, Badminton Scotland and Lothian Disability Badminton Club. Thanks to Lyndon Williams who was instrumental in getting this event to this stage, David Gillespie and Alistair and Roselind Hall who provided invaluable organisation prior to and during the event.  

Full results are here.

 

Excellent Turn Out for Fife Leg of East Series Cross Country

Disability Sport Fife is pleased to be organising the third round of the East Series Cross Country Championships in partnership with Fife Athletic Club on behalf of Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy on Thursday 7th February.

The event will be held close to Kirkcaldy Rugby Club and we thank club members for their support. The first race will commence at 11 00. At 10 50 the 8th GOGA in Fife Walk in the Park for local registered GOGA participants will start the ball rolling. Thereafter races will be run over 500m, 1K, 2K and 3K. Around 150 athletes from Fife and Lothians are registered to participate.

Almost 100 of the athletes attend a school, Community Support Service or Fife AC. Congratulations to teachers from Balwearie HS, Bell Baxter HS, Madras College, Lochgelly HS, Woodmill HS and Auchmuty HS on the size of their entries. Special best wishes to pupils from Auchmuty HS who are involved in the event for the first time. DSF welcomes 7 senior athletes from West Fife CSS and another four from Fife AC.

All three other races in the East Series cross country championships are held at Peffermill in Edinburgh and are well supported by member organisations of DSF. Overall year group winners are identified after round four of the East Series.

Best wishes to all our participants and once again special thanks to the officials from the very inclusive Fife AC.

Richard Brickley MBE – Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Tayside Schools Sportshall Athletics Festival 2019

Tayside Schools Sportshall Athletics Festival 2019 for pupils with a physical, sensory or learning disability

This event is being hosted by Perth & Kinross Disability Sport on 31st January 2019, 10.15am – 2pm at the Academy of Sport & Wellbeing, Perth College UHI, in partnership with Perth Strathtay Harriers, Perth College UHI, Scottish Disability Sport, Dundee Leisure and Culture and AngusAlive Sport and Leisure.

Sportshall Athletics is an indoor programme of adapted athletics activities which is fully inclusive. Events include Speed bounce, Javelin, Shuttle runs, Target throw, Standing Long Jump, Hi-stepper, Seated chest push and with additional relays at the end.

We have 160 pupils registered from all over Tayside and from this, 10 athletes from each Tayside region will be selected to attend the Scottish Disability Sport Sportshall Athletics Festival on 7th March 2019 at Grangemouth Sports Complex.

Please contact Graeme.doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com for more details.

Glasgow Disability Sport Committee Member Positions

Glasgow Disability Sport (GDS) is a voluntary sport group where the main aim is to lead in the development of sport for people with physical, sensory or learning disabilities in partnership with key local agencies and local authority areas in Glasgow. GDS is a member branch of Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) who are the governing body of sport for athletes and players with a physical, sensory or learning disability.

GDS have achieved SDS Minimum Operating Requirements (MOR) which ensures all governance is up to date and  appropriate. The committee of GDS now wishes to appoint new committee members to join the branch.

Job descriptions and further information below:

Glasgow Disability Sport Committee Members

Glasgow Disability Sport Fundraising Committee Members

Glasgow Disability Sport Communications Committee Members

Laura Cluxton and Fiona Duncan (2)

Para Riders deliver at British Track Cycling Championships 2019

There was a fantastic Scottish medal haul from the British National Track Championships in Manchester last weekend. 

Neil Fachie and (adopted Scot) Matt Rotherham continued their incredible form, setting two new World Records, subject to ratification, in both the 200m Time Trial, where they also took the Gold, and the 1000m Time Trial, picking up the Silver. 

Laura Cluxton, riding for RT23 and piloted by Laura Clode, followed on from a good 1000m Time Trial performance to take Bronze in the 3000-4000m Pursuit with a factored time of 4:31.131. 

It was a good weekend for Glasgow CT rider, Fin Graham medalled in both the 500m-1000m Standing Start Time Trial and the Para C 3000-4000m Pursuit picking up Bronze and Silver respectively. 

Furthermore, Grampians Colin Wallace competed in the vent for the first time after getting involved in the sport following the #Discover Para Potential event in Glasgow in June last year.  Colin  

Scottish Disability Sport would like to congratulate all those racing at the Championships. 

A full report can be found via Scottish Cycling’s website:  

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/scotland/article/20190128-scottish-cycling-news-Weekend-Round-Up–25-27-January-0  

Tayside Para-Sport Festival 2019

Our annual Para Sport Festival is on the horizon for 2019, welcoming young people from across the Tayside with a physical, visual or hearing impairment and providing them with an opportunity to try a range of para sports, delivered by some of the best clubs and coaches across the country.  This year’s festival is scheduled for Wednesday 6th March at Dundee and Angus College, Gardyne Campus, Dundee, DD5 1NY.

This is a fantastic opportunity for primary and secondary aged young people to experience some of the sports that are successfully showcased at the Paralympic Games.  The activities selected reflect the strong club structure in the region and will aim to support the transition from the event to more regular sporting activity with one or more of the session’s being delivered. Several Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport (SGB’s) have also expressed a real interest in supporting the event over the years and this further highlights the amount of partnership work involved.

