Tweedbank Indoor Bowling Club are hosting an Inclusive Bowls Workshop on Sunday 3^rd December open to coaches and volunteers who have an interest in developing their knowledge and understanding when working with individuals with a disability in the sport of bowls.

The 4 hour workshop will provide attendees with the knowledge and skills to become more confident when working with players with a physical, learning and sensory impairment.  The tutor led session will involve a range of coaching practices which incorporate a variety of adapted equipment giving coaches / volunteers the opportunity to work with these on the day.  Bowls is a truly inclusive sport and is played from participation level right through to International level and the Commonwealth Games.

The details of the workshop are listed below –

Date:     Sunday 3^rd December 2017

Time:    10.00am – 2.00pm (lunch will be provided)

Venue: Tweedbank Indoor Bowling Centre, Tweedbank, TD1 3RS

Cost:      No Cost

Who:     Open to anyone who has an interest in working with individuals with a disability in bowls

If you are interested in accessing this exciting opportunity, please contact Scottish Disability Sport Inclusive Bowls Performance Development Manager Ron McArthur on the details listed below –

Email: ron.mcarthur@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Phone: 0778 887 8470

To download the session flyer, please click here.

Boccia is predominately a disability sport. But at Movement Park we believe it’s so much more. At Movement Park we believe it’s the perfect sport for everyone, especially those that wish to sit but still stay active. If this is you, why not come along to our “Come & Try “ open day and learn from the best!

The boccia session will be coached by former Paralympic boccia player, Peter McGuire, whose wealth of knowledge and experience will assist in coaching absolute beginners to those with some boccia experience already.

The session is aimed at getting participants out, active and playing the game recreationally.

Date: Tuesday 21st November 2017

Venue: Movement Park, Clydeway House, 813 South Street, Whiteinch, Glasgow G14 0BX

Time: 12- 2pm Cost: £1 (tea/ coffee and lovely biscuit will be served)

For more information or to book your place, contact movementparkinfo@gmail.co.uk or alternatively call 0141 434 0002.

Through funding from the Big Lottery, Scottish Disability Sport in partnership with Glasgow Sport, is delighted to announce the introduction of a new boccia session beginning on Tuesday 24^th October.

The boccia session will be coached by former Paralympic Boccia player, Peter McGuire, whose wealth of knowledge and experience will assist in coaching absolute beginners to those with some boccia experience already.

The session is aimed at getting participants out and active and playing the game recreationally, and who knows, maybe there are some budding boccia players out there with potential to make it to the Paralympic stage!

If you are interested in this exciting new opportunity, please see the flyer below.

 

For other opportunities in the West of Scotland, please contact Lori Ure –  lori.ure@scottishdisabilitysport.com   07806 815 591.

GB Paralympian Derek Rae and Disability Sport Fife President Richard Brickley visited the Esplanade at Kirkcaldy on Saturday 16th September to offer best wishes to the staff of Commscope Technologies from Lochgelly who were heading off on their annual charity fund raiser walk/cycle. Approximately 19 walkers covered 22 miles along the Fife Coastal Path and finished at South Queensferry. A separate group headed off around the same time to cycle 68 miles taking in Dunfermline, Stirling, Airth, Crossford and also end in South Queensferry.

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) had been selected by the staff to be the recipient charity from their efforts. Little did DSF realise at the time that staff were going to be so successful in their fund raising venture.

The DSF President visited Commscope Technologies offices on Thursday to accept almost £2,900 pounds from Matt Lewry, Director, Design Engineering. Monies were raised through the DSF My Donate page and sponsor forms circulated by the staff. This was a monumental effort by Commscope Technologies staff and the DSF President emphasised to staff present how much of a difference this would make to present and future DSF sports development projects.

Under the banner of GOGA in Fife, DSF is currently working with local partner Outdoor Education Fife plus national partners FABB and Scottish Disability Sport to encourage inactive individuals with additional support needs to be more active more often. The initiative has involved the production of an inspiring adapted cycling video filmed at Lochore Meadows Country Park and a leaders course organised in conjunction with Cycling Scotland and Outdoor Education Fife. 5K has been allocated from GOGA investment to enhance the adapted cycling stock at Lochore Meadows Country Park and a further 2K from the Commscope Technologies initiative will be added to add to the funding available. The remaining funds raised will assist with the development of inclusive bowls in Fife.

