Angus-based athlete Gemma Lumsdaine travelled to Westminster last week to address guests at the House of Lords in an event to launch “Supporting Tomorrows Superstars”, a campaign which is raising money to buy a new wheelchair rugby chair for each wheelchair rugby club across the UK and Ireland.

The campaign is run by children’s rugby charity Wooden Spoon, and Gemma, who plays wheelchair rugby, spoke about the benefits of disability sport in general. Gemma also outlined how wheelchair rugby in particular has helped her as it is geared towards athletes impaired in both upper and lower limbs.

Gemma described giving the speech at the House of Lords as nerve-wracking but ensured she made the most of the opportunity to promote disability sport to the audience which included sportsmen, dignitaries, charity funders and ex-Paralympians.

63 delegates attended the 2016 SDS Branch Conference on Sunday 2 October at the new venue of the Stirling Court Hotel on the University of Stirling campus. The conference was able to attract   delegates from 12 out of the 13 SDS member branches who were cheerfully welcomed with a hot cup of coffee and breakfast roll on a pleasant but chilly autumn morning to set them up for a productive day ahead.

The delegates were able to share their experiences with each other along with the chance to access up to date information on key topics related to the day-to-day operations of a branch.

The theme of the conference was ‘Looking back to look forward!’ with delegates reflecting on the challenges and opportunities that have faced the membership in the previous year along with celebrating the successes of Scottish athletes in the Rio 2016 paralympics. Much of the content was driven by branch members and featured those in similar roles having the opportunity to discuss key aspects facing branches in the current sporting landscape.

The conference opened with a welcome and introduction from SDS Chairperson Janice Eaglesham MBE who ran through the achievements and progress SDS has made within the last year and the integral role branches play as the lifeblood of the organisation. This was followed by an excellent presentation from Gold Medal winning, World-Record Club Throw holder Jo Butterfield and her coach Shona Malcolm OBE on their Rio experience and the life of a high-performance athlete and coach.

Representatives from four branches presented case studies of recent pieces of good practice their branches had implemented. These were warmly received by other branches and led to some very interesting discussions.

A key component of the day involved delegates splitting into groups of similar roles and taking the opportunity to discuss the key challenges facing branches with plenty examples of good practice being shared. This followed a very successful pilot of these workshops last year.  SDS staff and board members chaired the groups and ensured key aspects were covered relevant to the positions.

Last year’s conference saw the inaugural meeting of the Young Persons’ Sports Panel which has been used as a voice for the younger members of our communities. This year the panel met again to ascertain the progress that has been made in the year with many citing the gained confidence and skills they have gained as proof of the benefit of the panel.

The day was concluded with a fascinating presentation from Rio 2016 Derek Rae, ably supported by Richard Brickley MBE, who led us on a whirlwind tour of Derek’s ascension through distance running following his accident. The talk highlighted the critical support role a branch can play in a high-performance athlete’s sporting journey.

A successful branch network ensures athletes and clubs are effectively supported in their development along areas of the sporting pathway so it is critical branches are comprehensively supported in this respect.  The presentations from the conference are available on SDS Website at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/about-sds/branch-conferences/

Minister for Public Health & Sport Aileen Campbell MSP brought to a close a highly successful 53rd Annual General Meeting of Scottish Disability Sport (SDS). This year’s AGM was held at the Stirling Court Hotel, Stirling on Sunday 2nd October and incorporated the running of the annual SDS Branch Conference for the first time. 126 members, athletes and players, friends and representatives from partner agencies attended the AGM.

The AGM was opened by SDS Chair Janice Eaglesham MBE who welcomed those in attendance and thanked the key staff, coaches, volunteers and key partners for their hard work and commitment during 2014/2015. The election of directors of the Association resulted in the following individuals being elected:

Directors Oliver Barsby
Jay Runga

The guest speakers for the 2016 AGM were BISFed BC4 Individual World Boccia Champion Stephen McGuire and GB Boccia Performance Coach Claire Morrison. The pair delivered an informative and entertaining presentation on their experiences within boccia and reflections on the recent Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Chair Janice Eaglesham MBE reported on progress made during the past year in relation to the SDS strategic plan 2012-2017, “Inspiring Through Inclusion” and CEO Gavin Macleod followed this by presenting the first viewing of the next SDS Strategic Plan that will lead the work of the Association from 2017-2021.

