Month: November 2022

UK Sports Association Reveal New Name and Brand: SportExcel UK – Enabling Excellence in Disability Sport

SportExcel UK is revealed as the new name and brand for the UK Sports Association. Marking a milestone in the charities history and evolution, this is the first significant name change since its inception in 1980.

The work to refresh and refocus the organisations priorities and modernise its brand began early 2022, with consultation with some athletes from across the UK and from a variety of sports.  Achieving a dynamic, credible and modern brand was at the forefront of athlete feedback, whilst being representative of athletes and having a very clear performance and British focus was key.

Paralympic medallist (athletics shot put), Sabrina Fortune said “I am proud to support SportExcel UK. My words to describe this new brand are artistic, inspiring and professional.”

Chris Bradley, 2022 Champion, Virtus Para Dressage said “I am excited to be part of SportExcel UK because I love my sport and SportExcel UK is helping me to achieve my dreams. The new brand is positive, exciting and inspiring. Thank you SportExcel UK!”

British international table tennis player, and Athlete Ambassador, Adam Thompson said “I’m excited to be part of the SportExcel UK launch. The work they do is unbelievable for people with learning disabilities, and they also help me get my voice heard.”

“Enable, Excellence and a disability sport identity was an important part of considering how to re-brand as this came through strongly from the athletes involved” said Tracey McCillen, Chief Executive SportExcel UK.

McCillen continues “Athletes wanted the brand to be their voice, showcase their achievements for Britain, but also have a strong and modern feel.  With their help, I think we have achieved this. I’m really excited to see what the future holds for athletes with SportExcel UK as we continue to enable excellence in disability sport”

Genevieve Gordon-Thomson, Chair, SportExcel UK said ‘The purpose of rebranding for any organisation can be expressed simply as a facelift for that organisation, a refresh or whole new identity.  For us, it means much more than that.”

Gordon-Thomson continues “We have a new logo with our important identity of red, white and blue remaining and the inclusion of an all-new strap line stating with clarity the work of the organisation. Sport Excel UK, through the rebrand process, now demonstrates clearly and with ease, the real purpose of the organisation.”

SportExcel UK is the new name for the UK Sports Association. Sport Excel UK is the only national disability sports and umbrella body in the UK for sport and people with learning disability, down syndrome and autism focusing on elite and high performance sport.

SportExcel UK promotes, supports and facilitates talented sports people in the UK to train, compete and excel in national and international sport. SportExcel UK is the only official Great Britain member of Virtus (formerly Inas), is a member of the British Paralympic Association and is the body responsible for the management of the eligibility and classification system across the UK. SportExcel UK manages GB Teams to Virtus events and provides a voice for athletes with intellectual impairment in sport.

Records Tumble at British Para Swimming Meet

A number of British para swimming short course records fell at the British Para Swimming Winter National Meet 2022, at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow last weekend. The meet provided valuable winter short course competition for the para swimmers. A total of 726 races across 23 mixed classification events took place over Saturday and Sunday.

Among the British Records to fall was City of Glasgow Swim Team’s Louis Lawlor in the 50m freestyle (S14) – 23.65.

Scottish Records to fall on the first day of competition included:

Abby Kane S13, 50m Freestyle (29.51)

Abby Kane S13, 100m Freestyle (1:04.42)

Jack Milne S14, 50m Butterfly (27.60)

Laura Pilkington SB5, 50m Breaststroke (56.81)

Laura Pilkington SB5, 100m Breaststroke (2:02.09)

Louis Lawlor S14, 100m Freestyle (52.71)

Merryn Binnie SB6, 100m Breaststroke (2:26.20)

Ollie Carter S10, 50m Freestyle (25.69)

Ollie Carter S10, 100m Freestyle (55.21)

Ollie Carter S10, 50m Butterfly (27.62)

Tegan Davidson S5, 50m Freestyle (41.56)

Tegan Davidson S5, 100m Freestyle (1:35.22)

 

Scottish Records broken on Day 2 of the Meet included:

Ollie Carter (S10) 400m freestyle (4:14.10)

Toni Shaw (S9) 400m freestyle (4:39.42)

Louis Lawlor (S14) 100m butterfly (59.41)

Paul Wilson, Disability Performance Development Manager, Scottish Swimming, said of the performances,

“There are not many competitive short course racing opportunities in the para swimming calendar, so this event has been a great platform for the athletes to put down markers against their peers early on in the season.

“I’m very encouraged by the commitment to racing by both young and experienced athletes and I’m looking forward to seeing them push these performances on into the New Year, and for some, onto the World Championships Trials in March.”

If you or anyone you know has a disability and would like to get learn to swim or compete in swimming, please contact us on 0131 317 1130 or admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

UK Coaching logo

Scottish Disability Sport Coach announced as winner of Lifetime Achievement Award ahead of UK Coaching Awards

Following a remarkable 40 years of dedicated volunteering, and a coaching career that has seen him work from the grassroots to international competitions, Perth’s Jim Hunter has been announced as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award ahead of the UK Coaching Awards 2022.

Working across Scottish Athletics, Scottish Disability Sport, and his club Perth Strathtay Harriers, Jim has been the driving force behind the development and success of the club’s Inclusion group for young people and adults with disabilities and additional support needs, alongside his role as an advisor for Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport. The announcement comes ahead of the 25th annual UK Coaching Awards, a momentous event where coaches nationwide are recognised for their incredible contribution in transforming the lives and communities across their sport.

Jim competed for his club before transitioning into coaching four decades ago, and has been club president for 10 years. Beyond his work with his local club, he is also a UK Special Olympics Team Coach, a founding Trustee of the ‘Physical’ Sports charity, raising money to help youth sport in Perth and Kinross, and works closely with Perth Autism Support, the Blind Society, SHIP (Support, Help & Integration in Perthshire) and Perth & Kinross Disability Sport.

At the UK Coaching Awards, Jim is to be recognised for his outstanding service to participants with disabilities – reflecting on his award, and an incredible career in coaching, he said:

“I never imagined I would be part of the UK Coaching Awards process, and to be a winner of such a prestigious award is an incredible honour for me. Athletics and coaching has allowed me to travel across the UK, in Europe and beyond over the years. It is such a wonderful sport that allows anybody that wishes to take part, because it’s not just one sport, there are lots of ways for people to participate and we can ensure inclusivity with just a little thought and planning.

“I think that Perth Strathay Harriers have always been a very open and welcoming club. We might need to prepare the support mechanisms, but that’s a normal approach to coaching, communicating with your athlete and supporting them best you can. I’ve been fortunate to work with athletes up to national and international level.

“What is clear to me is the psychological benefits, seeing the smile that they’ve achieved, whatever that little thing might be to begin with. It doesn’t need to be winning a medal, it might just be standing up out of their wheelchair for the very first time. I’m very proud to encourage as many people as possible to support people to be active, and I have enjoyed my experience as a coach immensely.”

UK Coaching’s CEO Mark Gannon praised Jim and each of the exceptional finalists where winners are yet to be announced, reflecting on the huge variety of coaching talent for this year’s awards:

“I would like to extend a huge congratulations to Jim on his fantastic work over many years as an outstanding coach. For our 25th UK Coaching Awards, this year the bar has been raised once again, and Aston is a worthy representative of the coaching workforce who continue to show how the power of coaching changes lives and communities.

“It is so important that we acknowledge and thank all coaches, at all levels and in all settings, as they work tirelessly to support more people mentally and physically through physical activity and sport to help build communities, tackle inequalities and inspire people to be the best they can be, whatever their aspirations.”

Find out more about this year’s finalists and the awards by heading to www.ukcoaching.org/uk-coaching-awards.

