Long-time Lothian Disability Sport (LDS) Archery Co-ordinator, Coach and enthusiast Richard Vallis is looking to raise funds for LDS and two other charities close to his heart.

Richard has been involved with LDS for over 25 years and has coached countless athletes with a disability while also mentoring many coaches along the way!

Richard, who is himself an above the hip amputee, aims to walk 100 laps of his garden which equates to around 6km and will keep him extremely active during lockdown!

You can show your support towards Richard’s effort by following the link to his Crowdfunder page below. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/three-charities-walk?fbclid=IwAR12Xn5ShXLzOMEHz030caL70B_ewt8-t0tWhDUsB6pHFe06A0CaMD4iED4

If you are interested in becoming involved with Lothian Disability Sport as an athlete, coach, volunteer or committee member then please contact LDS Officer Jack Brodie on admin@lothiandisabilitysport.com or 07885 549 173.

Staying home and staying active is the key message of the moment. The Taylor family has adapted the side entry point to their home to create a perfect training environmenet for Carter. This is a time for creative thinking and this a perfect example of what can be achieved with a little bit of quality home DIY.

Strength and conditioning training is so important to Carter as a top classs water skier, swimmer and athlete and this is clearly evident by his upper body definition. Carter has his own indoor gym thanks to generous support from friends. The pull ups bar is a brilliant addition to the training stations he now has available at home.

Thanks for sharing Taylor family and well done Carter.

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

To day I am delighted to report that we now have over 6,000 Facebook followers. Prior to lock down the 2020 Annual Awards and AGM of DSF (SCIO) was set for Monday 27th April. Not surprisingly it has been postponed but I had set a target of trying to attract 6,000 followers by the date of the AGM. Thanks to your support and feedback we have hit the target and I thank you most sincerely for your loyalty. We are still pursuing 6,000 “likes” but we require another 100 visitors to click the “like” button before we can have a double celebration.

I am pleased that we are followed by visitors from all over the world. It is particularly pleasing when participants, support staff and volunteers who have moved on return to pass comment on a particular article. To days article on the 2009 Games has brought a lot of retired Fife Council staff, athletes and volunteers back in touch. Facebook is the main communication platform for Disability Sport Fife and during lock down it has become even more influential and important.

My mission is to try and keep the Facebook page fresh. More recently I have been featuring junior members, DSF coaches, DSF volunteers and great occasions from the past that have influenced our movement. I obviously report news and highlight ways in which our members are active at home. I share news and activities from other areas and organisations and highlight opportunities for our participants and volunteers to be active at home. Fife Sports and Leisure Trust gym staff and others have been particularly active along with DSF coach Pamela Robson plus son Olly. Pamela is also providing zoom sessions for our younger members. It is hugely important that our members and friends try to remain active at home during lock down.

Once again thank you for your support. Please share details about our page with your friends and families. If you can afford the time there is a section on the page that offers you the opportunity for feedback. Stay home and stay safe. The family will be together again soon.

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

Mary Wilson lives in Edinburgh but for a period lived in Fife and during that time she became member of Disability Sport Fife. Mary has never lost her affection for DSF and over the years has competed in the Fife Track and Field Championships, Fife Lawn Bowls Championships, Fife Swimming Championships and Fife Badminton Championships.

Mary is an all rounder but her first love is Para badminton and over the past five years or so she has committed fully to trying to secure a place in Team GB for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Mary has travelled extensively to international Para badminton events to gain experience and ranking points. Mary has fund raised vigorously to enable this to happen and I am sure would be the first to say thank you to the many individuals and organisations that have helped her along the way.

Disability Sport Fife considers Mary a perfect role model for women’s sport and consequently values her presence at any event she is available to enter. Her positive influence on DSF members on the court or field of play is of the highest order. Not only is Mary an exceptional sportswoman but the manner in which she conducts herself rubs off on all our other sportswomen in particular.

Mary is captured in this photo receiving the Fife Ladies Open badminton trophy from guest of honour Julie Hogg, at the 2020 Fife Badminton Championships held at Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre.

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

Disability Sport Fife was pleased to see retired Fife Council teacher Helen McKay being recognised for her volunteering work as a teacher and coach with Glenrothes Amateur Swimming Club.

The occasion was the Kirkcaldy & Central Fife Sports Council annual awards at Fife College earlier in the year. Helen is a very popular and highly valued member of the GASC team and it came as no surprise she was recognised on the night. Helen is inclusive in ethos and practice and DSF members who are members of GASC have benefitted from her support and experience.

There was a period when Helen was part of the Disability Sport Fife swim coaching team offering support for adult improvers at Cupar Swimming Pool. Responsibilities with GASC increased and understandably Helen had to leave the DSF team but her influence at the time was very significant.