The Minister for Public Health & Sport, Aileen Campbell MSP, was then joined by Julie Hogg, on behalf of the Russell Hogg Trust, to present the SDS Awards to athletes, coaches and volunteers. The main award of the evening, the Gordon Brown Memorial trophy for the Athletes’ Athlete of the Year, was awarded to wheelchair tennis legend Gordon Reid.

The evening concluded with the AGM closing remarks being delivered by the Minister for Public Health & Sport who congratulated SDS on the successes of the year gone by and outlined the Scottish Government’s commitment to equality within sport.

Click here for a copy of the slides from the SDS AGM of 2016..

SDS AWARD WINNERS 2016

Perth & Kinross Disability Sport
South Lanarkshire Disability Sport

Russell Hogg Bursary
David Beattie
Josh Manson

Archie Cameron Bursary
Reegan Stevenson

Special Recognition Award
Paul Noble MBE

Special Olympics Trophy
Elaine McKenna

Capability Scotland Salver
Abby Kane

Glasgow Trophy
Anna Tizzard

Elspeth Watson Trophy
Andrew Smith

Russell Hogg Trophy
Alex Bird

Fife Trophy
Karen Ross

Findlay Calder Trophy
Libby Clegg

Brian Dolan Memorial Trophy
Andrew Mullen

Angus Trophy
Gordon Reid

Gordon Brown Memorial Trophy
Gordon Reid

[supsystic-gallery id=’16’]

As the sun sets on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and the disability sport world begins to look ahead to Tokyo in 2020, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) won’t forget the inspiring performances given by ParalympicsGB athletes in Rio, London, Beijing, Athens, etc.

In 1960 the first ever Paralympic Games took place in Rome and since then these Games have been the ultimate aim for athletes with a disability around the world to compete in. This year 33 Scottish athletes competed for ParalympicsGB across 12 sports. Many of these athletes didn’t, at the beginning of their journey, have their sights set on the Paralympic Games. They got involved in sport to lose weight or to gain friendships, generally to get healthier and access a social network and be included not excluded.

Then, somewhere along the way, inspiration, fire in their belly, self-belief have taken over and they have looked ahead to competing for their club, country and for ParalympicsGB.

If these inspirational role models have made you think about getting involved in sport for any of the reasons above then SDS can help you. We work with many partners and sports across the whole of Scotland to provide opportunities all year round for people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities to get involved in sport locally and progress in their chosen sport.

For some, the journey starts at para sport festivals and development days – more commonly known as “Come and Try Days”.

SDS has 13 member Branches and eight Regional Managers across Scotland which can support you to #getinvolved locally. Listed below are some of the opportunities coming up in the near future.

Start your journey in disability sport by picking up the phone and calling SDS on 0131 317 1130 or by emailing SDS admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com to get more information on what is on offer for you. We will help you to #getinvolved in a disability club or a mainstream club, whichever is right for you!

Visual Impairment Sport Engagement Day

This day is designed for people with all ages to try a variety of sports in a fun and safe way. Sports include athletics, bowls, cycling, football, goalball, judo and swimming.

Venue: Sensory Centre, Mariner Centre, Falkirk Indoor Bowling Centre, Camelon, Falkirk, FK14DD (right next to Camelon train station)
Date: Saturday 26 November, 2016
Time: 9.30 am – 4.00 pm
Age: 5 years upwards
Cost: Free

Para Sport Festival Events

These events are organised by SDS Regional Managers across the country and are open primarily to school aged children with physical, hearing and visual impairments (ages vary in each region). These events offer a variety of sports including athletics, badminton, boccia, bowls, cycling, football, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis etc.

Central Scotland
Tuesday 24 October – Grangemouth Sports Complex

West of Scotland
Friday 10 March – Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility
Friday 10 November – Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility

Highlands and Islands
Tuesday 7 February – Inverness sports centre

Tayside Region
Wednesday 15 March – Dundee & Angus College

East of Scotland
Friday 24 March – Forrester High School

Grampian Region
Wednesday 7 June – Aberdeen Sports Village

For more information or to register interest in any of these events, please email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or phone 0131 317 1130.

Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) innovative Disability Inclusion Training (DIT) programme was announced as the winner of the Legacy 2014 Award at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in Edinburgh last night (28 Sep). Over 600 people joined the celebrations at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where the evening was hosted by double Olympic Gold medallist Shirley Robertson, OBE and comedian Fred MacAulay. Fresh from her exploits at the Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Paralympian and SDS DIT tutor Sammi Kinghorn took to the stage to receive the award from Minister for Public Health & Sport, Aileen Campbell MSP and sportscotland Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Harris.

