Inclusive Skating are currently implementing our development plan and there are several exciting activities currently taking place.

The Scottish Inclusive Skating International Championships 2020 are being held at Coatbridge on 17th April 2020, and more information can be found here: https://inclusiveskating.org/events

A quiet session is available every week at Braehead Arena with an online booking system (link below), held every Wednesday from 5pm to 6.30pm. This session is suitable for those who would like to skate but need a quiet session and a bit more help. Inclusive Skating volunteers are available but more are always welcome. The online price is £7.50 per skater and carer saving £1.00.
https://www.braehead-arena.co.uk/shop/public-skating/inclusive-skating

The Inclusive Skating Safety Accredited Advisor on line course is available free for members of Inclusive Skating as part of our volunteer development program.
https://inclusiveskating.org/memberships

We are particularly interested in expanding the number of volunteers taking the safety course because we hope to make inclusive skating activities available throughout Scotland. Our courses are online and activities in the future will include ice skating and in line skating that does not require an ice pad.

An Inclusive Skating Team will be travelling to Finland shortly to take part in the Santa Claus competition from Saturday 23 to 24th November.

Last, but by no means least, a team of four skaters, including Scots Jennifer Gibson and Jonathan Higgins (pictured), are competing in the Special Olympics Invitational Games in Sweden from 28th January to 5th February 2020.

A wave of 20 more finalists from five categories have been announced for next month’s prestigious UK Coaching Awards at The Tower Hotel London on 5 December 2019.

It follows the reveal of four category finalists on the 22 October and now means that two-thirds of the award categories have been made public, with finalists announced for Children and Young People’s Coach of the Year, Community Coach of the Year, High Performance Coach of the Year, Young Coach of the Year and Coaching for an Active Life Award.

With over three million people coaching regularly in the UK, the Awards will celebrate the outstanding work a diverse array of coaches do in their community every day, enriching the lives of those around them and contributing to healthy and happy lifestyles.

The finalists so far are:

Children and Young People’s Coach of the Year – supported by sportscotland

• Elliot Donald (football)
• Jonathan Reid (bmx)
• Mhairi Guthrie (basketball)
• Sasha Moore (athletics)

Community Coach of the Year – supported by Spond

• Andrew Beech (multi-sport)
• Anne Glass (cycling)
• Joanne McElkerney (netball)
• Siân Ponting (netball)

High Performance Coach of the Year – supported by UK Sport

• Melanie Marshall (swimming)
• Nelson Lindsay (swimming)
• Shelia Swan (wheelchair curling)
• Zak Jones (hockey)

Young Coach of the Year – supported by Sport Wales

• Emma McCay (multi-sport)
• James Galt (football/futsal)
• Jonathon Dawes (tennis)
• Kieran McMaster (boxing)

Coaching for an Active Life Award

• Care About Walking (walking)
• Disability Sports Coach (multi-sport)
• Red Belt Challenge (judo)
• The Bulldogs (boxing)

Changing Lives Award – supported by Sport England

• Ben Lampert (football)
• Cathy Fox (cycling)
• Joe Lockley (boxing)

Talent Development Coach of the Year – supported by UK PCA

• Danielle Brayson (swimming)
• Matthew Handley (martial arts)
• Michael Maguire (boxing)

Coach Developer of the Year

• Nick Ruddock (gymnastics)
• Rhodri Lloyd (multi-sport)
• Sue Ringrose (horseracing)

Transforming Coaching Award

• Archery GB Coach Development Team
• Great Britain Hockey Coach Development Offer
• Scottish Disability Sport

Mark Gannon, CEO of UK Coaching, said:

“The standard of nominations we received this year has been phenomenal and truly demonstrates the diverse coaching talent we have in the UK.

“These awards are a chance for us to celebrate the work our coaches do every day of the week, and the role they play in making people around them healthier and happier.

“We believe Great Coaching has a positive impact on society and builds connections in the community. The power of coaching goes further than sport itself – it enriches life skills and gives people confidence to be the best they can be.

“Congratulations to all those who were nominated, and of course our finalists. The UK Coaching Awards is always a special occasion and we cannot wait to shine a light on the exceptional work of our coaches.”

For this year’s Awards, UK Coaching reviewed and redesigned its nominations process to ensure all coaches, from grassroots to the global stage, had the greatest chance of being recognised. This included:

• consulting with key partners to redevelop award categories and criteria to recognise the wide-ranging work that coaches do at all levels and in all communities
• providing extra online guidance to support people when writing their nominations
• engaging with more organisations than ever before to promote the value of nominating coaches for the Awards.

This proactive work led to a record number of nominations being submitted after the process was opened in July. These then went through a rigorous, independent and impartial judging process.

Still to be announced are the winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award, The Coaching Chain and finalists for the Great Coaching Moment of the Year prize, which will be selected by the Sports Journalists’ Association and put to a public vote – details will be announced very soon.

The UK Coaching Awards recognise and celebrate the work of people and organisations who are making a significant impact on Great Coaching. They shine a light on the role coaches play in transforming lives and inspiring an active nation.

