Registrations are now being taken for this year’s Grampian Games, which takes place on Saturday
25th and Sunday 26th May 2019.

A key event in the Grampian Disability Sport calendar, the competitive multi-sport festival provides a fantastic opportunity for athletes and players with all types of disability from across Grampian and beyond to come together & test their skills against each other in a friendly environment.

This year’s event includes opportunities in boccia, table tennis, 10-pin bowling, swimming and bowls, and takes place at various venues throughout Aberdeen City and Shire.

For more information & to download entry forms, please visit:
http://www.grampiandisabilitysport.org.uk/event/grampian-games/

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.

For anyone hoping to build confidence or fitness, learn to ride, meet new prople or get out in the fresh air.

Just wear comfortable clothing. Solo/adaptive bikes and helmets are provided.

To book for for more informaiton please contact Eva on 01786 466 486 or goga@fvds.org.uk.

Solo & Adaptive Cycles 2019

Friday 29^th March – Forrester / St Augustine’s High School, Edinburgh

The eighth annual Para Sport Festival took place at Forrester / St Augustine’s Community Sports Hub, Edinburgh on Friday 29^th March, welcoming 87 school aged pupils with a physical, visual or hearing impairment from across the East of Scotland to register for the event.  The festival aims to provide a platform for young people from the mainstream education environment an opportunity to access sports delivered by experienced coaches while also raising awareness in Para Sport.  This year’s event invited young people to a session that involved sports that were appropriate to their impairment, welcoming children with a visual / hearing impairment in the morning and individuals with a physical impairment in the afternoon.

The number of young people attending the event has grown year on year since its inception in 2012 and demonstrates a strong picture of partnership working between Scottish Disability Sport and Edinburgh Active Schools with significant input from key organisations Lothian Disability Sport and Edinburgh Leisure.  Active Schools Coordinators from Edinburgh provide a pivotal presence on the day, facilitating the event and leading the groups of young people throughout while making them feel welcome and supported for the day.  There was also significant support from Edinburgh College students at this year’s event, another partnership that has been formed over time to develop the event and provide essential experience for individuals in relation to working with people with a disability.

Jill Coleman, who has the responsibility for Disability and Inclusion within the Edinburgh Active Schools team while also taking a lead role on the festival commented, ‘The festival is one of the highlights in the Edinburgh Active Schools school sports calendar, not only is it a fantastic sporting event for the young people in our schools but it also creates an opportunity for dialogue with young people and their parents regarding further potential sports development in schools and the wider community.’

The day is also supported by some Scottish Governing Bodies and delivered by local inclusive clubs from the region, providing a direct link for any young people who are keen to make that transition into more regular sporting opportunities.  The sports delivered on the day were Badminton, Boccia, Cycling (tandem) Goalball, Hugby (rugby for visually impaired people), Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball and Wheelchair Basketball.  Additionally, parents are encouraged to attend and stay for the duration of the event and providing an insight to disability sport and the opportunities that are available to their sons / daughters in local and surrounding areas.  Some of the feedback from parents included ‘We love this event – my daughter slowly comes out of her shell and it’s great to see her participating in sport alongside her peers’ and ‘An amazing event, can’t wait until next year’.

The event was also supplemented by an Athlete ‘Question & Answer’ session, welcoming current sporting stars along to provide an insight to their journey so far as an athlete.  Scottish Borders swimmer Beth Johnston (Galashiels) and Edinburgh based Josh Manson (Wheelchair Basketball) were kind enough to share their respective journey’s and answer a host of questions for the young participants in the Q&A session.

Neal Herbert, Scottish Disability Sport Regional Manager (East) highlighted,

‘The numbers attending on the day continue to highlight the popularity and the need for the event in the region.  Around half of the young people were new to the event and this is down to the hard work that partners do before the day in terms of identifying eligible participants from their local area.  Active Schools are key to this and continue to work well in collaboration with Scottish Disability Sport to make the festival a success and aim to encourage all participants into regular sporting opportunities post event.

Additionally, the collaborative working between many governing bodies of sport and local inclusive clubs provide an ideal opportunity for many young people to try particular sports for the first time and therefore hopefully encouraging them into more regular opportunities.’

For further information, please get in touch with Neal Herbert, Scottish Disability Sport Regional Manager (East) on 0131 625 4414 or neal.herbert@scottishdisabilitysport.co.uk or

Jill Coleman, Active Schools Coordinator (Equalities and Inclusion) on 0792 076 8288 or jill.coleman@ea.edin.sch.uk.

Our workshops support instructors and coaches to ensure deaf young people are fully included in aquatic activities.

Instructors and coaches will learn how to make small and simple changes to make activities deaf-friendly and develop confidence communicating with deaf children and young people.

Instructors will also learn basic British Sign Language and watersport specific signs.

The training will cover:

• The impact of deafness on young people
• Communication methods
• How to adapt your activities
• Tips for welcoming deaf children
• Guidance on engaging with deaf children in your area
• Fingerspelling
• BSL specific to watersports

Date: Sunday 12 May 2019
Time: 10.30am – 1.30pm
Venue: Dewars Centre, Perth PH2 0TH
Cost: Free (cancellation charge of £35)
How to book: online here: https://acquaticsworkshopperth.eventbrite.co.uk
Further info: Eleanor Connelly, swimming@ndcs.org.uk / 0141 354 7850

www.ndcs.org.uk/swimming

After the sad demise of Granite Strikers Powerchair Football Club back in 2016, there’s hope that the sport can be offered regularly once again following a successful pilot session.