Thank you Commscope Technologies staff for considering DSF worthy of such generous support. Your efforts will make a significant difference to the ability of participants with additional support needs to participate in active recreation in the countryside and also engage in bowls, one of the most inclusive sports in Fife.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Disability Sport Fife enjoys very special relationships with a significant number of mainstream sports clubs across Fife. Many of these clubs offer inclusive recreational opportunities to DSF members and others offer a pathway to athletes and players with performance potential in Para sports. DSF lists some of these clubs on the DSF registration form available from the NEW DSF website but understandably there are too many to list them all. DSF concentrates on clubs that offer specialist opportunities where DSF neither has the expertise or coaching workforce.

One of the mainstream clubs that DSF is proud to list as a partner is the St Andrews Coastal Rowing Club. Club contact Julie Hardisty reported that this summer David Leeson became the first physically disabled participant to utilise an adapted seat in the St. Andrews Coastal Rowing Club boat. The specially adapted seat allows him to row as part of a crew. Access by wheelchair is via pontoons in the local harbour installed courtesy of the St. Andrews Harbour Trust. The Trust will install a winch during the next phase of the planned upgrade and this will enable participants with severe mobility difficulties to access the boat more easily. The rowing club has members with amputations and committee members are keen to encourage more participants with different impairments into their rapidly growing sport.

The adapted seat, as far as club members are aware, is the only one of its kind in Scotland and was kindly donated by club member Andrew Rendle.  David rows using a pair of lightweight sculling oars in the harbour and in East Sands bay. His determination and willingness to “try anything” is remarkable. The adaptive rowing programme in St Andrews will continue next season with the support of club members and St Andrews Harbour Trust.

Is there a finer setting than St Andrews to enjoy the pleasure of coastal rowing? Disability Sport Fife is proud to have the club as a partner and congratulates club members on their success to date in making their sport more inclusive. DSF is delighted to have the St Andrews Coastal Rowing club listed as a partner and encourages interested participants to express their interest on a DSF registration form and return it completed to the DSF administrator Norma Buchanan. There after Julie Hardisty will be in touch.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Paul Richardson from Luncarty, outside Perth, dropped into the Disability Sport Fife (DSF) office to hand over a cheque to the DSF President for £615. Paul works at Brand Rex, a well established Glenrothes company located near the DSF office at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre. Paul was inspired to raise funds for DSF by Fife wheelchair athlete Susanne McGrath’s father Eddie who also works at Brand Rex.

Paul has worked exceptionally hard to raise the money by competing in the West Highland Way Challenge at the end of May. The proud Welshman was competing in the Challenge for the third time with a target time of 30 hours for the 96 miles course. By offering assistance to others over the final stretch he took a little longer than he had hoped for but still finished in the excellent time of 34hours. All of us who have looked at the West Highland Way as a “thing to do before…” or have completed the project with overnight stays will be very impressed with this performance.

Runners and walkers compete in the Challenge by day and night under strict conditions. Check points are located every 12 miles or so and participants have to compete with all kinds of Scottish weather and of course the Scottish midge. For sections of the Challenge specific safety equipment has to be carried and participants have to be comfortable with a map in their hand or their challenges become even greater. Paul reckons that night time negotiation of the early part of the race around Mugdock can be particularly demanding.

The DSF President willingly accepted the cheque from Paul and thanked him for considering DSF worthy of such generous support and effort. It was mutually agreed that the donation will be used to purchase bowls equipment for the Association to help encourage learners to take up the sport. Early engagement and appropriate coaching on the short mat will hopefully encourage participants to consider the more challenging indoor and outdoor versions of the game. DSF already has a strong commitment to bowls and considers most bowling clubs in Fife fully committed to inclusive sport and very welcoming to disabled bowlers.

Paul will be in attendance at the 2017 Fife Carpet Bowls Championships, supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, on Wednesday 22nd November at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre. Paul has been invited by Disability Sport Fife to present medals and trophies to successful participants.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

The annual Jed Renilson Wheelchair & Hand Cycle 10k race took place on Sunday 29^th October, attracting a small but quality field to the roads of the Scottish Borders.  The event has been renamed in honour of its late founder, Jed Renilson, and is now organised by the Scottish Borders Disability Sport Group (SBDSG) and supported by Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport.  The race was started by Finlay Calder and timing recorded by representatives from Scottish Athletics.