The festival is a partnership event between Scottish Disability Sport, Leisure and Culture Dundee, AngusAlive, Perth & Kinross Disability Sport and multiple SGBs who work together, along with local club coaches, to offer sessions in badminton, boccia, powerchair football, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby league, tennis, football, bowls and more to the children and young people across Tayside. This year’s event will also be supported by the Celtic FC Foundation and BP Coast to Coast.

Please contact Graeme.doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com for more details and a registration pack.

Scottish Rowing

Scottish Rowing ASN Schools Rowing Coach

Fixed Term Part Time
Salary: £12 per hour

Scottish Rowing are seeking to appoint a fixed term, part time rowing coach based in North Lanarkshire and working with Additional Support Needs (ASN) schools.

The contract will be for 35 weeks, from April 1st to 29th November. The hours will be between 12 and 15 per week, subject to candidate availability.

The Successful Candidate will have a relevant qualification in coaching rowing and have proven experience of coaching young people.

All posts within Scottish Rowing are subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2003 as amended or the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

Regulated Work with Children/Protected Adults: Where work is considered regulated work with children and/or protected adults, it is an offence to apply if you are barred from working with children and/or protected adults. Preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme, or undergo a PVG Scheme Update check, prior to a formal offer of employment being made by Scottish Rowing.

For further information on the PVG scheme, please visit www.disclosurescotland.co.uk.

For a candidate specification, application and monitoring forms see our website: http://www.scottish-rowing.org.uk/index.php/about-us/vacancies/750-asn-rowing-coach

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 and CV by email to office@scottish-rowing.org.uk, or by post to Scottish Rowing, Scottish Rowing Centre, 366 Hamilton Road, Motherwell, ML1 3ED. Equality monitoring form should be returned by post to the above address.

Applications for this position close at noon on Friday 15th February 2019. Interviews will be held at the Scottish Rowing Centre week commencing 4th March 2019.

Outstanding debut for Grampian Champion Colin

A promising cyclist new to the Para-Cycling scene is celebrating after an impressive performance at his inaugural competitive event.

Colin Wallace, a teacher from Aberdeen who has only recently gone through classification, took home a commendable 6th place in the 200m Flying Start event at the 2019 National Track Cycling Championships in Manchester. The event also saw World Records beaten by the cyclists finishing in 1st and 2nd place.

Colin, of Aberdeen-based club, Deeside Thistle CC, entered the event just to get a bit of experience and is still undergoing testing with British Cycling after being successful during UK Sport’s ‘Discover Your Gold’ Talent ID event, but has shown great promise by bursting on to the Para-Cycling scene after many years of cycling in mainstream events.

Well done to Colin & thank you to everyone in his Club, at British Cycling and at the velodrome in Glasgow who have helped him over the last few months.

If you, or someone you know, lives with a physical, sensory or intellectual impairment and would like to get more involved in sport, please get in touch with Alison Shaw (Regional Manager for Scottish Disability Sport) on 07828 744 848 or alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Success at Wheelchair Curling Talent ID Day

Saturday 26th January saw Scottish Disability Sport, in partnership with British Curling, host the Wheelchair Curling Talent Development Day at the Peak, Stirling.

Individuals of various ages and abilities attended the day which consisted of theory-based workshop detailing wheelchair curling, classification and pathway information, followed by participants undertaking a two-hour session on the ice with British Curling coaches.

Participant quote: “I really enjoyed the open day, it was fantastic to meet the SDS and British Wheelchair Curling staff as well as Bob McPherson showing off his Sochi Bronze medal. I definitely will be looking to continue participating in wheelchair curling.”

On the day, SDS and British Curling staff also established the development of a Central Wheelchair Curling Development squad, for which a handful of individuals were selected. Additionally we signposted all participants to the Active Stirling Learn to Curling programme (see details on flyer below).

Disability Curling

Tickets are now on sale for the World Wheelchair Curling Championships 2019. The championship is being held at Stirling’s PEAK Sports Village from 3rd to 10th March. This tournament is the first opportunity for the competing nations to gain vital qualification points for the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Details can be found at: https://www.scottishcurling.org/world-wheelchair-curling-championship-2019-tickets-now-on-sale/

If you would like to find out more information about Wheelchair Curling please contact British Curling, details found at www.britishcurling.org.uk/contact-us.asp

To find out more about disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact Cheryl Lappin, Scottish Disability Sport Regional Development Manager, on cheryl.lappin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07577 830360.

An historic occasion for Disability Sport Fife (SCIO)

On the evening of Tuesday 22nd January in the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre, the first meeting of the Board of Charity Trustees of the new Disability Sport Fife (SCIO) was held.

With support from Fife Voluntary Action, Disability Sport Fife has become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) with a new constitution that was approved at the 2018 DSF Annual General Meeting.

The new constitution was submitted to the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and following minor changes and an Extraordinary General Meeting of DSF in November, approved by OSCR. The new charity number for DSF (SCIO) is SCO48722.

The members of the Board of Charity Trustees for DSF (SCIO) are as follows:

Richard Brickley MBE – Chairman and Trustee

Paul Noble MBE – Treasurer and Trustee

Maureen McSeveney – Lead Officer Safeguarding and Trustee

Pamela Robson – Trustee

Carolyn Clunie – Trustee

Mark Gaffney of Scottish Disability Sport also attended the first meeting of the Board of Charity Trustees.

There are four categories of membership but only two have voting rights. Memberships will be finalised at the second meeting of the Board of Charity Trustees and published thereafter.

Richard Brickley MBE – Chairman of the Board of Charity Trustees DSF (SCIO)