The DIT is designed to increase the confidence and competence of education staff to include pupils with disabilities within physical education and extra-curricular activities. The theory element of the course tackles issues such as communication, terminology, inclusion models and disability spectrum issues. The practical section deals with inclusion in a variety of settings including warm ups, fun games, core skills and team sports. In the last year alone, SDS has delivered 71 Disability Inclusion Training courses involving 1,047 candidates.

Commenting on the award, SDS Coaching & Development Manager, Heather Lowden said;

“We are absolutely delighted to have received the Legacy 2014 Award. SDS is extremely proud of its Disability Inclusion Training programme which has made significant inroads to ensuring that teachers and education staff are given support and knowledge ensure the affective inclusion of pupils with disabilities in curricular and extra-curricular activities across Scotland”.

With more than 50 Scottish Olympians and Paralympians from the recent Games in Rio in attendance, the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards was a star-studded celebration of their outstanding achievements as well as the success of individuals, schools, clubs and teams across the whole of Scottish sport.

Gordon Reid was also amongst the awards on the evening, winning the Para-sport Athlete of the Year, following a first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, Wimbledon singles and doubles titles and Paralympic gold and silver.

Dunbar’s triple Paralympic medallist in athletics, Maria Lyle, also took the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy for the Young Athlete of the Year.

[supsystic-gallery id=’15’]

The full list of the Award Winners on the evening were as follows;

Scottish Sportsperson of the Year – Emirates Lonsdale Trophy
Andy Murray OBE, Tennis

Male Athlete of the Year – sponsored by Commonwealth Games Scotland
Andy Murray OBE, Tennis

Female Athlete of the Year – sponsored by EDF Energy
Heather Stanning MBE, Rowing

Para-Sport Athlete of the Year – sponsored by CGI
Gordon Reid, Wheelchair Tennis

Team of the Year – sponsored by PSL / Canterbury
GB Davis Cup Team, Tennis

Coach of the Year – sponsored by University of Stirling
Ben Higson & Steven Tigg, Swimming

Sporting Moment of the Year – sponsored by The Scottish Sun
Hibs score last minute goal to end 114 year wait for a Scottish Cup title – Football

Young Athlete of the Year – sponsored by EDF Energy
Maria Lyle, Para-Athletics

Sports Leader of the Year – sponsored by Brand Oath
Richard Thomas, Boxing

Governing Body of the Year – sponsored by Bluefin Sport
Scottish Athletics

Community Hub, Club or School of the Year – sponsored by sportscotland
Aviemore Community Sports Hub

Legacy 2014 Award – sponsored by Legacy 2014
SDS Disability Inclusion Training

Lifetime Achievement – sponsored by Commonwealth Games Scotland
Katherine Grainger CBE, Rowing

Team Scot of the Year – sponsored by European Championships 2018
Steph Inglis, Judo

Huge congratulations to Ron McArthur, who has been awarded the 75th Anniversary Award for Service and Achievement at the 2016 Scottish Indoor Bowling Awards. This very special and well-deserved award is in recognition of the enormous impact Ron has had on the sport of bowls and for service and achievement.

Ron said: “Thanks to all at the SIBA for awarding me the 75th Anniversary Award for Service and Achievement. It means so much to me, because it was given by the people who matter to me. It was given for what I love to do with a passion. I am very fortunate to work with people I love, get supported by people I love and do it for people I love. What more could I want. Thank you.”

If you would like to love bowls as much as Ron, get in touch at Ron.McArthur@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07788 878470.

 

Two of the three nominated bowlers for the Scottish Para Bowler of the year award at the recent Scottish Indoor Bowling Awards Night were from Fife and the Abbeyview club in Dunfermline. Fife bowlers Barbara McMillan and Maria Spencer lined up alongside Garry Brown from Blantyre Miners Welfare for the prestigious award.

2015 Visually Impaired World Champion Maria Spencer lifted the award and became the first person to be celebrated at the Annual Awards in this new category. Maria is a double world champion. She won the B3 singles title in New Zealand last year and four years earlier in South Africa.

Fittingly Maria received her award on the night in the company of her coach and director Sarah Jane Ewing from Dunfermline. Maria has had a challenging time recently with illness and surgery and the award has lifted her spirits enormously.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Enjoy a taster of the sport with an introduction to the basics and how the game is played. Sessions are delivered by RCCC qualified coaches.

Where: The Peak, Stirling

When: Wednesday 5th October 2016, 1230-1430

Cost: Free

For further information or to register please contact Hammy McMillan on 01786 448 308 or email askus@activestirling.org.uk.