Five potential players from across the Grampian area joined staff from the Scottish Powerchair Football Association (SPFA) and coaches from Tayside Dynamos Powerchair Football Club for an action-packed afternoon where they were put through their paces in a series of drills and 1 v 1 games.

The taster session came about after an enquiry from a parent sparked a high level of local interest in relaunching the Club, as well as a very well-timed enquiry from Lewis McConnell from the SPFA who is keen to grow participation in the sport across the country.

With a handful of participants itching to get playing, a suitable venue identified, and local coach, Norman Innes, keen to step up to lead the team, the path is paved for the club to successfully relaunch in the summer term. A planning meeting will be held at the end of April to arrange suitable training days and times, and to help form the club committee.

If you (or someone you know) is a powerchair user or keen to volunteer, and would like to get involved in the relaunch of the club, please get in touch with Alison Shaw (Regional Manager for Scottish Disability Sport) on 07828 744 848 or alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

A huge thank you goes to Garry from Tayside Dynamos, Ryan and Lewis from the SPFA, Andrinne from Sport Aberdeen and coach Norman for running such a successful event.

An astounding 96 pupils rocked up to Curl Aberdeen for this year’s Grampian Schools ASN Curling Festival.

The popular event, which is continually booked to capacity, gives pupils with a range of additional support needs and disabilities (and their teachers) the opportunity to give the sport a go in a relaxed and adapted environment.

It is hoped that many of the pupils will go on to play curling regularly with both standing and wheelchair curling offered in both Aberdeen City and Moray. Aberdeen Wheelchair Curling Club has recently had a bit of a facelift under the management of ex-player, Craig Carter, and we look forward to seeing more players join the club and the formation of a junior programme.

A massive thank you goes to the staff at Curl Aberdeen for hosting and delivering the event, and to Active Schools Aberdeen for organising such a fantastic day!

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

Perth & Kinross Disability Sport, in partnership with Blackford Bowling Club, Bowls Scotland and Scottish Disability Sport are delighted to invite entries to the first ever Perth & Kinross Disability Bowls Championships. There is no cost for these Championships.

Perth & Kinross Disability Bowls Entry Form

When: Sunday 24th March, 13.30 – 1530

Where: Kincorth Sports Centre, Aberdeen

Free of charge! All ages welcome.

To book your space, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grampian-powerchair-football-taster-session-tickets-56483166672?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete or call Alison on 07828 744 848.

Links:

Scottish Powerchair Football Association

Tayside Dynamos

For the tenth year running, Scottish Disability Sport hosted the West of Scotland Para-Sport Festival on Friday 8^th March 2019 at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell.

Celtic FC Foundation’s ‘Inspiring Sport’ supported the event and SDS were delighted they were involved and were a part of this Para-Sport Festival this year. Celtic coaches also delivered football on the day.

The Para-Sport Festival focuses on pupils with a physical disability or visual impairment from mainstream schools – the age group is P6-S6. Schools from the 13 Local Authorities covering the West of Scotland were invited to attend.

One the day, 98 pupils from 54 schools across the West of Scotland took part in the festival with the support of teachers and Active Schools co-ordinators. For many, this will be their first experience of para-sport festivals and the start of their journey in accessing the psychological, social and health benefits of being active.

 The pupils were put into groups with others with similar impairments, and given the opportunity to participate in the sports of basketball, boccia, athletics, football, power chair football, judo, tennis, table tennis, bowls and sitting volleyball.

SDS worked in partnership with Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport and highly experienced and qualified coaches who were coaching and leading sports on the day. Thanks to Tennis Scotland, Basketball Scotland, Table Tennis Scotland, JudoScotland, Badminton Scotland, Scottish Volleyball and Bowls Scotland who all supported the event, as well as club coaches from athletics and tennis.

Thanks also to the Young Ambassadors from St Mungo’s High School, Glasgow and St Peter the Apostle High School, Clydebank, and volunteers from Barclays. The day was also supported by Scottish Student Sport.

All attendees will be contacted after the event to try and engage them in local sport. It is hoped that through the event, talented athletes will be identified and then directed towards an appropriate sporting pathway which will allow the pupils to reach their full potential.

If you or someone you know has a disability and would like to get involved in disability sport, contact us on 0131 317 1130 or email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

 

Spring and Summer sessions of Inclusive Curling have been organised at the Peak in Stirling.  This is a fantastic programme and will be the only disability curling sessions on ice anywhere in Scotland held over the summer.

If you or anyone you know would like to try curling this is a fun, supportive environment with coaches who are experienced and trained to offer these sessions.

The disability inclusion curling sessions ar tailored to support those living with a disability. Sessions are a great introduction to the sport of curling consisting of one hour of coaching with a qualified Active Stirling or Scottish Curling qualified instructor.

Get involved in this great sport, meet new friends and have fun on the ice. Carers are welcome to attend for free and encouraged to take part on the ice.

To book or enquir contact 01786 273 555 or bookings@activestirling.org.uk.
More information can be found on the flyer here: Disability Curling at The Peak