We are delighted and excited to announce that our Engage Project is a finalist in the People’s Project National Lottery Fund. The public votes and the winning projects are awarded funding.

Scottish Disability Sport and the Engage Project need your vote to help us win funding to run the project!

How can you vote for the Engage Project?

You can view a short film and vote for the Engage Project here.

Voting is open between 9.00 am on Monday 20^th March and 12 noon on Monday 3^rd April.

What is the project?

The project is Engage, designed to offer people with disabilities the chance to take part in sport, no matter their age, ability or experience.

What will the Engage Project do? 

The Engage Project will bring the benefits of sport to people with disabilities across Scotland by introducing them to a variety of sports, offering new opportunities to take part and training local volunteers to include people with disabilities in their sessions.

Why should you vote for the Engage Project?

You should vote for the Engage Project because it will make a huge difference to the people we work with. Sport can be life changing; sport through the Engage Project can open a whole new world to people with disabilities.

Instead of staying indoors and being socially isolated, the Engage Project will give people activities to look forward to and will enable them to become active, healthier and form friendships. Parents and carers will also benefit from meeting others at sessions.

 

What are the sports?

For more information on the sports covered by the Engage Project, see the factsheets and ideos on our website here.

What will the Project do?

Events

• Wheels to Water Engagement Day – see photos from 2015 here
• Boccia Engagement Day
• Swimming Engagement Day
• Residential summer camp – see photos from 2015 here
• Wheelchair extravaganza
• Visual Impairment Multi Sport Day – see photos from 2016 here

New Participation Opportunities

• 6 new boccia participation opportunities across Scotland
• 4 new learn to swim opportunities across Scotland

Training for Coaches and Volunteers

• Disability Inclusion Training for Coaches and Volunteers
• Boccia Leaders Training
• Inclusive Teacher Workshops for Swim Teachers

The People’s Projects is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund, ITV, STV and The National Lottery that gives the public a say in awarding National Lottery funding to local projects across the UK.

Scottish Disability Sport and Aberdeenshire Council are working in partnership to offer a bespoke swimming session for children with a physical or sensory impairment who would like to develop their swimming.

The session is led by qualified Scottish Swimming teachers who are trained to make the relevant adaptations within the session to enable swimmers to develop their swimming ability.

For further information or to book for the session please contact Claire McDonald, Scottish Disability Sport Regional Development Manager on 07533 056564 or email: claire.mcdonald@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Para-Bowls Outdoor Bowls Development Day
Sunday 14th May 2017
1.30pm – 3.30pm
Stonehaven Bowling Club, Recreation Ground, Stonehaven, AB39 2RD

Scottish Disability Sport are working in partnership with Stonehaven Bowling Club to deliver an outdoor Para-Bowls ‘taster session’ for all players with a physical, learning or sensory impairment.

• Are you interested in starting a new sport or physical activity?
• Are you interested in representing your country at International competition, including the Commonwealth Games?

This may be the opportunity that you have been looking for!

This event will invite players to come along to meet and work with experienced coaches in the world of Para-Bowls, providing the opportunity to learn new skills. All abilities welcome!

For more information or to register your interest in the day, please contact Claire McDonald:
Tel: 07533 056 564
Email: claire.mcdonald@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Ryan Peterson from St Andrews is a very committed all round athlete. In swimming in particular he has been very successful and his record in local and national competitions is very impressive. As recently as two weeks ago Ryan represented East Fife Community Support Services in the Trophy Race at the Disability Sport Fife (DSF) swimming championships and finished in first place. This result identified Ryan as the leading swimmer within the three Community Support Services in 2017. Ryan is currently coached by DSF coach Kathy Bijak.

Over the years Ryan has demonstrated a love for physical activity, including sport.  He has always been encouraged to be active by his parents, Dalgairn Centre and now East Fife Community Support Services staff. Ryan is an enthusiastic footballer and athlete and he enjoys competing for East Fife CSS in DSF competitions. Each week Ryan attends the weekly multi sport session at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre in Glenrothes. Whether the activity is basketball, badminton, tug of war, carpet bowls, unihoc, football or fitness activities Ryan offers one hundred per cent as he has done since he first became involved with DSF.

A few years ago DSF became involved with St Andrews Bowling Club because the club was going through a major refurbishment and new build. The club has always had a strong commitment to inclusive practice and Wendy Thomson from St Andrews took the opportunity to become a member. Wendy is a past Fife and Scottish disability bowls champion and a key member of the DSF bowls squad. Like Ryan (2005), Wendy (2008) is a member of East Fife CSS and a previous winner of the Rotary Club of St Andrews Sports Personality of the Year Award. Like Wendy, Ryan has now become a member of St Andrews Bowling Club and is playing there twice a week. Ryan has taken up bowls seriously and there is no doubt he will master the skills quickly as he has with all the other activities he has mastered over the years.

DSF is proud to be associated with St Andrews Bowling Club which is one of many clubs across Fife fully committed to inclusive practice. Wendy is a key member of the DSF bowls squad and it will not be too long before Ryan steps up to the plate and puts himself in contention for a place in the Fife Team for the Inter Area Bowls championship for players with a learning disability.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Week two of the Annual Fife Sports Festival organised by Disability Sport Fife and supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and Fife Council drew to a conclusion with the popular basketball and netball championships held at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre.

Approximately 60 players with additional support needs competed in three sections based on ability and experience. As always the atmosphere in the MWC games hall was appropriate to the occasion. All games were conducted in the spirit of fair play and top quality sportsmanship.

The Senior basketball championship was won by Fire captained by Robert Anderson plus Fraser Arnott, Stephen Russell, Neil Carstairs and Craig Stephen. The runners up were Earth captained by Steven Anderson plus James Pringle, James Murphy, Christopher Cook, Craig Hunter and Wayne Moreland.

The Senior netball championship was won Andrea Spry, Shona Murrie, Vicky Walker, Lynda Stewart, Neil McEwan and Michelle Somerville. The runners up were Michelle Wallace, Julie Allan, Roberta Buchan, Elliot Hamilton, Dawn Rogerson, Billy Scobie Kim Paddon and Eric Boyle.

Balwearie HS pupils shared the honours in the junior basketball competition.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

The 2017 Disability Sport Fife (DSF) Badminton Championships supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and Fife Council were held at Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre on Wednesday 15th March. In attendance as a special guest was Julie Hogg, wife of the late Russell Hogg, who was a major influence on the development of disability badminton in Fife.

Julie Hogg and Alex Bird lead weekly disability badminton sessions at Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre and the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre on behalf of DSF. Participant numbers continue to rise steadily and this is reflected in the numbers entered for the Fife Championships. Over 60 signed up this year for one of 12 singles sections.

Balwearie HS and Lochgelly HS heavily populated the junior sections with smaller representations from Glenrothes HS and Levenmouth Academy. In the senior sections West Fife CSS and Scottish Autism had strong entries along with the two DSF badminton sessions in central and West Fife making up the bulk of the entry.

The junior results were:

• S1/S2 boys – Jason Rennie Lochgelly HS winner – Acaymo Llanos Balwearie HS runner up
• S3 boys – Larson McKeon Balwearie HS winner – Shakeel Ul Haq Lochgelly HS runner up
• S4 boys – Alex Evans Balwearie HS winner – Dylon McKay Levenmouth Academy runner up
• S5/S6 boys – Craig Wight Glenrothes HS winner – Reece Dickson Balwearie HS runner up
• S3 girls – Rosalind Penman Balwearie HS winner – Courtney Morris Lochgelly HS runner up
• S4/S6 girls – Louise Harley Lochgelly HS winner – Caitlyn De Soyza Balwearie HS runner up

The senior results were:

• Senior women A – winner Mary Wilson – Pauline Bryson runner up
• Senior women B – Briony Clark winner – Colleen Turner runner up
• Senior men A – Lloyd Simpson winner – Steven Anderson runner up
• Senior men B – Ryan Melville winner – Philip Callander runner up
• Senior men C – Wayne Sammut winner – Jamie Thomas runner up
• Senior men D – James Murphy winner – Christopher Cook runner up

Sportsmanship awards were presented to Ryan Pollock Lochgelly HS, Caitlyn De Soyza Balwearie HS and Robert Anderson from Glenrothes.

The Antwerp Trophy was presented to Balwearie HS for accumulating the most points over all the junior sections. Lochgelly HS finished second and Glenrothes HS third.

Lloyd Simpson and Mary Wilson were awarded the mens and women’s open championships trophies.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Scottish Disability Sport is both delighted and excited to announce that our Engage Project is a finalist in the People’s Project National Lottery Fund. The public votes for projects and the winning projects are awarded funding.

The People’s Projects is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund, ITV, STV and The National Lottery that gives the public a say in awarding National Lottery funding to local projects across the UK.

Scottish Disability Sport and the Engage Project need your vote to help us win funding to run the project.

Voting will open at 9.00 am on Monday 20^th March until 12 noon on Monday 3^rd April. To find out more about the Engage Project see the People’s Projects website here.

Look out for more information on our website, Facebook and Twitter from Monday.

The 8^th West Parasport Festival took place once again at Ravenscraig Regional Facility on Friday 10^th March.  Over 40 pupils with a physical disability and/or visual impairment took part in various sports throughout the day, all delivered by local clubs, volunteers and governing bodies, and assisted by some prominent athletes from their respective sports.

This event is one of numerous activities funded by the Celtic FC Foundation ‘Inspiring Sport’ Project, and we thank them for their continued partnership.    Inspiring Sport aims to enhance the lives of young people and adults with physical, learning and sensory disabilities in the West of Scotland through the medium of sport and physical activity and through various means, encourages participation which is beneficial for a healthy lifestyle and social interaction.

The event was a great success with all of the young people fully involved in athletics, boccia, bowls, basketball, cycling, football, table tennis, tennis and rowing, which were based on fun and enjoyment which hopefully encourages future participation in the sports.

Thanks must go to Ayrshire College students, Active Schools coordinators from West Local Authorities, the many volunteers who assisted on the day, and the sports centre for their continued support.

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

Lori Ure – lori.ure@scottishdisabiltysport.com / 07806 815591
Lynn Allison – lynn.allison@scottishdisabilitysport.com / 07974 448580

It was a busy two days up in the Orkney Islands last weekend for tutors Charlie Forbes and Fiona Green.

After a pleasant drive from Inverness and bumpy ferry crossing it was right into the classroom to deliver to 18 participants on the Friday evening.

There was a great mix from PE staff to leisure centre staff, NHS support staff, coaches and volunteers which made for an interesting evening.

The following day was the Family Fun Day for young disabled people with a good range of sports on offer from boccia, badminton and climbing wall being the most popular. There were a lot of families present and some have now planned to get together along with some others to try and get a young sports group up and running.

A meeting is planned on the next visit in about May/June.