Everyone involved with Scottish Disability Sport would like to take this opportunity to wish all our athletes, coaches, volunteers, partners and key stakeholders a very merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. We thank you all most sincerely for your commitment, achievements and support during the last 12 months. We all look forward to working with you during what promises to be an exciting 2020.
Scottish is Disability is looking forward to hosting an inaugural Boccia Conference which will take place on Sunday 23 February 2020 at the sportscotland National Training Centre, Inverclyde. We have an exciting selection of workshops on offer and all information can be found in the programme. This conference is open to all members of the boccia community and there is no cost to attend.
If you would like to register, please do so via the link below:
https://boccia.scottishdisabilitysport.com/2020-boccia-conference/
A few weeks ago I received a call in the DSF office from Gilly Eason. Gilly started running in January this year and has raised £1300 for charity.
Gilly runs with the Kirkcaldy Wizards who are linked to the very inclusive Fife Athletic Club. I guess the Wizards are part of the Jogscotland initiative supported by Scottish Athletics? Gilly trains with the Wizards on Monday and Wednesday for an hour at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy and enjoys Parkruns and other social running occasions. She told me that sometimes there are as many as 80 runners involved with the Wizards.
Rosie Broadley turned up at the Wizards and expressed an interest in the couch to 5K programme. Rosie lost her sight this year and is now dependent on a cane. Rosie was accompanied by her daughter and Gilly introduced herself. Little did they realise how much of an influence they would have on one another for the remainder of the year.
Gilly was calling the DSF office to ask about guide running and supporting a runner with a visual impairment. It was an easy task on my part to pass on a few references and within no time Gilly had purchased a tether and volunteered her services to support Rosie on “Wizard Nights”. For over ten weeks Gilly and Rosie trained on together on grass, track and roads until she graduated couch to 5K with her fellow Wizards. The dynamic duo took over the park in true Wizard style.
Gilly told me they have a Wizard of the month every month on the first Monday. The accolade is reserved for those who are not the fastest or run the furthest. The award is about people who help and inspire others. Gilly was delighted and proud that this month it was Rosie!! There were tears from Rosie because she believes she is “just Rosie”. Rosie does not see herself as special despite having had a brain injury, stroke and lost her sight all in one year. Being part of the programme has had an amazing impact on her life and all those she have come to know her through the Kirkcaldy Wizards.
I learned when I was pulling this article together that Rosie has won a free trip to Vegas with GMTV!! The show is running a segment about “new beginnings” and Rosie’s daughter Sam emailed her story to GMTV. Not surprisingly she won the trip because she inspired the judging panel just as she has inspired her fellow Wizards throughout her ten week programme.
Congratulations Rosie on all that you have achieved to date. You are most definitely an inspiration. Well done of course to volunteer Gilly who has contributed so much to Rosie’s training, progression and safety. Wonderful story of the power of inclusive active recreation to change lives. Get Out Get Active in Fife (GOGA).
Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees
As part of the SDS Young Start review process I met up recently with DSF member Craig Smith at the DSF office. As always Craig was incredibly upbeat. Our meeting was scheduled just before his teaching/coaching session withGlenrothes Amateur Swimming Club.
Since embarking on his coach education journey Craig has developed into a confident and popular teacher. During his early days with the club Craig benefited greatly from working alongside fellow DSF member Lara Ferguson.
Craig recently travelled to the Tower Hotel in London to represent the Young Start programme at the UK Coaching Awards. As Scottish area winners of the transforming coaching section, the SDS Young Start programme was up against GB hockey and archery submissions with GB Hockey taking the honours.
All of us in Scotland associated with the Young Start programme were of course delighted with the Scottish win and pleased that Craig was selected as the Young Start ambassador. Last week Craig also represented the Young Start programme at a meeting of potential sponsors. When we met Craig explained the role he and others have played in shaping the future of the programme and the importance of raising awareness of mental health issues going forward.
Since successfully completing two Scottish Swimming qualifications Craig has flown. He is now a respected Glenrothes Amateur Swimming Club teacher and the impact that he and Lara Ferguson have had on the club is impressive. Craig is a very special young man and those of us who know him are confident that he will carve out a successful career in swim teaching.
Craig was a successful Para swimmer when he was a pupil at Glenrothes HS. Perhaps he will return to swimming one day and maybe even become involved in Masters Swimming. He certainly has the potential to excel in the sport. Currently his weekly schedule is challenging and he is running up an amazing number of miles driving between Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow for his job, leisure and studies.
Craig has charisma in abundance and no shortage of intelligence and sparkle. DSF is proud to have Craig as a member and delighted that he is now a volunteer giving lots back to the sport that meant so much to him when he was a teenager. Craig got so much from the Young Start programme and now contributes so much to the development of the programme as well as benefiting from it. DSF is very proud of Craig Smith and believes that he will excel in whatever he decides to do in life.
Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees
Scottish Boccia were represented at the Boccia England Team and Pairs event at the David Ross Sports Village at Nottingham University on the 14 and 15 December 2019.
The competition afforded the opportunity to take seven players to compete, five of whom, were making their first appearance for Scotland. The squad were ably led by experience players, Kieran Steer and Ross Munro.
BC3 Pairs
Ross MacNeil (alongside the Vipers English Academy)
BC4
A. Kieran Steer & Scott McIntyre
B. Ross Munro & Tyler McClelland
C. Fiona Muirhead & Paul McIntyre
Remarkably, Ross MacNeil and his father, Stewart (ramp assistant), struck up a formidable partnership with Lewis Fisher and Azhad Fauzi in which they managed one training session prior to the competition. They pushed England B in their first match, losing narrowly 3-5 in the end. However, this performance set their tone for the rest of the competition. The Vipers reached the semi-final, losing to 1-7 to England A. This set up a bronze medal play-off with Wales, in which they triumphed 6-2.
In the BC4 Pairs competition Scotland had three strong pairs involved in a five team round robin, which inevitably saw the teammates competing against one another, and it is these results that would have a big impact in the overall league standings. Scotland A (Kieran & Scott) won an engaging contest 13-0 against Scotland B (Ross & Tyler) and followed this up with an 8-0 victory against Scotland C (Fiona & Paul). Whilst Scotland C beat the Gladiators 3-1 they had to withdraw from the competition due to illness, which meant the finished bottom of the group. However, Scotland A and Scotland B ensured that we would record a 1-2 finish as gold and silver would come north of the border.
The competition provided an excellent competitive outlet for Scotland’s next generation of performance players and each will have taken lots of learning, as we look ahead to a positive 2020 for Boccia in Scotland. Scottish Disability Sport would like to thank Boccia England for hosting the event and inviting Scotland to be part of it.
A full list of results can be seen via the link below:
https://www.bocciaengland.org.uk/teams-and-pairs-2019
Cycling UK and Edinburgh All-ability Cycling are pleased to inform you that the Edinburgh Handcycling Experience is in full swing. Based at Saughton Park in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Handcycling Experience has several handcycles available for use, for a variety of abilities and ages, at no charge.
Handcycling is accessible to nearly anyone with a lower limb impairment. It’s also great for people with chronic pain, balance issues, arthritis, and amputees. No previous cycling experience is necessary and coaching is provided by a L2 cycling coach. In addition to introductory sessions to get you started we will also be planning rides for a variety of rider experiences. Not only is handcycling a great activity itself, but it’s also perfect for cross-training for other sports.
Bikes are available for kids from approximately 5 years old and up. We also have recumbent and longseat configurations (a more upright style) as well as a Tetra-ready bike with electric assist and a TriRide wheelchair clip-on, also with electric assist. For those that need assistance in transferring, we also have a height-adjustable stool allowing for level transfers off your chair and into the bikes.
Please see the flyer below and contact Ken (ken.talbot@cyclinguk.org) for more information. Additionally, visit our Facebook page (Edinburgh Handcycling Experience) for more updates on schedules and events.
The Scottish Disability National Badminton Championships will be run by Badminton Scotland at Dalkeith Campus on Saturday 25th January.
Entries close on 10th January and all the information you need should be found on the link below. This event started as a partnership event between Lothian Disability Badminton Club (LDBC) and Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) in 2017. Badminton Scotland came on board this year to operate it as their disability badminton championships with input from LDBC & SDS. Please pass this on to anyone who may be interested in entering.
Scottish Disability Badminton Championships 2020
An amazing celebration for Richard Brickley MBE OBE today as he collected his award from Buckingham Palace. This proved to be an extremely exciting day for Richard and his family – especially his grandson, who was thrilled at the prospect of a trip to the palace.
SDS warmly congratulate Richard on his well-deserved recognition following decades of service to disability sport. The following article was written at the time of the announcement.
Congratulations to Richard Brickley on being awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to disability sport.
