Category: A News

Scottish Parliament Powerchair Football Debate

Wednesday 6th February 2019 saw a huge step in the development and progression of Powerchair Football across Scotland.

After several visits to the Scottish Parliament in 2018 and a presentation to the Cross Party Disability Group chaired by MSP Jeremy Balfour, the Scottish Powerchair Football Association were successful in obtaining a members’ debate within the Scottish Parliament.

MSP Jeremy Balfour opened the debate, having been instrumental in raising the motion and gaining the necessary support required. He commended the Executive and the many volunteers who give their time to support Powerchair Football in Scotland.

Bruce Crawford MSP from Stirling specifically discussed the recent Powerchair Football development within Central Scotland in which Cheryl Lappin (Scottish Disability Sport Regional Development Manager) was the driving force in bringing the key partnerships together, and championed the need for Changing Places station within the Peak.

Cheryl said: “We at Scottish Disability Sport within Central Scotland are delighted to see local MSP Bruce Crawford recently take part in Jeremy Balfour’s Powerchair Football Debate within the Scottish Parliament. As an influencer in bringing together key partners to develop new initiatives for disability sport within Central Scotland, it was great to see the Powerchair Football and many other projects, clubs, and partnerships showcased and spoken about so highly at this level.”

The debate was closed by Minister for Sport, Health and Wellbeing Joe Fitzpatrick who commended the partnerships involved and all the great work they do.

You can watch the debate on Bruce Crawford MSP’s facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/BruceCrawfordSNP/videos/545460772605634/

Tayside Schools Sportshall Athletics 2019

Tayside Schools Sportshall Athletics Festival 2019 for pupils with a physical, sensory or learning disability

Perth & Kinross Disability Sport hosted this event on 31st January 2019 at the Academy of Sport & Wellbeing, Perth College UHI, in partnership with Perth Strathtay Harriers, Perth College UHI, Scottish Disability Sport, Dundee Leisure and Culture and AngusAlive Sport and Leisure.

130 pupils from schools across Angus, Dundee and Perth & Kinross made this event a huge success with fun and enjoyment top of the agenda for the entire day.

30 Perth College sports development students were on hand to help guide and support the pupils through each activity and their caring and encouraging approach made this a day to remember for all.

Sportshall Athletics is an indoor programme of adapted athletics activities which is fully inclusive. Events include Speed bounce, Javelin, Shuttle runs, Target throw, Standing Long Jump, Hi-stepper, Seated chest push and with additional relays at the end.

10 athletes from each Tayside region will be now be selected to attend the Scottish Disability Sport Sportshall Athletics Festival on 7th March 2019 at Grangemouth Sports Complex.

Please contact Graeme.doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com for more details.

North Ayrshire Active Schools Festival

On Wednesday 23rd Jan 2019, North Ayrshire Active Schools hosted a second ASN festival for all schools across North Ayrshire, which took place at The Portal in Irvine. Nine primaries with over 50 pupils from P1-7 attended in the morning session and five secondaries with over 30 S1-6 pupils were in attendance in the afternoon.

We worked in partnership with Ayrshire College classes – HND Sports Coaching with Development of Sport. The college pupils received a planning workshop from Lauren Fletcher, Active Schools Coordinator and delivered each sport station. Two spectacular sport leaders, Sean & Ben from North Ayrshire helped out on the day and were an inspiration to all pupils, they helped run the boccia station which was super fun! One of our North Ayrshire Sports Academy Students, Abigail helped out at the Basketball station and was a role model to all pupils!

To make the festival a huge success we worked in partnership with KA Leisure, sporting pathways, Scottish Disability Sport and Ayrshire Sportsability. It was also great to have the support from Rosie a Paediatric Physiotherapist within Rainbow House, Irvine.

All schools had very positive feedback:

  • “My favourite was the boccia and badminton, can we go next year?”
  • “Things are adapted to meet all needs, nice to meet other people with similar needs, great to see
    pupils enjoying themselves.”
  • “The children have been able to experience success at their own level and partake in activities
    appropriate to their level, they have really enjoyed today.”
  • “It was so well organised.”

It was great to receive the support and feedback from all schools involved and we are looking forward to planning more events for 2019.

McCraw and Gillan win trebles at National Championships 

Michael McCraw and Diane Gillan were both treble winners in the Division 1 events for players with a learning disability at the inaugural Scottish National Disability Championships in this form, held at the Dalkeith Campus on Saturday 26 January. 

McCraw finished ahead of James Pert in the singles, before teaming up with Kevin Dobson to beat Dean Bernard and James McNeil in the final of the men’s doubles. Gillan beat Kerry Duncan to the top spot on the podium in the women’s singles and battled to a hard-fought doubles title with Hazel Irvine, beating Duncan and Emma Stewart 21-19 17-21 21-9 in the final. McCraw and Gillan then teamed up to win the mixed, winning all their matches to top the group with Bernard and Irvine taking the silver medal. 

