Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to announce details
for the upcoming 13th West of Scotland Parasport
Festival 2023!

Date: Thursday 2nd March 2023
Time: 10.00am – 2.15pm (9.45am arrival and
registration)
Venue: On-x Linwood Sports Centre, Linwood, PA3 3RA

The Parasport Festival is designed to introduce pupils from mainstream schools with a physical, vision or hearing impairment, aged P5-S6 to try new and exciting sports. These disability classifications are significantly under-represented when it comes to participating in a sport or physical activity. The activities selected (below) reflect the strong club structure within the west region. The main objective of the event is to provide competitors a with a multitude of sporting opportunities, identify talented individuals, facilitating learners onto local and regional club programmes.

We would like to welcome back all the young people that attended previously and provide a new and exciting platform for new participants. Please watch our ‘Get Involved’ video which highlights the overall structure and flow of the event. The video features testimonies from young people, parents, club coaches and professional officers throughout.

Without the amazing support of partners, the festival would not be possible. SDS is fortunate that the following affiliations which include Active Schools, West Disability Sport Branches, Scottish Governing Bodies, local Colleges, and community club coaches are attending. Leaners from across the west of Scotland joining us will take part in sports such as badminton, boccia, powerchair football, basketball, athletics, judo, football, swimming, table tennis, and tennis. There will also be demonstrations stations of sailing, snow sports and fencing.

For more information and to register click here. 

Two charities are working with City of Edinburgh Council to bring inclusive cycling back to the city. Now everyone is invited to get on two, three or even four wheels to cycle for health, fitness and fun.

Cycling UK, the UK’s cycling charity, has loaned its large collection of adaptive cycles to Thistle Foundation, a charity that supports people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. Thistle is now running inclusive cycling sessions in two locations in Edinburgh (Saughton Park and Thistle’s Centre of Wellbeing at Craigmillar) with funding support from City of Edinburgh Council.

The sessions build on the success of Cycling UK’s Edinburgh All-ability Bike Centre (ABC), which was operational for six years until external funding came to an end in May 2021. Since efforts to secure sustainable and continued funding failed, Cycling UK has brought Thistle and the council together to allow the sessions to run again.

It’s hoped that the sessions will allow former participants of the ABC, along with new people, to enjoy all that cycling has to offer, gaining friends and fitness along the way, or just enjoying the experience of pedalling in a pleasant traffic-free location.

Suzanne Forup, head of development Scotland at Cycling UK, said:

“We’re delighted to see the cycles back in operation and we really hope that many of the previous participants, along with some new faces, will be able to come along and benefit.

“We know that cycling has many health benefits in particular and we’re so pleased to be working with Thistle and City of Edinburgh Council to make cycling accessible to people who might have thought that cycling wasn’t for them or not possible.”

For participant Bill, the new sessions have helped in many ways after a leg fracture. He said:

“Cycling has been brilliant … not only has it helped me reach goals I’ve set myself physically, but it’s great seeing both carers and clients laughing, and joking, as they pedal together.

“I used to cycle when I was younger, and it brings back those good memories every time I’m pedalling away. I enjoy the feeling of excitement it gives me … it lifts my spirits and has given me a lot of confidence in myself. I have met a lot of good friends through it, and I hope to keep pedalling and meeting more on my journeys.”

Ross Grieve, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Thistle Foundation, said:

“Our new initiative, Thistle Outdoors: A Green Recovery From COVID, is a programme that will provide community based outdoor movement support to address the negative impacts of multiple Covid-19 lockdowns, including loneliness and isolation.

“This inclusive cycling work is an important, and integral, part of the programme, and we are very excited to be working with Cycling UK and City of Edinburgh Council.”

Daisy Narayanan, Head of Placemaking and Mobility at City of Edinburgh, said:

“We’re really pleased to be able to support these sessions, which make cycling possible for many people who might have thought that they previously were not able to cycle.

“Cycling offers a whole range of benefits to health and wellbeing, as well as positively impacting the environment. Inclusive cycling sessions will help make sure even more of us can share in this.”

Sessions take place on Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning at Saughton Park and on Tuesday afternoons at Craigmillar. Anyone interested can drop in but if you’d like more information please call 0131 661 3366 or email thistleoutdoors@thistle.org.uk.