Passionate and committed, his influence spans every facet of disability sport. Richard was awarded an MBE in 1999 for services to disability sport, however his impact since this time has remained significant as evidenced by his recognition as Volunteer of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in 2017. It is universally agreed amongst national, UK and international governing bodies that few, if any, people have done more for the development of disability sport internationally over the last 40 years. Richard was on the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) Management Board from 1975 until 2006, and between 1998-06 he led Scottish Disability Sport as chair. Richard took the organisation from one that employed a sole administrator as their entire staff base to one that employed a CEO and a number of dedicated staff. He was the key driver in launching SDS’s first website in 2000. This vastly improved communication with members, local authorities and governing bodies. He has been a driver in strategically planning and implementing SDS’s last five strategic plans which has overseen growth exponentially of inclusive practice and opportunities. He implemented the widely-respected events programme for 33 years as the voluntary events-lead, and has ensured that the programme remains one of the flagship programmes of SDS which currently runs over 20 events across 7 sports and caters for over 3000 athletes with a disability at every level of the pathway. After he stepped down as chair in 2006, he was asked to become the inaugural chair of the UK Coaching, Learning and Leadership Group, which was formed in 2007. The group was established to advise the UK Coaching Framework on disability sport and the inclusion of children, athletes and players with a disability. He produced policy papers and implemented positive projects and programmes within coaching at a UK level. He only stood down as chair to allow him time to set up a similar organisation in relation to Scotland, and in 2010 the Disability Sport Coaching and Education Group: Scotland was established. The impact of the groups has been to corral leading experts in coaching and disability to set the vision for coaching and learning within Scotland and contributing the SDS dimension to key documents. He was a key contributor to the development of the Sports Inclusion Model which is a cornerstone of the SDS Strategic Plan 2017 – 21 and it being adopted at a UK level through SDS’s sister organisations in the home nations. Internationally he has attended seven successive Paralympic Games as coach or classifier. In the late 1980s he recognised that his passion for coaching and classification could not co-exist at an international level and therefore made a huge commitment to follow the pathway of an International Classifier, a complicated yet critical aspect of disability sport. In Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 he was a lead classifier, which culminated in becoming the Chief Classifier at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympics. He was also head of classification for athletics at the International Paralympic Committee. In the 1980s and 1990s he voluntarily worked with a small group of classifiers for the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association to improve and keep current the classification system. He was made an international classifier for the International Bowls for the Disabled (IBD), following his services at the Eight Nations international bowling competition held at Kelvingrove, Glasgow in 2013. This ensured all bowlers were classified for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. He was instrumental in refining the British Athletics classification system and chaired the British Athletics classification panel following Beijing, and he also produced the initial British classification paper for GB Boccia allowing the sport to grow internationally. He and a fellow ex-Chair of SDS, Bob Mitchell, created a simple and robust system for classification within various sports in Scotland. This revolutionised disability sport in Scotland and ensures sport is inclusive and accessible for all people with a disability in Scotland. This is still used 20 years on. This awards was strongly supported by Scottish Disability Sport, the other home nation disability federations and both the Lord Lieutentant and the Lord Provost of Fife.
A fully inclusive training centre
One of the highlights of the year for Scottish Disability Sport was the 2nd Scottish International Boccia Open held at the sportscotland National Sports Training Centre Inverclyde. The event is only possible given the nature of the centre and the significant level of inclusive accommodation it provides. There was representation from nine countries at the event and the field included World and Paralympic Champions. The centre would be a great fit for schools or clubs with participants with a disability looking for a venue to hold a residential camp. More information about the centre can be found below.
The centre is a first of its kind, designed with inclusivity in mind. The centre is an ideal retreat for training, development and competitions and has been utilised by a range of disability sport groups from across Scotland and beyond.
The facility is capable of accommodating 120 wheelchair users across 60 accessible twin bedrooms all with wet rooms. Eight bedrooms have adjoining doors with six of these containing hoists from bed to wet room. Additionally, there is lip and step free transitions between spaces and all floors are accessible via four extra-large lifts. Facilities include:
Any clubs looking for more information should contact the centre on 01475 674666 or at inverclyde.enquiries@sportscotland.org.uk
Holyrood Sports Centre in Glasgow played host to the Special Olympics Basketball Event on Sunday 24th November, celebrating the Special Olympics (SO) European Basketball week which is running between 23rd November to 1st December.
The development event was open to all individuals with an intellectual impairment from across the country, aiming to engage and support players into local basketball opportunities. To find out more about the SO values, please visit www.specialolympics.org.
On the day itself, there was a large number from Glasgow based players including significant representation from Glasgow City Basketball Team and Sporting Aces, in addition to several individuals who are not currently involved with regular basketball activity. In the end, around 25 players were given the opportunity to participate and celebrate the SO European Basketball week together.
The day proved a great success with lost of positive feedback including ‘this is exactly what was needed, a chance to meet other players who are taking part in the same sport. Really appreciate the support.’
This partnership event is being led by basketballscotland, Special Olympics Scotland West & local clubs Glasgow City Basketball Club & Glasgow Eagles Sports Club and supported by Glasgow Sport, Scottish Disability Sport and Glasgow Active Schools.
There are initial plans to establish an inter-regional event, inviting local areas to play against their peers from across the country in a friendly and welcoming environment. If you’re interested in accessing this opportunity, please contact Disability Talent & Pathways Manager Tina Gordon on 0131 317 7260 or tina.gordon@basketball-scotland.com.
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