National News

Have you got what it takes to be a C4 presenter?

Welcome to the Half Million Quid Talent Search – your gateway to stardom.

To apply you'll need to:

be over 18
consider yourself to have a disability
have a valid YouTube account
have your contact details handy

For the next few months we'll be scouring the globe to find the absolute cream of disabled sports presenting, reporting and commentating talent for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. But we're also hoping to unearth some mind-blowing new disabled on-screen talent for the entire spectrum of Channel 4's output. Comedy, drama, documentaries, news… you name it. If you think you can own the screen then we want to know about it.

Higher Education Disability Sport Audit Launched
BUCS, with Glasgow Caledonian University, launched a comprehensive audit into disability sport provision in UK Higher Education on October 4.

The audit takes the form of two online questionnaires, one for directors of sport or nearest equivalent, and the other for Athletic Union officers or nearest equivalent to complete.

The information collected will be crucial to shaping the support needed across the sector that will enable all parties to engage, involve and include more disabled students.

The Equality Act 2010: the impact on Sport for Disabled People

The Equality Act 2010 legislation has been passed containing the most extensive anti-discrimination legislation this country has ever seen.

So what does this mean for sport and disabled people?
Clubs should examine their practices, rules, policies and conventions to ensure that they are non-discriminatory, either directly or indirectly.
Current internal equality policies as well as membership rules will need to be reviewed in conjunction with the new Act and amendments made accordingly.

Discrimination and harassment training courses for both staff and volunteers will need to be adapted to encompass the new Equality Act legislation.

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Disability Athletics - Coach and Athlete Talent Introduction Days

Workshops on throws, sprints and jumps and wheelchair racing are being held around the country over the next few months. They aim to increase the knowledge and understanding of clubs and coaches and provide relevant information regarding appropriate competition opportunities/ pathways and classification.

The workshops are aimed at two groups:

Athletes identified through the national Playground to Podium framework and other developing athletes.
Clubs and coaches interested in developing their knowledge of coaching athletes with a disability.

Dates:
23rd October - Exeter Arena
7th November - Sheffield
21st November - Brunel University
23rd January - Gateshead
23rd January - Thames Valley Athletics Centre
13th February - Loughborough HiPAC
12th March - Sportcity, Manchester
19th March - Chelmsford
20th March - University of Bath (TBC)

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British Wheelchair Athletics Association (BWAA)

BWAA Training Weekend at Stoke Mandeville
The content of each weekend is planned to the needs of those who are attending. Qualified coaches will be running the weekend but athletes are welcome to come with their own coaches if they wish.

Contact Barbara Hoole at barbarahoole@hotmail.com for more information

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Wheelchair tennis players come together for Loughborough performance camp
Last weekend’s performance camp is one of two every year where the country's top players and aspiring youngsters on the performance pathway come together to talk tactics and generally do some all-important bonding.

Sitting Volleyball: Where can I play?
Volleyball England’s Sitting Centre Network has grown rapidly since the development work in the sport since it was initiated in August 2009. We are still looking for more players, whatever their age, whatever their experience and whatever their ability or disability.

With 8 Centres identified last year we are now focusing our attention on creating more
Centres for the coming season.

The following places have been identified as potential centres for 2010-11 and we are currently looking for volunteers to help develop them:
? Yorkshire
? South-West
? North-East
? West London
If you are interested please contact Matt Rogers- m.rogers@volleyballengland.org

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National Short Course Swimming Championships 2010
Sponsored by Nationwide Building Society

Organised by English Federation of Disability Sport- Events Division

Ponds Forge, Sheffield

20-21 November

Our National Short Course Swimming championships is taking place in Sheffield and what’s more- it’s free for spectators, so all ages are welcome during the weekend!

This year’s event has attracted over 200 swimmers. It is an essential event in a disabled swimmer’s calendar, to enhance their competition experience and develop potential champions. Past and future Paralympians will be amongst the competitors in the 25m pool. Come along and support the country’s best in action!

The Championships are being held at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre on:

Saturday 20 November

09.00 Session 1

13.00pm Break for lunch

14.00pm Session 2

17.00pm Close

Sunday 21 November

09.00 Session 3

12.30 Finish and presentation of trophies

The National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Roehampton was the venue for the 2010 Metro VI Open Tennis Tournament last weekend.

Organised by Metro Blind Sports, the NTC hosted the tournament for the third year running as visually impaired players competed for six titles.

The men’s singles title was captured by Alan Whetherly after he won all five of his round-robin games while the honours went to Odette Battarel in the women’s singles after she overcame Theresa Roberts in the final 6-1.

The men’s doubles saw Mark Cummins and Paul Ryb triumph and Battarel picked up her second title with Wendy Glasper in the women’s doubles.

There was also a mixed doubles event which was won by Amanda Green and Ryb and a further mixed doubles event with visually impaired and sighted players competing together which saw Ryb get his third trophy alongside Desire Colliers.

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