I captured Helen on the night in this photo with Paul Noble MBE, Treasurer and Trustee of Disability Sport Fife (SCIO). Congratulations Helen.

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

Disability Sport Fife enjoys special relationships with mainstream sports clubs across Fife. There are partners that have been with us since DSF was established back in 1977 and one of those is Fife Athletic Club.

The attached photo is of the officials who turned out in significant numbers to support the third leg of the four rounds of the East Series Cross Country organised by Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport. The third leg is organised in Fife on behalf of SA and SDS by Disability Sport Fife and Fife AC. The organisers are also indebted to Kirkcaldy Rugby Club and Fife Council for facility support.

Steve Doig is the Fife AC contact for the two cross country events organised in Fife for athletes with additional support needs. The Fife Championships are scheduled for May but have been postponed. The Fife leg of the East Series was the only one to go ahead because of inclement weather. DSF was delighted with the turn out at the East Series event and with the GOGA in Fife walk in the park supported by Spirit of 2012 which has become a feature of cross country events in Fife.

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

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) enjoys a special relationship with the staff and pupils of Kirkcaldy High School. For 10 years the Disability Sport Fife 7s League for players with additional support needs has been held at Kirkcaldy HS. This year the programme is supported by the Scottish FA and the 2020 Series of three included S1/S2 and S3 – S6 competitions.

Throughout 2019/2020, Kirkcaldy HS Sports Leaders were involved as officials at the Disability Sport Fife badminton, swimming and track and field championships. All these events offer the young sports leaders invaluable sporting experiences with participants and performers with additional support needs.

At the 2020 DSF Swimming Championships supported by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre, 20 sports leaders supported Scottish Swimming Officials on poolside as event timekeepers. Glenrothes Amateur Swimming Club is a key partner. Once again the Championships ran smoothly primarily thanks to the quality of the officiating. The quality of Sports Leadership training provided within Kirkcaldy HS prepares the young leaders perfectly for the DSF programme of events.

DSF is indebted to Rector Derek Allan and Principal Teacher of PE Malcolm Stewart for support since year one of the partnership and to Active Schools coordinator Robert Greenhorn for facilitating the attendance of the young leaders.

Photos: sports leaders over the years

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

Dale Lynch from Glenrothes is another young Disability Sport Fife member active at home.

Dale was inspired to join DSF through the GOGA in Fife programme supported by Spirit of 2012. Initially Dale signed up for run, jump and throws but more recently he has added swimming improvers, multi sports, football and badminton.

Dale is missing all his sessions during lock down at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre. Like so many other DSF members Dale is missing all the new friends he has made over the last couple of years at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre in particular.

As well as sports Dale loves his music and has been a successful DJ at a number of well attended local events.

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

The Disability Sport Fife weekly sessions organised throughout the year in conjunction with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and Fife Sports clubs are the foundations of our movement. They are the entry point for athletes who have aspirations of accessing active recreation only. Sessions are also the initial steps on the Para sport pathway that may lead to membership of a mainstream sports club or representing Fife at Scottish Championships and who knows what thereafter.

When families or significant others contact the Disability Sport Fife office, they are sent a registration form and when this is completed and returned, a face to face meeting or telephone conversation is arranged to determine the most appropriate session on the timetable. So many of our Fife representative athletes attend weekly sessions within their local communities or have attended for a short period before signing up for a mainstream club.

The Disability Sport Fife programme of sessions has been running for almost a decade. Every session is led by a DSF coach who holds appropriate coaching qualifications for the sessions they lead and this includes safeguarding and first aid. All our sessions are held in Fife Sports and Leisure Trust facilities and offer access to the FSLT Leisure Active programme and reduced prices. Most importantly sessions are located in the best leisure facilities in Fife and offer security, comfort and community engagement. DSF sessions are inclusive in ethos and practice.

It costs Disability Sport Fife between 10K and 11k to run the programme of sessions annually thanks to the partnership set up with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. For the past three years GOGA in Fife supported by Spirit of 2012 has helped to fund the programme but the funding stopped in December 2019. As part of succession planning, GOGA in Fife and the Trustees of DSF (SCIO) set up a fund raising programme called 10KCoaching 2020 to support the costs of running DSF sessions post GOGA.

The Trustees are delighted to report that by the start of the new financial year on April 1st we had raised 9.5K and this has ensured that sessions will be funded until the end of March 2021. The Trustees of DSF (SCIO) are indebted to the following individuals and organisations for their incredible support:

STV Children’s Appeal

Trefoil

Celtic Foundation

The family of the late Craig Bernard

Specific families who donated anonymously

The Association of Fife Rotary Clubs

Donations offered to DSF speakers at clubs and organisations

Scottish Disability Sport

Thank you to everybody who has helped to fundraise for DSF throughout the year. The 10K Coaching2021 fund has now been set up to meet the costs of our programme of sessions for the period 2021/2022.

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