The winners of the men’s singles divisions 2, 3 and 4 for players with a learning disability were James McNeil, Gregor Hardie and Nathan Boyle respectively, while Emma Stewart won the women’s singles division 2. Boyle and Alastair Daniels won the division 2 men’s doubles and Edward Hagerty and Emma Stewart won the division 2 mixed title. 

Grant Allen beat Richard Lean 21-13 21-17 in the final of the SL3-SU5 men’s singles and Lean also won the SL4 men’s singles, beating David Purdie into second place. Colin Leslie beat Logan Welsh 21-11 21-12 to win the SL3 men’s singles and Mary Wilson beat Lesley Johnstone 21-7 21-7 to win the SL4 women’s singles. Leslie and Lean won the SL3-SU5 combined doubles with Allen and Purdie finishing second, and Leslie also won the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles with Wilson, while Lean and Tracey Thomson were runners up. 

In the SS6 events Bobby Laing beat Andrew Davies 21-12 21-18 in the final of the men’s singles before they teamed up to win the men’s doubles, with Ross Foley and Jack Purvis runners-up. 

Fiona Christie won the combination wheelchair singles, beating Anthony Stott in the final 21-7 21-10 but Stott got his own back in the doubles when he and David Birtles beat Christie and Duncan Taylor 13-21 21-14 21-19 in the final. 

A total of 100 matches were played over 21 events and we would like to thank the University of Edinburgh for providing the scorers and the Lothian Disability Badminton Club committee for their unstinting support throughout.  

These championships have been three years in the making and is a true representation of partnership working between Scottish Disability Sport, Badminton Scotland and Lothian Disability Badminton Club. Thanks to Lyndon Williams who was instrumental in getting this event to this stage, David Gillespie and Alistair and Roselind Hall who provided invaluable organisation prior to and during the event.  

Full results are here.

 

Tayside Schools Sportshall Athletics Festival 2019

Tayside Schools Sportshall Athletics Festival 2019 for pupils with a physical, sensory or learning disability

This event is being hosted by Perth & Kinross Disability Sport on 31st January 2019, 10.15am – 2pm at the Academy of Sport & Wellbeing, Perth College UHI, in partnership with Perth Strathtay Harriers, Perth College UHI, Scottish Disability Sport, Dundee Leisure and Culture and AngusAlive Sport and Leisure.

Sportshall Athletics is an indoor programme of adapted athletics activities which is fully inclusive. Events include Speed bounce, Javelin, Shuttle runs, Target throw, Standing Long Jump, Hi-stepper, Seated chest push and with additional relays at the end.

We have 160 pupils registered from all over Tayside and from this, 10 athletes from each Tayside region will be selected to attend the Scottish Disability Sport Sportshall Athletics Festival on 7th March 2019 at Grangemouth Sports Complex.

Please contact Graeme.doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com for more details.

Laura Cluxton and Fiona Duncan (2)

Para Riders deliver at British Track Cycling Championships 2019

There was a fantastic Scottish medal haul from the British National Track Championships in Manchester last weekend. 

Neil Fachie and (adopted Scot) Matt Rotherham continued their incredible form, setting two new World Records, subject to ratification, in both the 200m Time Trial, where they also took the Gold, and the 1000m Time Trial, picking up the Silver. 

Laura Cluxton, riding for RT23 and piloted by Laura Clode, followed on from a good 1000m Time Trial performance to take Bronze in the 3000-4000m Pursuit with a factored time of 4:31.131. 

It was a good weekend for Glasgow CT rider, Fin Graham medalled in both the 500m-1000m Standing Start Time Trial and the Para C 3000-4000m Pursuit picking up Bronze and Silver respectively. 

Furthermore, Grampians Colin Wallace competed in the vent for the first time after getting involved in the sport following the #Discover Para Potential event in Glasgow in June last year.  Colin  

Scottish Disability Sport would like to congratulate all those racing at the Championships. 

A full report can be found via Scottish Cycling’s website:  

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/scotland/article/20190128-scottish-cycling-news-Weekend-Round-Up–25-27-January-0  

Tayside Para-Sport Festival 2019

Our annual Para Sport Festival is on the horizon for 2019, welcoming young people from across the Tayside with a physical, visual or hearing impairment and providing them with an opportunity to try a range of para sports, delivered by some of the best clubs and coaches across the country.  This year’s festival is scheduled for Wednesday 6th March at Dundee and Angus College, Gardyne Campus, Dundee, DD5 1NY.

This is a fantastic opportunity for primary and secondary aged young people to experience some of the sports that are successfully showcased at the Paralympic Games.  The activities selected reflect the strong club structure in the region and will aim to support the transition from the event to more regular sporting activity with one or more of the session’s being delivered. Several Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport (SGB’s) have also expressed a real interest in supporting the event over the years and this further highlights the amount of partnership work involved.

The festival is a partnership event between Scottish Disability Sport, Leisure and Culture Dundee, AngusAlive, Perth & Kinross Disability Sport and multiple SGBs who work together, along with local club coaches, to offer sessions in badminton, boccia, powerchair football, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby league, tennis, football, bowls and more to the children and young people across Tayside. This year’s event will also be supported by the Celtic FC Foundation and BP Coast to Coast.

Please contact Graeme.doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com for more details and a registration pack.

Outstanding debut for Grampian Champion Colin

A promising cyclist new to the Para-Cycling scene is celebrating after an impressive performance at his inaugural competitive event.

Colin Wallace, a teacher from Aberdeen who has only recently gone through classification, took home a commendable 6th place in the 200m Flying Start event at the 2019 National Track Cycling Championships in Manchester. The event also saw World Records beaten by the cyclists finishing in 1st and 2nd place.

Colin, of Aberdeen-based club, Deeside Thistle CC, entered the event just to get a bit of experience and is still undergoing testing with British Cycling after being successful during UK Sport’s ‘Discover Your Gold’ Talent ID event, but has shown great promise by bursting on to the Para-Cycling scene after many years of cycling in mainstream events.

Well done to Colin & thank you to everyone in his Club, at British Cycling and at the velodrome in Glasgow who have helped him over the last few months.

If you, or someone you know, lives with a physical, sensory or intellectual impairment and would like to get more involved in sport, please get in touch with Alison Shaw (Regional Manager for Scottish Disability Sport) on 07828 744 848 or alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Success at Wheelchair Curling Talent ID Day

Saturday 26th January saw Scottish Disability Sport, in partnership with British Curling, host the Wheelchair Curling Talent Development Day at the Peak, Stirling.

Individuals of various ages and abilities attended the day which consisted of theory-based workshop detailing wheelchair curling, classification and pathway information, followed by participants undertaking a two-hour session on the ice with British Curling coaches.

Participant quote: “I really enjoyed the open day, it was fantastic to meet the SDS and British Wheelchair Curling staff as well as Bob McPherson showing off his Sochi Bronze medal. I definitely will be looking to continue participating in wheelchair curling.”

On the day, SDS and British Curling staff also established the development of a Central Wheelchair Curling Development squad, for which a handful of individuals were selected. Additionally we signposted all participants to the Active Stirling Learn to Curling programme (see details on flyer below).

Disability Curling

Tickets are now on sale for the World Wheelchair Curling Championships 2019. The championship is being held at Stirling’s PEAK Sports Village from 3rd to 10th March. This tournament is the first opportunity for the competing nations to gain vital qualification points for the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Details can be found at: https://www.scottishcurling.org/world-wheelchair-curling-championship-2019-tickets-now-on-sale/

If you would like to find out more information about Wheelchair Curling please contact British Curling, details found at www.britishcurling.org.uk/contact-us.asp

To find out more about disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact Cheryl Lappin, Scottish Disability Sport Regional Development Manager, on cheryl.lappin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07577 830360.

FVDS Seniors Boccia Championships 2019

Thursday 24th January Grangemouth Sports Complex kindly hosted the Forth Valley Disability Sport Regional Seniors Boccia Competition. 30 players attended on the day via day services, local adult support agencies and nominations from the local club Right on Target. All competitors had a great day and really enjoyed the event. FVDS would like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers and partners who supported the event (to allow for smooth delivery), and to the helpers and carers that came along to support the participants on the day.

Many of the entrants have been training for the event via the local/ regional boccia sessions and others by practicing their skills at their centres with their peers. Competitors were able to compete individually and a very high standard of play was demonstrated throughout the event. In some games the winner was not being decided until the final end of the game.

All medal winners were presented with their medals Graham Harvey FVDS Branch Coordinator.

Results

Learning Disability 1
Gold: David Fisher Silver: William Booth Bronze: Emma Thomson
Physical Disability
Gold: Charlie Ramsay Silver: Fraser Dawson Bronze: Brian Thompson
Wheelchair User
Gold: Paul McIntyre Silver: Scott McIntyre Bronze: Callum Glasgow
Assisted Devices
Gold: Jordan Paterson Silver: Gregor McAdam

What is Boccia?

Boccia is an adapted form of bowling which children and adults with physical, learning and sensory disabilities are able to compete in. It is a recognised disability sport that is played at paralympic level. For more information visit the SDS website https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/about-boccia-2/

If you or anyone you know with a disability in Central Scotland are interested in boccia and would like to attend the The Right on Target Boccia club please telephone Forth Valley Disability Sport on 01786 466486

Additionally to find out more about this event or disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact: Cheryl Lappin (Scottish Disability Sport Regional Development Manager) at cheryl.lappin@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830360.