The Great Glen – an inclusive coast-to-coast canoe epic

The miles were ticking down as we wound our way towards northern Scotland. We were excited about our next adventure but there was a problem: forecast after forecast predicted an opposing wind direction for our coast-to-coast journey. It was becoming increasingly clear that if our upcoming expedition was left as ‘Plan A’, the group would arrive at Loch Ness facing an untenable wind in their faces and with 26 miles to build up – some serious waves. So as the van, with canoes atop and support boat behind, ticked off the miles north, the laptop was put to work reversing the whole trip to work with the predicted northerlies and stay clear of the dangerously high winds on Loch Ness. Plan A had failed to make it to first contact.

The Great Glen is a 60-mile cleft stretching from Fort William in the west to Inverness on the east Coast. The glen typically lines up perfectly with the prevailing south-westerly winds but not this week. Traversing the glen is a wild and beautiful way of crossing from coast to coast aboard a canoe – mostly in large lochs stitched together by a canal.

Our adventurers this year were a bunch of great fun, adventurous, silly and occasionally rude-minded paddlers. Two of whom are also wheelchair users who have paddled or canoe sailed with us before.

Thus we found ourselves at the lovely accommodation of SYHA Glen Nevis -completely the wrong end of the Glen from our chosen north easterly transit direction. Such is the nature of best-laid plans and the inflexibility of train travel for our non-driving clients.

Fortunately, the disability adventure specialists are a close-knit community and our friends from Able to Adventure (Nethy Bridge) quickly stepped in at short notice to move everyone from the new endpoint to the new start point, neatly allowing the vehicles to be in the right place to finish.

The next morning, after a breakfast of toast and beans, we were winding our way to the new start point at Inverness. There is nothing better to increase the trepidation for a group than to drive the route passing lochs, castles and mountains. There is no choice but to appreciate the length and sheer challenge of what has been signed up to.

The group arrived at Inverness and visited the end of the canal to mark their departure from the sea of the east coast with a promise to revisit the salt water of the west.

Four travellers turned and walked or wheeled away from the shore. They traced the line of the inner basin and short canal section that leads to the first lock gate ladder that leverages the energy of falling water to lift boats to the heights needed to access the lochs.

The team met the canoes just after the lock ladder, as canoes cannot use the locks and need to portage around them – they are too small and risk being swamped in the powerful eddies that mark the water entering the lock chamber. Typically a paddler would have to carry their canoe around each gate they come to but we had a cunning plan. “Freedom”, our accessible powerboat,is allowed through the locks and can tow the canoes to assist those who could not easily portage their boat.

“Freedom” is our key tool for enabling our groups, and she had four important jobs on this trip:

  • Transporting the canoes through the locks
  • Guaranteeing that we will arrive at the known accessible camping spots by towing the group where needed
  • Acting as a portable, accessible toilet with privacy
  • Providing a safe water rescue platform – float aboard rather than haul out

The team members had paddled or sailed with us previously, so it was a relatively simple matter to set up the boats with the right level of supportive seating for their needs. We also deployed our outrigger floats and chose our 17-foot canoes to provide plenty of buoyancy and stability. This helps greatly as the supportive seating some of the paddlers with mobility impairments chose to use raises the height of the original canoe seating, making the paddler more comfortable but more top-heavy in the canoe.

And then we were off along the still water of the canals from the city, to the outskirts and into the open countryside. Through swing bridges and reeds to the first set of intermediate lock gates at Dornoch and our camp spot for the night. Much of the route is served by excellent canal-side camp spots with fresh water, flat ground and accessible toilets.

Dornoch is the gateway to Loch Ness and the following morning, we were ready for our first day of tackling Loch Ness. Now the trick with long-distance paddling is to avoid paddling at all! Opportunities typically for this top tip are created by choosing a downwind direction and sailing a big A frame sail. This year the winds were contrary to the norm (and the forecast) and blowing across the desired direction of travel but we had a trick up
our sleeves – our lateen sails. Lateens allow for a ‘proper’ sail shape and thus allowed everyone to sail quickly across the wind – it’s a bit exciting and takes some skill but at least one member of each canoe crew, had sailed with us before which made this easier.