The weather conditions on the day were kind to the athletes with blue skies and only a slight headwind on the journey back into the finish line after the turn – however athletes were unable to better the any of the current course records.

Fresh from winning the Great North Run, Simon Lawson was first over the line in the wheelchair race – clocking a time of 21.15 and recording a remarkable 9^th victory at the Borders race.  Lawson was followed under the finishers arch by Ben Rowlings and Sean Frame with only 8 seconds between 2^nd and 3^rd places.  Rowlings (23.27), who has recently moved north of the border from his home Coventry club to study at Stirling University pipped the first Scottish athlete, Frame, in a tight race with both athletes recording personal best times.  The personal best times kept coming as Red Star youngster Kyle Brotherton bettered last years’ time by over a minute and cap a solid season to record a finishing time of 25.58.  The first female under the arch was Paralympic Triathlete (PT1 Woman) Lizzie Tench, completing the course in 32.32.  The final athlete over the line was Gateshead’s Gareth Brown, coming back from injury to record a respectable time of 51.08 after a long layoff from regular training.

The Hand Cycle Race also attracted athletes from over the United Kingdom with two athletes a piece from North and South of the Border.  It was multiple event winner Alastair Corps-Bell who claimed the victory (17.36) to record an impressive 7^th win at Jedburgh and continue his impressive form at the event.  The next two athletes to finish were training buddies, Mike Thomas (19.06) and Ken Talbot (19.16).  The two Edinburgh based athletes continued their recent tussles but it was Thomas who went home with the bragging rights on this occasion.  Fourth place finish went to David wise in a time of 21.23.

The event also acted as the final event of the three 10k race series which included races in Kilmarnock and Glasgow.  The overall results of the series were also announced during the prize giving, with Sean Frame (1^st), Kyle Brotherton (2^nd) and Luke Deighan (3^rd) making up the male medallists with Sammi Kinghorn took gold in the female section.

Borders born athlete Sammi Kinghorn was unable to defend her title from last year having been ruled out with tendonitis of the wrist.  The recently crowned world champion, however, was on hand to present the medals to the winners.

Graham Cook, event organiser, stated, “I’m delighted by the high quality of the racing and the continuing support from volunteers and locals who turn out year after year to support the race.  The support provided by partners is key to the success of the event, with sponsors Randolph Hill Nursing Homes Group, Jedforest RFC and Border Merangue all playing an important role in its continued success”.

Full results can be found below –

Wheelchair Results

Pos	Time	Name	Club	Region
1	21.15	Simon Lawson (T53)	Carlisle Tri	–
2	23.27	Ben Rowlings (T34)	Red Star	Central
3	23.35	Sean Frame (T54)	Red Star	West of Scotland
4	25.58	Kyle Brotherton (T54)	Red Star	West of Scotland
5	27.23	Luke Deighan (T54)	Red Star	West of Scotland
6	32.32	Lizzie Tench	Unattached	–
7	51.08	Gareth Brown (T34)	Gateshead	–

Hand Cycle Results

Pos	Time	Name	Region
1	17.36	Alastair Corps-Bell	–
2	19.06	Mike Thomas	East of Scotland
3	19.16	Ken Talbot	East of Scotland
4	21.23	David Wise	–

Tweedbank Sports Complex played host to the first Scottish Borders Para Athletics Development Day, attracting 24 participants on Saturday 28^th October.  Scottish Borders Disability Sports Group (SBDSG) teamed up with key partners to plan and coordinate the event, inviting local coaches to lead on the delivery during the session.

The Development Day was facilitated to introduce individuals with an interest in athletics and provide an opportunity to try all disciplines involved in the sport.  The day welcomed participants from across the local authority – ranging in age, disability and previous experience in the sport.  The two hour introductory session was supported by local coaches who provided their knowledge and expertise, delivering enjoyable mini run, jump and throw sessions.  The link with local coaches is key, as this supports the transition to regular club activity for any athletes interested in taking the sport further.

