County News

  

STAFFORD PUPILS TRY OUT WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL

 On Friday 1^st July, Sir Graham Balfour School celebrated Lloyds TSB National School Sports Week with something a little bit different - wheelchair basketball!

 

Two representatives from the Stoke Spitfires Wheelchair Basketball team visited the Stafford school (along with some spare wheelchairs) and worked with pupils.  The relaxed, yet competitive atmopshere could have fooled any spectator into thinking they were watching a training session.  The coaches umpired the games as they would any normal match, giving helpful advice and feedback to the pupils.

 

Everyone was clearly having fun.  Rowan Softley, a Year 9 pupil said, “The best thing about it was gliding along, although turning was difficult.  I really enjoyed it!”

 

Andrew Flowers, Vice Chairman of the Stoke Spitfires, also plays in a team.  He plays as a guard, whose job is to keep the opposing defence away from his team’s tall attacking players.  He also mentioned how he finds that the speed of wheelchair basketball makes it more exciting!

 

When asked how he found working with the Sir Graham Balfour students, he said it was “really good, and enjoyable” whilst also mentioning that anyone can get involved in this unique sport by looking up Stoke Spitfires Wheelchair Basketball Team on Facebook.

 

If you want to find out more about wheelchair basketball in general, visit the Great British Wheelchair Basketball Association’s website at www.gbwba.org.uk.

 

By Eden Baker

Sir Graham Balfour Sports Media

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Click here to download poster

 

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Click here to download poster

 

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Click here to download poster

 

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Wheelchair Skills Training Course – Call NOW!

 

Stafford Borough Council’s Sports Development team in partnership with the charity Whizz-kidz are holding a wheelchair skills training course in the summer holidays and we want you to join us!  

 

• Are you in a wheelchair?
• Are you aged between 3 and18?
• Would you like to learn new skills and have great fun on a three day course in the school summer holidays?

 

If the answer to these questions is yes then we have just the course for you! Stafford Borough Council’s Sports Development team in partnership with the charity Whizz-kidz is putting on a wheelchair skills course designed to help improve your wheelchair skills in a fun and enjoyable way.

 

Wheelchair Skills Training is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills and have fun with other young wheelchair users in your area.  You will be taught important skills according to your needs including spatial awareness, manoeuvring techniques and road safety skills.  Our trainers are excellent role models and all have lots of experience and knowledge about wheelchairs; many of them are full time wheelchair users.

 

The course will be running at:

Sir Graham Balfour High School

Stafford

 

Monday 8^th August – Wednesday 10^th August

11am – 4pm

and the course is FREE

 

To book onto this course or to find out more information please call or email Jenny Moore on 01785 619565 or jmoore@staffordbc.gov.uk as soon as possible as places on this course are very limited. 

 

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Click here to download a registration form

 

Project Spitfire

Free Activities, sport and fun

Open to anyone aged 11 – 16

3 August and 25 August

Start: 9.30 - 4.30

Lunch and refreshements are included

Venue: Dimensions Leisure Centre

 

• Chance to go on to learn new skills such as British Sign Language and mentoring
• Play new sports – goalball, sitting volleyball, new-age kurling and wheelchair basketball
• Chance to volunteer at other events
• Meet new people, including top sports men
• and women

 

• Certificate for everyone who attends;
• Full day of fun, activities and sport;
• Disability awareness through sport;
• Chance to learn about and play some sports that will be included in the 2012 London Paralympic Games;
• Opportunities to develop further skills.

Goalball – a sport originally developed for blind athletes. Played in teams of 3,

where all players wear a blindfold and play using a ball with bells inside.

 

Sitting volleyball – not as relaxing as it sounds! A very active sport which

disabled and non-disabled people of all ages can play

 

New-age kurling – similar to the winter sport of curling, but new-age kurling isn’t

played on ice. It can be played on any level surface, such as sports halls. The

idea is to get as many of your stones closer to the centre of the target than your

opponents.

 

Wheelchair basketball – one of the most famous “disability sports”. The rules are almost the same as standard basketball, except all players use wheelchairs, whether or not they have a disability.

 

Click here to download a registration form

 

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 Codsall Special Needs Support Group launch Summer Programme

 

This year we have received only  basic funding for our activities and this has to be spent during the summer. We are not able to justify the cost of a big trip which would use over half our budget but have chosen multiple smaller sessions which will enable people to get together on a more regular basis.

 

As a group we carry public liability insurance but parents must still  take sole responsibility for their own child(ren).The trips are available to immediate family at the price indicated and if  a child has complex needs requiring additional support  an extra carer can be requested. For some trips it may be possible to take extended family, but they will need to pay the full cost of the activity,  please indicate on your booking form any requests and I will let you know if places are available and the cost.

 

Attached is a summary of what is on offer and a booking form is included. Once you have decided what you want to take part in please complete the yellow booking form and return it to Carol Price by  8^th July please return the form with a signature even if you don’t want to take part in any trips. 

 

Once I have collated all the requests I will allocate places and confirm them in writing with a remittance  form indicating how much is owed to secure your places. This is not refundable.

 

Also should you fail to turn up to events without notification you will be asked to pay for the full cost of your place unless you can arrange with someone else in the group to take over  your place(s).  You must notify Carol Price of any changes. 

 

TO ACCESS  TRIPS YOU MUST BE A MEMBER, PLEASE COMPLETE A MEMBERSHIP FORM AND ENCLOSE THE £5 FEE.    

 

Any queries or problems phone Carol on 01902  842052   or  07776476469

 

Click here to download Memebership Form

Click here to download Trip Description

Click here to download Trip Selection List

Click here to download CSNSG Newsletter page 1

Click here to download CSNSG Newsletter page 2

 

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