It was still a long day with fluky and awkward winds which caused one accidental capsize from the canoes. This meant we made use of the powerboat to quickly recover our swimmer (we think they were just keen to get a closer look at Nessie) and also to make our evenings camp with a tow for the final few miles.

This night was spent at a campsite and we enjoyed the advantage of having a vehicle-based support crew – arriving to find our dinner already cooked.

Day 2 (day 3 of the trip) on the longest body of water in Britain saw the wind fill in and come around, so we got some truly exhilarating sailing into the low autumn afternoon sun. Arriving at Fort Augustus for a night in the lovely Morag’s Lodge, we had a pile of ‘neeps and tatties’ big enough to feed a lake monster.

Fort Augustus locks are closed in the afternoon: so it was an early start the next day to tow the canoes through to Loch Oich where we set out for our chosen camp venue looking over the lower half of Loch Oich. We had a beautiful wild camp, with just enough breeze and smoke from the
campfire to let us enjoy the falling sunlight midge free. In the morning, the wind was against us so we elected to create one catamaran with our two canoes and use this to punch through the headwinds.

Loch Oich leads to Loch Lochy where we met near stand-still headwinds – this week was the worst wind conditions we have seen on the Great Glen. Facing paddling into the darkness, we chose to finish off with a cold and rough tow through the waves to the locks. This is the only lochside camp where the accessible facilities were on the ‘wrong’ side of the water from camp but we coped well – had we needed to to use it, we had a portable accessible toilet with us.

The final day of the expedition is on the canals leading to Neptune’s Staircase. This is a steep series of locks leading down to the west coast of Scotland and where the paddling ended. We made our way down the last stretch of canal side by foot or chair to the sea on the west coast 60 miles from where we started our journey on the east coast.

6 days of challenge, laughter, comradeship, and silliness.

Join the next trip

2023’s Great Glen Journey will be the 11th – 18th of September 2023 arriving and departing from Fort William.

In terms of accessibility, to join the open trip you must be able to:

  • Mobility: Self-transfer between seats of different heights, manage your own personal needs (or bring an assistant), sit in an adaptive seat for long periods of time.
  • Cognition: Understand instructions and reliably follow them.
  • Communication: Receive vocal instructions without reliance on signs (or bring an interpreter)
  • Sensory impairment: There are no visual requirements (we can facilitate any level of vision impairment)

About Anyone Can

Anyone Can is an adventure specialist that provides challenging, remote and engaging adventures in the UK and beyond. Our ethos is to design experiences to maximise inclusivity for people with a range of specific needs or none. As well as creating an itinerary with accessible camps, choosing big boats and stabilisation, carrying a suitable portable toilet, running a support boat and having land support as mentioned in the article, we also have accessible tents, raised sleeping facilities, lead back sailing controls, raised cooking facilities and a roll-out ramp that aids us in making the venues accessible to our clients.

Anyone Can provide sailing, climbing, canoeing and caving adventures which are always adapted up and never toned down.

WWW.ANYONECAN.UK / 01539 310 041 / Info@anyoneCan.uk

Vacancy –  Regional Chair, RDA West & Central Scotland Region

RDA West & Central Scotland is looking for someone with passion, skills and experience to lead the regional team and support the 19 member groups of Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) in West & Central Scotland. Supported by a strong committee the Regional Chair plays a vital role in providing direction and development within the region.  the Chair is an ambassador for RDA UK and has the opportunity to contribute to the development of RDA UK as a national organisation through their membership of the Regional Chairs Committee.