Another exciting aspect of the day was the inclusion of a wheelchair racing opportunity.  The event was fortunate to enough to welcome Wheelchair Racing / Race Running Coach Russ Watson along from the Dumfries & Galloway Track Athletics Club, who was on hand to impart his knowledge on the day.  This proved a popular addition to the Development Day with a large number of individuals given the opportunity to try the sport for the first time, aiming to make the transition into more regular local activity.  This opportunity can be made possible as the SBDSG have recently purchased two wheelchair racing chairs through support from Borders Athletics Development Group and ClubSport Borders – chairs are housed at Tweedbank Sports Complex.

The Development Day was preceded by an Inclusive Athletics Workshop, providing an ideal opportunity for coaches to gain a valuable insight into Para Athletics – with 8 enthusiastic participants actively engaged throughout.  The course was delivered by experienced Scottish Athletics tutor, John De Courcy, and provides a theoretical background in the sport while allowing the attendees to also work in a practical setting, putting this information into practice.  All course attendees were then able to work alongside more experienced coaches during the afternoon’s Development session.

This theoretical and practical experience is crucial in supporting local coaches to become competent and confident when working with individuals with a disability.  This will lay the foundations of the skills required to support athletes and help the club on its way to becoming fully inclusive.

Alan Oliver, SBDSG Development Officer, highlighted the success of the day, stating “to have 24 new participants trying a variety of athletic disciplines for the first time is a testament to how highly regarded athletics in a sporting capacity. To have a come and try session combined with a coaches workshop creates a perfect exit strategy for those participants wishing to continue their athletics development. It was wonderful to have expertise present in wheelchair racing and 2 genuine local athletics coaches emphasises the enthusiasm for disability sport.”

 

If you are interested in hearing more about athletics opportunities in the Scottish Borders, please contact Alan Oliver on aoliver@liveborders.org.uk or 07887 471 137.

After generous funding from Spirit of 2012, the Grampian region is now delighted to offer inclusive cycling opportunities to people with disabilities along with their families and friends.

A partnership programme between Grampian Disability Sport and Garioch Sports Centre in Inverurie, the Adapted Cycling Hub provides a fleet of accessible bikes to suit the needs of almost anyone with a physical, sensory and/or learning disability and includes hand cycles, tandem bikes, adult-sized balance bikes, trikes and even a power-assisted, wheelchair-accessible bike!

As well as housing the bikes, the Centre currently offers coach-led sessions to nearby schools, a local service for young people with disabilities, and a home schooling group. Additionally, public sessions have just been launched and separate sessions are on offer for school children and adults.

At present, all sessions take place in the Centre’s sports hall, but it is hoped that a planned renovation of part of an existing path will enable further sessions to take place outdoors on a safe, contained loop around the building. The Centre also aims to offer private hire of the bikes in the near future so that families can take them out and about out with session times.

Thanks go to Grampian Disability Sport and Garioch Sports Centre for all their hard work in getting the programme set up.

More information on the sessions available can be found on Garioch Sports Centre’s Facebook page.

Contact: Garioch Sports Centre – 01467 626 141

 

It was a special training session for athlete Cameron Herring and his guide runner Euan Sloan when Alison Patrick and her fiancé Jack Peasgood dropped into Pitreavie Athletics Centre to say hello and offer some sprinting advice at the request of Disability Sport Fife.

Alison won silver in Para triathlon in Rio when the sport was introduced for the first time to the Paralympic Games. Alison has World and European titles to her name and is an established member of Team GB. Before committing to Para triathlon she was a hugely successful runner but now excels on the world stage in three disciplines.

Alison is based and trains south of the border but on a recent visit to her home town of Dunfermline she was delighted to offer some tips to Cameron and Euan. The Fife athletes who attend the session and coaches Pamela Robson and Gayle Sloan, were delighted to handle a Paralympic medal.
Jack is also a world class triathlete and he willingly offered advice to Euan about guide running. Alison shared some of her sprinting technical knowledge as a visually impaired athlete and even offered Cameron a short a 60m sprint challenge. There is complete silence within Fife about the outcome of that first race of many to come. Alison is already a very special role model for Fife’s very promising young blind sprinter.
Thank you Alison and Jack for your support and all the very best to you in 2018 when hopefully Commonwealth Games involvement is a consideration?

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife