National News

University of Worcester supports blind football stars present and future
Students and staff from the University of Worcester provided support services to the World Blind Football Championships in Hereford recently and the University is now launching a scholarship to help players of the future.


Senior lecturers in the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, Donna de Haan and Andrea Faull, conducted FA approved research investigating spectator and volunteer experience whilst Russell Wheeldon and Jonathan Patton were able to collect match analysis data for their final year independent study. Russell also worked with the FA to provide match analysis and several students acted as volunteers at the event.

England, who are ranked fifth in the world, finished a respectable fourth in the recent world championships. It was another step in the right direction in the build up to London 2012 where the team is hoping home advantage may help them win Paralympic medals.

 

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EFDS to Manage IFI

The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) has announced that the management of the Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) will move from consultants MLS to within the EFDS structure.

 

In preparation for the forthcoming incorporation of the IFI within the Paralympic Legacy Plan, MLS is now working with the EFDS to support this transition.

 

The IFI programme supports the fitness industry to become more inclusive, catering for the needs of disabled and non-disabled people alike. Since 2001, through a range of projects and products the Initiative has supported facilities across England to create an inclusive service, increasing participation by disabled people.

 

The programme remains an important aspect of the EFDS strategy and EFDS will be working with the Government and other organisations to secure funding in order to deliver the Paralympic Legacy, increasing the number of IFI Mark accredited facilities throughout the UK.

 

MLS will remain the first point of contact until the 1 September 2010 when the formal handover to EFDS will be completed. From this point the initial EFDS contact will be Chris Ratcliffe- Director of Innovation and Development.

 

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Deaf-friendly Activities Pledge for Leisure Organisations

 

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Mayor of London plays boccia in Trafalgar Sq to celebrate countdown

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today celebrated the countdown to two years to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games by turning Trafalgar Square into a Boccia court.

Gold medal winning ParalympicsGB Boccia athletes and members of London Boccia clubs showed the Mayor how to play a game of the unique Paralympic sport, designed for athletes with severe disabilities.

They were joined in the Trafalgar Square celebrations by Paralympian wheelchair basketball player, Ade Adepitan, members of British Paralympic Association and GB Boccia and BT, official partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The ParalympicGB Boccia team is currently ranked number one in the world, having claimed gold at the Beijing Paralympic Games and recently won three silver medals at the World Championships in Portugal.

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New funding initiative from two well known brands
.....Typhoo and Warburtons are encouraging the British public to host their very own ‘Tea & Toast Morning’ with friends, family and neighbours, catering purely for their guests with the classic food combination! In return for toast and a cuppa, guests are asked to bring a donation, however big or small, which will go to the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS). Now does that sound like hard work to you?

Exercise may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for some it is a pleasure they rarely get to enjoy. EFDS’ mission is to increase participation in sport and ensure disabled people can access the sport and physical activity of their choice, at a level and venue of their choice. Typhoo Tea and Warburtons have joined forces to raise valuable funds for the worthy charity so they can carry on their important work across the UK.

 

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Daily Telegraph School Sport Matters Awards 2010
For a sixth year running, The Daily Telegraph is supporting 'School Sport Matters': a campaign to highlight exemplary practice in PE and sport in schools. The awards generate debate on the delivery of sport in schools and celebrate the achievements of pupils, teachers and schools across the country.


There are 10 categories of award this year and applications will go before a judging panel which includes Dame Kelly Holmes, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, James Cracknell and Darren Campbell. The 10 categories are:

?         State School of the Year

?         Independent School of the Year

?         Specialist Sports College of the Year

?         Student of the Year (male)

?         Student of the Year (female)

?         School Sport Teacher of the Year

?         School Team of the Year

?         Excellence in Disabled Sport

?         Contribution to School Sport

?         Aviva Unsung Hero

The top three entries in each category will be shortlisted and invited to the awards luncheon ceremony held on 3 November 2010 at Wembley Stadium.

Nominations are now being taken for this year’s awards with entries closing at midnight on 17 September 2010.

All entries must be completed by an online entry form.

 

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UK Dwarf Badminton Open 2010 National Badminton Centre, 28th & 29th August

Over the course of the 28th and 29th of August, the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes plays host to the inaugural UK Dwarf Badminton Open.

 

Organised by the Dwarf Athletic Association, the UK Open will attract the top dwarf players from across the country. England currently boasts an impressive 5 men in the World Top 10 for both Men’s Singles and Doubles, so the tournament promises a high standard of play. The challengers, such as Men’s Singles European Champion Ollie Clarke (Kent), Krysten Coombs (Devon) and Andrew Martin (Kent) will be keen to gain a psychological advantage at the first event of a long season.

 

Tim Shepherd from the Dwarf Sports Association UK is looking forward to the tournament:

“The weekend promises to be very exciting, with the best Dwarf players in all age categories competing together at the Badminton England head quarters in Milton Keynes for the first time. There are several international level players to look out for including the 2010 European Champion Ollie Clark; Ladies’ Number 1 seed Rachel Choong; and several medallists from the World Dwarf Games including Jack Shepherd, Kim and Nic Dean, Northern Ireland’s Niall McVeigh and Emma Farnham.

 

The DSA hope that all the players entering the UK Dwarf Open will have a good weekend of competition and that all the age groups enjoy their tournaments.”

 

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Elite Wheelchair Rugby League players meet

Elite Wheelchair Rugby League players from across the country will meet up for a performance camp this weekend at two venues in the South East.

 

 

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Safeguarding Children within Disability Swimming

The ASA have produced their guidelines on Safeguarding Disabled Children in swimming.

 

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