At RDA our Vision is to enrich the lives of all disabled people through horses.  RDA is an inclusive and diverse organisation.  We welcome clients with physical and learning disabilities and there are no age restrictions.  Through our network of member groups, RDA is at work in every corner of the UK.  In 2023 RDA will be concentrating on building stronger foundations that will enable our groups to deliver more services to more participants.  Thereafter there will be exciting opportunities to lead West & Central Scotland Region in meeting ambitious growth targets before celebrating RDA 60th anniversary in 2029.

Chair of RDA West & Central Scotland Region is a significant voluntary role.  RDA West & Central Scotland is seeking a self-motivated person with a strong commitment to the RDA vision.  Some knowledge of the charity sector and the equestrian world in Scotland would be an advantage bonus.  Request a full appointment brief by emailing regional secretary Mary Dunlop mail@dunlopmj.co.uk.

Western Isles Swimmer Wins Double Gold

Western Isles Swimmer Marsaili Macauly made her debut swims at the Scottish Disability Sport National Championships in Grangemouth last week. Twelve year old Mairsili Macaulay from Benbecula took everything in her stride whilst competing in her first junior national swimming championship event.

This is the first time a swimmer from the Western Isles has competed in the national championships. Marsaili did the Western Isles proud by winning two gold and one bronze medal.

  • Junior Female Class 8 25m Freestyle Gold Medallist
  • Junior Female Class 10 25m Backstroke Gold Medallist
  • Junior Female Class 10 25m Breastroke Bronze Medallist

Marsaili (pictured above) is looking forward to getting back in the pool to improve her stroke technique, endurance and ultimately her times.

Many thanks to Team Orkney Coach Helen Rothnie who supported Marsaili throughout the event.

If you or anyone you know is living with a disability and would like to get involved in swimming please contact Scottish Disability Sport, 0131 317 1130 or email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Parasport Festival – Everything Was About Me!

“Today was my favourite day at school because everything was about me and what I could do.”

“Sportacular, Awesome and Great Fun.”

These are some of the quotes from participants who enjoyed attending an SDS parasport festival last year.

Parasport Festivals are designed to offer young people with physical disabilities, hearing loss and visual impairments within mainstream primary and secondary schools an opportunity to try a wide range of sports in inclusive, safe and fun sessions delivered by local qualified coaches.

The parasport experience offers more than physical activity and sport to young people. It can be life changing as they also meet other children with similar impairments and learn new skills which increase confidence, self-esteem.

After attending the festival, participants will receive support from SDS Regional Managers to attend clubs or sessions in activities of their choice.

Throughout the next six months there will be more parasport festival opportunities across Scotland for more children to experience. For some, the day is about sport and physical activity but for many it is a wider experience as they meet other children with similar impairments and experiences and establish new friendships

The Highland Parasport Festival kicks off the series this Saturday. Details of this and other festivals are listed in the table below.

Region Date Venue Time Register here
Highland Saturday 12 November 2022 Dingwall Leisure Centre

IV15 9LH

10.00am-3.30pm Highland Parasport Festival
Grampian Friday 25 November 2022 Aberdeen Sports Village

AB24 5RU

10.00am-2.00pm Grampian Parasport Festival
West of Scotland Friday 2 March 2023 ON-X Linwood

PA3 3RA

10.00am-2.00pm Register interest with admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com / 0131 317 1130
Tayside Wednesday 8 March 2023 Gardyne Campus, Dundee & Angus College

DD5 1NY

10.00am-2.00pm Register interest with admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com / 0131 317 1130
East of Scotland 24 March 2023 Forrester High School

EH12 9AE

10.00am-2.00pm Register interest with admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com / 0131 317 1130
Central Scotland 28 March 2028 Grangemouth Sports Complex

FK3 9JB

10.00am-2.00pm Register interest with admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com / 0131 317 1130

If you or anyone you know has a child with a physical disability, hearing loss and/or a visual impairment and would like your child to attend the festival please contact Scottish Disability Sport 0131 317 1130 or admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.