The ceremony takes place on Thursday 5 December 2019 at The Tower Hotel London. Secure your place at a truly inspirational evening of great conversation and humbling stories that are guaranteed to touch the soul, visit: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/book/event?embed&eid=8328

Best wishes to Owen Miller from Dunfermline and Fife AC who will face the greatest challenge in his illustrious career to date as a T20 athlete with an intellectual impairment, when he arrives in Dubai for the World Para AthleticsWorld Championships from 7th – 15th November.

The former Woodmill HS pupil is coached by Steve Doig at Fife AC and has flourished since the two came together two years ago. Owen is now second on the all time British T20 1500m list with a personal best of 3:56.32. This has opened up this opportunity to compete at the very highest level of world Para athletics and earn him his very first full Great Britain vest.

Owen has had a very successful career as an international athlete competing in INAS European and World Championships but being part of a WPA event has so far eluded him. He is a proud custodian of INAS medals of different colours won indoors and out over 800m and 1500m but he has never given up hope of one day wearing a full GB vest.

Inclusion on the British Athletics Paralympic Futures Academy Programme for the 2018/2019 season came at exactly the right time for athlete and coach and they have taken full advantage. Owen was disappointed when he missed out on selection for the Paralympic Games in London in 2012 but he has never given up hope of one day achieving his dream. Similarly Fife Athletic Club, Scottish Athletics and Disability Sport Fife have always believed in Owen and thank you British Athletics for providing Owen with the opportunity to realise his dream.

Owen has a very supportive family and club colleagues who have been assisting with pacing in the lead up to departure date of November 2nd. Mum and Gran have been there for Owen at all times along with his brothers and sister. Fife Sports and Leisure Trust supports Owen along with all other high performance Fife Para athletes and Fife AC is nationally recognised for its commitment to inclusive practice and coaching over many years. Previously great Fife AC athletes like Caroline Baird MBE, Colin Keay and more recently Derek Rae have worn the GB vest with pride and no shortage of success at Paralympic and World level.

Owen is scheduled to run on Thursday 14th November around 20 00 Dubai time. DSF will make every effort to keep Owen’s followers and supporters informed about how he is coping with this chance of a lifetime opportunity to compete against the best T20 athletes in the world.

Owen has been a massive influence on the Disability Sport Fife cross country and middle distance programme and he has always been a superb role model for emerging young athletes. Owen has dominated Scottish T20 middle distance running for a decade and Dubai will be an opportunity for him to bring his learning of the past two years and before to the international stage of Para athletics. All of us in Fife and beyond congratulate Owen on his selection and wish him well.

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

Parasport powered by Toyota, an online hub to empower disabled people to become more active, has launched a new £250,000 UK fund. An element of the funding has been allocated to provide disability inclusion training for club coaches and volunteers across Scotland.

The new Toyota Parasport fund opens today and will be delivered in partnership with the British Paralympic Association, Sport England, Sport Northern Ireland, Disability Sport Wales and Scottish Disability Sport.

This exciting new opportunity means training will be rolled out through SDS Branches to support coaches and volunteers to improve the quality and quantity of activities available to disabled people.

The new UK-wide funding programme has the backing of ParalympicsGB athletes including multiple Paralympic swimming gold medallist Bethany Firth from Northern Ireland. Prior to starting swimming lessons as a pupil at Longstone Special School, Bethany had a fear of water, having fallen into a pool as a four-year-old on holiday in Australia.

Bethany said: ““The new Toyota Parasport Fund will help more people run inclusive activities so more disabled people can benefit from getting active in the way I have.”

“Learning to swim and trying something new really gave me confidence and it helped me make new friends. Swimming has broadened my horizons, allowing me to travel and it has basically changed who I am.

“You don’t have to want to be a Paralympian there are huge benefits to becoming more active whether its physical and mental wellbeing, building confidence or making new friends.”

Parasport was launched in March 2019 and already has more than 1,600 activity providers offering disabled people the opportunities to become more active through Parasport.org.uk, which creates a vibrant community for people to share their experiences and become advocates for the benefits of being more active.

Parasport empowers disabled people and their networks by providing the information, inspiration and confidence they need to become active.

Andrew Cullis, Toyota GB Marketing Director said: “We are extremely proud to launch the Toyota Parasport Fund as the next step in our support of inclusive sport and activity in the UK.

“Alongside our partners from Sport England, Sport Northern Ireland, Disability Sport Wales and Scottish Disability Sport, we have a fantastic opportunity to improve the options available to disabled people to get active and make a lasting impact on the grassroots landscape.”

Mike Sharrock, Chief Executive at the British Paralympic Association said: “Thanks to the launch of the Toyota Parasport Fund we are delighted to offer training to coaches and volunteers to further improve the opportunities to disabled people.

“Parasport is a crucial part of helping us to deliver our vision: through sport, inspire a better world for disabled people. It enables us to highlight the wide range of opportunities available for disabled people and will help improve the experience of disabled people taking part in physical activity across the country and will be a welcome boost to the array of activity providers registered with Parasport.”

The training aims to improve the quality and quantity of sport and activities available to disabled people. To register interest in attending a workshop, please complete the form below.