National News

WheelPower

British Wheelchair Sport National Junior Games 2011
19 - 23 September 2011

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Buckinghamshire

 

The National Junior Games is mixture of have a go and friendly competition in a variety of sports.

The Games are open to any child with a physical disability or visual impairment. Included within this general definition are also those children with a disability or dysfunction which is difficult to measure or grade in the traditional sense of disability sports classification.  This would particularly include any children with dyspraxia and those with epilepsy, or some form of internal organ dysfunction or absence.

Click here to download details and application form

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Case study - Training launches disabled instructors into fitness

The Mayor’s Sports Legacy Fund is working with partners to increase employment of disabled fitness professionals and boost disabled sport and physical activity participation.

National research commissioned by Central YMCA found that almost one in three people wouldn’t hire a personal trainer with a noticeable physical disability. Furthermore, Aspire, a national charity supporting people with spinal cord injuries, found that non-wheelchair users were more than three times as likely to be invited to interview for job vacancies than wheelchair users.

To help tackle these issues, Aspire has teamed up with YMCAfit on the groundbreaking Instructability project. Supported by a 75% subsidy from the Mayor’s Sports Legacy
Fund, which is managed by the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, the Instructability project provides disabled people with Level 2 fitness instructor training.  
Over three weeks, participants learn about subjects such as anatomy and physiology, how to use gym equipment and how to put together a gym programme. Once qualified, they are given support to find placements and employment in the fitness industry.

 

Aspire and YMCAfit are currently recruiting for the next Instructability course. If you or someone you know is interested in attending please contact Tasha on 020 8420 6716 or info@aspire.org.uk

 

Click here to download full case study

 

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Revival of competitive sport in school underway as part of London 2012 sports legacy - Secretary of State unveils plans to level the playing field for young disabled people
More than 1,000 budding sports stars across Hertfordshire competed in their first School Games Festival today.  The event is part of a new and exciting opportunity to encourage young people to play more competitive sport in school and leave a lasting sporting legacy from London’s Olympics.

The Hertfordshire Festival is one of nine pilot events taking place across the country this summer ahead of the launch of the new national School Games competition in September. The new competition will use the inspiration of 2012 to get more young people playing competitive sport, and will build up to a national final in the Olympic Stadium in May 2012. 

At the event Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt set out his plans to use the School Games to drive a step change in school sport for disabled children.  A new action plan has been put in place to boost disability sport in schools, which includes:

• Measuring, for the first time, participation rates of young disabled children in competitive sport through the Taking Part survey in order to establish a baseline picture of exactly how many young disabled people are taking part in competitive sport.
• Increasing the number of sports for disabled children - next year’s School Games finals will also include sports specifically for young disabled athletes.
• Providing more direct guidance and support for schools, teachers and coaches to deliver the highest standards in disability sport - 450 School Games Organisers will gain further training in how to develop and run the most effective sporting leagues, fixtures and events, ensuring they are
  accessible to young disabled people.
• Identifying the top 50 trailblazing schools to pioneer new and innovative ways to develop further sporting opportunities for young disabled people.

From September there will be a new competition in 30 sports for schools to use that are inclusive for all young people. This will give schools the option for disabled and non-disabled pupils to participate alongside each other. For young people with high support needs or complex or multiple barriers we will develop pan-disability formats in disability specific sports and in mainstream sports.

 

Click here for full story

 

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RYA - Sailability Multi-Class Regatta 2011
12-14 August 2011

Rutland Sailing Club

Edith Weston

OAKHAM

Leicestershire

LE15 8HJ

Entry forms are now available for this year’s  regatta to those who race in following classes: Neo 395, Laser Stratos, SKUD, Access, 2.4mR, Challenger, Artemis, Sonar, SQIB and Kinsman.  

Entry forms and Notice of Race details are available at: www.rya.org.uk/sailability.

Race entry is £10 per person and includes training on Friday, racing fee and Saturday evening dinner for competitors.

 

For more information contact event co-ordinator Joanna Bentley on: 07789 991 603 or email: multiclassregatta@rya.org.uk  

 

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