Wednesday 30^th March saw the success of the 2022 Central Parasport Festival with children and young people with Physical, Visual and Hearing impairments taking part at the event held at The Peak, Stirling. Pupils from P1 – S6 in mainstream schools travelled from across Central Scotland to take part in a variety of sports such as Archery, Boccia, Badminton, Swimming, Athletics, Football, Curling, Climbing and Basketball, all delivered by local sports clubs, Trust/ SGB representatives, regional/national coaches and GB athletes.

After the recent and difficult pandemic years, we were delighted that the event was such a great triumph, kindly hosted by Active Stirling and supported by the Celtic Foundation and Sheridan Keane Real Estate Investment. Strong partnerships from Forth Valley Disability Sport, Falkirk Community Trust, Active Stirling and Clackmannanshire Council supported the identification of pupils attending this years event and future pathway opportunities.

Inspirational speeches closed the event from Paralympic Athletes Meggan Dawson Farrell, Derek Rae, Owen Miller and even Olympian silver medalist Hammy McMillan supported the delivery of the curling session to the pupils on the ice. All para athletes shared their personal journey and experiences through disability sport and without a doubt inspired the pupils at the festival.

Cheryl Lappin (SDS Regional Development Manager for Central Scotland) said: “The event was a fantastic success and a worthwhile experience for many pupils engaging in sports they may never have tried before, but also their parents and teachers alike. Due to the pandemic and being the first face to face Central Parasport festival since 2019 I was ecstatic to see so many pupils with a physical and sensory disability from mainstream schools engage in all sports on offer, have fun, and potentially move up the pathway. The message is certainly getting out there that we are back with a bang and there are opportunities and pathways in place for all individuals with a disability within the FV community, from a local level to an international level.”

A special thank you to Sheridan Keane Real Estate and the Celtic Foundation for supporting this years event, as well as our kind hosts Active Stirling, Forth Valley Disability Sport, Falkirk Community Trust, Clackmannanshire Council, Scottish Swimming, Badminton Scotland, Basketball Scotland Scottish Boccia, Scottish Curling, British Curling, Climb Scotland, Wee County Archers, Forth Valley Flyers, Arion Swimming Club, Riverside Powerchair Football club, Falkirk Football Foundation, Stirling Albion FC, Stirling Wheelchair Curling Club, Inception Catering, sportscotland, SDS Staff, individual volunteers and the Active Stirling/Peak staff for all their support.

To find out more about this event or disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact:

Cheryl Lappin – cheryl.lappin@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830360

On behalf of all Forth Valley Disability Sport athletes, coaches, partners and volunteers, we’d like to say a very special thank you to our former Chairperson Angus Whyte.

Due to ongoing illness, Chair (Angus Whyte) has sadly had to step down from this voluntary role. We are extremely sad to see him go under these circumstances and would like to honour him by awarding him ‘Honorary Committee Member’ of FVDS.

Angus Whyte (83) from Dunblane has transformed Forth Valley Disability Sport over the last ten years. He has been involved in all aspects of the organisation from improving the charities governance, strategies, completing funding bids and expanding the FVDS work force.

Angus has been a driving force behind new projects within FVDS including involvement with the Youth Work in Sport initiative in partnership with Robertson Trust and the Rank Foundation. The Get out Get Active project in partnership with Spirit of 2012, Activity Alliance and Scottish Disability Sport. Both projects have been hugely beneficial to FVDS to engage with a wider range of participants and has allowed many new partnerships to grow.

More recently in 2020 under Angus’s leadership FVDS has navigate its way through the Co-vid 19 outbreak. Angus focused FVDS work to help promote the importance of home based activities while staying safe and following government and NGB guidance.

These are just some of the many positive influences Angus has had on Forth Valley Disability Sport over the last decade. Once again a very special thanks for your hard work, dedication, passion, and commitment to Forth Valley Disability Sport. We hope to honour Angus by recruiting the best replacement for this role to continue the legacy and great work he has helped FVDS achieve over the last decade.

If you or anyone you know would like to help volunteer within FVDS then telephone Forth Valley Disability Sport on 01786 466486 or email info@fvds.org.uk.