Month: January 2024

Graphic that says, January Review. Text white and purple on a lilac background. SDS logo in top right corner.

2024: January Review

A Quick Recap of some of January’s Highlights

By Emma Logan, Communications Manager


 

It is time for January to bow out, as February waits in the wings. Here’s a quick recap of some of January’s top moments. 

Sport –  

There was a lot to cheer about in January as sporting events took off.  

Gordon Reid made headlines in Australia as he won his fifth consecutive men’s wheelchair tennis doubles title with teammate, Alfie Hewett.  More here.

Also representing Scotland on the court in Australia, was Young Persons Sport Panel member, Aidan Moody. Moody took part in the AOPWII championships and put in an ace performance, leaving Melbourne with a runners-up trophy from the double’s tournament. Stay tuned for the full review. 

Court action continued in Midlothian as Dalkeith School hosted the National Badminton Championships. A full review will be made available soon on Badminton Scotland Disability’s social media.  

Falling on the same Saturday (27th) was British Blind Sport’s ‘Have a Go’ day, at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Participants were given the opportunity to try out judo, athletics, curling, tennis and goalball.  

 

Education –  

SDS has been working with several Scottish Governing Bodies and organisations, to put inclusivity at the heart of their activities. This includes (but is not limited to), Pickleball Scotland and Cricket Scotland who are working in partnership with SDS to embed inclusive practice and DIT (Disability Inclusion Training) in certain courses and workshops.  

SDS is also supporting Scottish Gymnastics to embed inclusion into their new Baby Gym course. 

SDS has made good progress with the marking instructions for Nat 5 PE Boccia performance. Once completed, it will enable those with more severe physical disabilities to access qualification level PE. SDS hopes to repeat this procedure with Higher PE in due course. 

A benchmarking tool that could be used by SGBs to measure their impact in disability sport was under discussion at the Disability Sports Coaching and Education Group: Scotland meeting, which SDS hosted. Scottish Students Sport (SSS), sportscotland, Scottish Sports Association (SSA), Scottish Athletics and Scottish Sports Futures (SSF) were all present.  

Health  

GOGA Tayside’s women’s Yoga class continues to gain popularity in 2024.  

The sessions provide a safe and fully inclusive environment for women to participate in physical activity regardless of age, ability, religion, culture and confidence.  

GOGA (Get Out Get Active) provides opportunities for everyone to explore how physical activity can work for them. You can find out more about GOGA’s yoga classes here and if you have any questions, you can contact GOGA here.  

Portrait photo of Jonathan Kennedy, smiling to camera. White background with a SDS polo shirt on.

New Staff: Jonathan Kennedy Joins SDS

Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) newly appointed Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, is eager to further develop boccia in Scotland to help promote and increase equal opportunities in sport.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Manager


 

Kennedy joined SDS in November last year and since then, he has been busy working with clubs and coaches throughout the nation to understand how they can further work together to develop the sport.

“I was working with two local athletics clubs which was great”, said Kennedy, explaining his involvement in sport before joining SDS.

“I could help lots of regular attendees, within the clubs, but I couldn’t help anyone who wasn’t attending the sessions. I found that to be quite hard and frustrating. However, I saw this post to be a great opportunity to use my knowledge and passion to help more people and to provide a service”, added Kennedy.

“Sport changed my life and this boccia position is a fantastic opportunity for me to help others change theirs”, said Kennedy.

His new role involves collaborating and communicating with SDS Regional Development Managers and third sector organisations, such as Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland.

Another area of Kennedy’s role is to ensure that boccia clubs and sessions are sustainable, ensuring that there are relevant tools and resources, alongside making sure clubs and coaches are up skilled to a sufficient level.

Now that he has been in post for a little under two months, he described that he is most enjoying: “Getting out into the field, managing to meet loads of different people, and getting to understand how passionate they all are about boccia.”

He went on to say. “All of these people have such good ideas alongside their passion and I am getting really excited about helping these [ideas] come to fruition”

Kennedy believes that it is important that everyone has the opportunity to try the sport because, “this way if you like the sport great and if you don’t, great because then we can help you find a sport that works for you.”

In the coming months, Kennedy is really looking forward to playing a key role in the planning and delivery of the national schools boccia championship. This is the second time that the event will take place and he is keen to develop and take learnings from it.

The event is being held on March 20th at The Peak, Stirling. The event creates a competition between school pupils to ultimately, “crown the Scottish schools boccia champion”, said Kennedy.

He continued to say, “This event is a great opportunity for participants to meet others from around the country and play against each other, it brings people together to have fun, play to their best ability and to develop their skills”.

With 2024 being a Paralympic year, Kennedy sees this as a fantastic opportunity to, “engage and get more interest” in the sport. He continued to say, “It will be a great opportunity to host school sessions and events to showcase a possible pathway”.

Out with the Games in Paris, he is eager to: “work with the whole team at SDS to make sure we have opportunities for boccia in Scotland. This is what I am looking forward to the most”.

Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid lift the trophy after winning the Australian Open

Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid and Andy Lapthorne Add to Australian Open Grand Slam Title Haul

By LTA | Tennis for Britain


Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid won their fifth successive Australian Open men’s wheelchair doubles title on Friday (26th) as Andy Lapthorne completed another tremendous day for British wheelchair tennis and players supported by the LTA’s Elite Wheelchair Programme as he partnered the USA’s David Wagner to their fifth Australian Open quad doubles title in 10 years.

Both partnerships had to come through two matches in a day after Thursday’s rain in Melbourne caused their semi-finals to be postponed, with Hewett and Reid defeating Daisuke Arai and Takashi Sanada 6-3, 6-3 in the second successive Australian Open semi-final between the two pairings.

The men’s doubles title decider saw the record-breaking partnership of Hewett and Reid contest their 17th final in 18 Grand Slams as they took on Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda, the same Japanese partnership they beat in three sets  in front of 10,000 fans in the 2023 Wimbledon final. But this time Hewett and Reid completed victory in straight sets, wrapping up their 19th Grand Slam title together 6-3, 6-2.

Hewett, who will now play Oda in Saturday’s men’s singles final, said: “Some of the points in that match really displayed the best of wheelchair tennis. The best bit about it is you feel the love and the excitement from the crowd as well. Like, you can tell they’re getting into the match.”

With the Brits supported by many of their regular teams of supporters from Norfolk and Scotland as they earned their two victories on Margaret Court Arena and Kia Arena, Reid added:

“There were some relatives and some Scots out there. Some of them have just flown over yesterday for this match. Obviously it was great to have them there. My parents are out here as well. It was my dad’s first time at the Australian Open. Hopefully he enjoyed himself today and enjoyed that match.”

Lapthorne’s victory alongside Wagner in the quad doubles final was especially poignant after he missed an uncle’s funeral during his bid for a 17th career Grand Slam title and his ninth Grand Slam title alongside Wagner.

The Anglo-American duo beat second seeds Australian Heath Davidson and Canada’s Robert Shaw for just the second time in six matches as they took their semi-final 6-3, 6-2 before later returning to Margaret Court Arena to beat South Africa’s Donald Ramphadi and Guy Sasson of Israel 6-4, 3-6, (10-2).

Lapthorne said:

“It’s 10 years this week since we one our first one and we’ve somehow managed to do it again, so big thanks to David. I lost my uncle about three or four days before I came out here, so that one’s for him.  

“(During the match) I played probably one of the best 10-15 minutes of tennis that I’ve ever played at a Grand Slam, in terms of just not missing a ball and feeling really confident.”

Image that says, International Day of Education, #HateSpeech 2024. There is a photo of a school boy with text beside him that says, Teach me how to avoid disinformation

Education to Combat Hate Speech

With the annual increase of hate crimes towards people with a disability, UNESCO advocates “learning for lasting peace”. 

 By Emma Logan | Communications Manager 


On International Day of Education, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) joins UNESCO in their campaign for “learning for lasting peace”, dedicating this year’s global day to highlighting the crucial role education plays in countering hate speech.  

Education can play a key role in raising awareness about disability whilst challenging misconceptions and stereotypes to create a more inclusive and safe society. However, recent years have seen people with a disability living in the UK experiencing an increase in hate crimes, highlighting the need for further societal education.  

According to the COPFS’ Hate Crime in Scotland 2022-23 report, “In 2022-23, 722 charges were reported with an aggravation of prejudice relating to disability, 3% more than in 2021-22.” 

The Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees, Emma Roddick MSP, said: “The Scottish Government is clear that discrimination or prejudice of any kind is unacceptable and must be addressed quickly whenever it arises. 

“The Scottish Government is committed to building a Scotland where everyone lives free from hatred and prejudice, and where our communities are empowered, inclusive and safe.” 

 COPFS’ report also states that the increase of charges is: “the highest number of charges reported since the legislation creating this aggravation came into force in 2010 and follows an increase of over 50% in the number of charges reported in 2021-22 compared to 2020-21.” 

Former Young Person’s Sport Panel and Para athlete, Stefan Hoggan-Radu, explained how bullying at school influenced his decision to become a politician, “I hated the injustice, especially around disabled people and I felt like we weren’t represented properly. I got bullied a lot in school and I wanted to make a difference,” said Hoggan-Radu.  

The current Councillor for Cupar continued to say, “I wanted to use that [public speaking skills] to help other people and try and stop bullying and stop injustice.”  

To combat the increase of hate crimes throughout the UK, the Scottish Government launched the Hate Crime Strategy Delivery Plan in November 2023.  

Emma Roddick MSP said that the plan, “sets out our immediate actions over the next two years in support of Scotland’s Hate Crime Strategy. Importantly, it was informed by communities with lived experience of hate crime, including disabled people”. 

 

Find out more about UNESCO’s International Day of Education, along with resources and social media post content here.

COPFS’ Hate Crime in Scotland 2023-24 report will be published in June 2024. 

 

Photo of Helen Kallow smiling. She is in a forest.

Helen Kallow Appointed East’s Regional Development Manager

Kallow is striving to get more people active throughout 2024.

New Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) team member comes with years of experience and fresh ideas.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Apprentice


Helen Kallow joined the SDS team in September of 2023, taking up the role of East Regional Manager which covers the areas of Edinburgh, Lothian and the Borders. This role includes delivering Para sport sessions, working alongside both member branches (Borders and Lothian Disability Sport) and communicating with active schools’ coordinators to ensure that there is a range of accessible activities being delivered. Kallow will also be responsible for working with healthcare professionals to act on referrals, which plays a significant role in the rehabilitation pathway.

Kallow has experience in multiple areas of the disability sport sector, including Riding for the Disabled and Scottish Curling. This position at SDS initially caught her interest as a great opportunity to, “capitalise on the knowledge and experiences that I had, along with the contacts”.

Kallow also described that being able to, “make more opportunities available through working with a wide range of clubs and coaches”, was a key factor to her applying.

One of the key events that Kallow will organise and run is the East of Scotland’s Parasport Festival. Parasport Festivals take place across Scotland, on an annual basis. They provide children and young people with a physical, vision and hearing impairment the opportunity to try a diverse variety of sports in a safe place. You can find out more about Parasport Festivals here and sign up for your region’s event (including the East regional Parasport festival), here.

Kallow is no stranger to SDS’ Parasport Festivals, had previous experience of the festival through her time with Scottish Curling.

The event is being held on Tuesday 19th March at Winchburgh Academy, West Lothian. Kallow said that Parasport festivals are a, “great opportunity to try new sports, meet other young people and hear about the opportunities available for getting active”.

Outside the Parasport Festivals, she is looking forward to attending events and connecting with participants.

“I went to a national swimming event last November. It was fantastic to see so many participants really enjoying themselves”, said Kallow who continued to say that, “being able to see clubs thriving”, is a huge motivational factor in her work.

Covering such a large region is challenges and would not be possible without the support of volunteers.

Kallow said: “There is an amazing group of volunteers in the branches and in the clubs. They do a fantastic job at providing these opportunities”. Through the dedication of volunteers, they’re able to break down this geographical barrier and continue the region’s development.

The Summer Paralympic Games are fast approaching, being held between 28th August and 8th September in Paris. Kallow explained that, “it is just such an opportunity, for young and older people with a disability, to see people just like them on the international stage”.

Kallow went on to say, “if there was to be a future Paralympian come out of the East region as a result of this year’s Paralympics, that would be amazing”.

Kallow also believes that a key message the Games promote is, “more people, more active. You know, if it encourages more people to take that first step to become more active, I think that will be a great success”.

This ties into her goal for 2024, being to get, “more people, having more fun, being more active”.

Poster that says, 'Female Focus', wheelchair curling Paralympic Pathway Recruitment

British Curling Launches First Female Focused Para Recruitment Campaign

With less than two years to go until the next Winter Paralympics in Milan Cortina 2026, British Curling have launched its first ever Paralympic Recruitment Campaign focusing solely on female recruitment UK wide.

‘Female Focus’ is part of the ongoing Paralympic Recruitment Campaign: ‘It’s Time to Deliver – Push Yourself’. This follows the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, aimed at increasing the number of participants from across the UK on the GB Paralympic curling squad.

Wheelchair Curling requires at least one female athlete in every Paralympic curling team and with the introduction of Mixed Doubles – a discipline that requires an athlete from both genders – in the Milan Cortina 2026 programme, the sport has become more inclusive than ever before with more opportunities for athletes to get involved at the highest level of the game.

The Female Focus campaign is part of the long-term Paralympic Pathway Strategy, offering newcomers to the game the opportunity to progress as far as their potential and ambition may take them, with the latest drive encouraging more women and girls into the game to be considered for squad inclusion in the build up to Milan Cortina and beyond.

A Female Focus Wheelchair Curling Recruitment Day will take place next month at the National Curling Academy in Stirling on Friday 9th February, providing female wheelchair users aged 16+ from across the UK an on-ice taster session, as well as off-ice coaching in a games hall setting, utilising FloorCurl equipment.

The first event of its kind organised by British Curling Paralympic Pathway Manager Cheryl Lappin, is supported by our partners at UK Sport, the British Paralympic Association, Scottish Curling, the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association and the English Curling Association.

“This event is the perfect building block for girls and women aged 16+ who are keen to try wheelchair curling in a relaxed, supportive and inclusive environment,” said Lappin.

“No experience is required, only a drive to be committed, passionate and to develop their talent within the sport of wheelchair curling.

“Follow up will include signposting opportunities onto Wheelchair Curling Clubs across the UK and for those who show talent, an opportunity to progress onto the next stage of the British Curling Paralympic Performance Pathway. I would urge any interested females to get in touch.”

To register your interest please scan the QR code below or visit: https://forms.office.com/e/s3NG0hRaUf or contact Cheryl for further details: Cheryl.Lappin@britishcurling.org.uk

 

Poster that shows two women participating in wheelchair curling and says Female Focus.

A young boy trying out tennis at a British Blind Sport multi-sport, 'Have a Go' day.

British Blind Sport Hosting Multi-Sport ‘Have a Go’ Day

A free multi-sports day dedicated to blind and partially sighted people comes to Glasgow’s Emirates Arena this month.

 

The UK’s leading sporting charity for blind and partially sighted people, British Blind Sport, is hosting a ‘Have A Go’ Day at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena on Saturday, January 27 between 10am and 3pm where visitors can try out a range of sports – including athletics, judo, tennis and goalball, to help the city break down sporting barriers that are driving high levels of inactivity in its sight loss community.

The session – which is also being supported by Scottish Disability Sport – is open to adults and children of all abilities and is aimed at breaking down barriers to exercise by enabling people to try out the sports in a relaxed environment.

There are currently more than 17,000 people in Glasgow living with sight loss, according to research from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), but only 100 of those are registered with British Blind Sport, which tracks engagement with sport and exercise.

Vicky Cook, Participation Officer at British Blind Sport, said: “Our taster sessions have a crucial role to play in overcoming the common misconception among those with sight loss that sport and exercise isn’t for them – either because they aren’t aware of what’s available in their area, have a lack of confidence or due to other barriers such as cost and transport.”

For more information and to register, go to: buff.ly/48pM09I

 

Two men taking part in judo at a British blind sport 'Have a go' day.

A young girl playing goalball at a British blind sport 'Have a go' day.
Rosie Randall trying Frame running at Tayside's 2023 Parasport Festival.Sheis on the frame runner inside a sport's hall.

Parasport Festival 2024/25 dates announced

Parasport Festival (2024-25 season)

Parasport Festivals are designed to offer young people with physical disabilities, hearing loss and vision 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.

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. These festivals are aimed at those young people who are significantly under-represented when it comes to participating in weekly sport or physical activity. 


Upcoming Locations and Dates – 

Location  Venue  Date  Registration Link  Closing Date 
Grampian  Aberdeen Sports Village   Friday 27th September 2024  Register here   Friday 20th September  
Highland  Lochaber Leisure Centre   Saturday 28th September 2024   Register here Friday 20th September 
Dumfries   TBC  February 2025   Registrations not open   – 
Stranraer   TBC  February 2025   Registrations not open   – 
Tayside   Dundee & Angus College   Wednesday 5th March 2025   Registrations not open   – 
West   TBC  March 2025   Registrations not open   – 
East  TBC  March 2025  Registrations not open   – 
Orkney   TBC  TBC  Registrations not open   – 
Shetland   TBC  TBC  Registrations not open   – 
Forth Valley   TBC  September 2025   Registrations not open   –