Herts Sports & Physical Activity Partnership

HERTS DISABILITY SPORT NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2016

Contents 1. New Kid on the Block ......................................................................................................... 1

2. Penathlon ........................................................................................................................... 2

3. Success for Hoddesdon Swimming Club ............................................................................ 2

4. InstructAbility Course ......................................................................................................... 3

5. WheelPower Junior Sports Camp ....................................................................................... 4

6. Anyone can play Cricket ..................................................................................................... 4

7. Taking the Lead .................................................................................................................. 5

8. Tennis Foundation – Disability Tennis Camps .................................................................... 5

9. Coach Education Week ...................................................................................................... 6

1. New Kid on the Block

So here we with January’s edition of the Herts Disability Sport

Newsletter which we aim to distribute monthly during 2016. But

before going any further, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Gobi

Ranganathan and I have Spina bifida. I am a wheelchair user and have

a keen interest in sport. I used to swim at a National Level and am

currently part of the England Para-Badminton Squad. I have

aspirations to get to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

As part of my new role as Digital Marketing Officer for the Herts

Sports Partnership team, I’ve been asked to put together this monthly Disability Newsletter.

Throughout my sporting career I have encountered many obstacles, particularly with

communication and awareness, so I am delighted to be able to help raise awareness about

disability sport and celebrate all the great things that are going on around the county. Whether

you are a reader, parent, athlete, coach or leader, I hope to hear from you. Send me your news,

events, achievements and I will do my best to include them in the next issue.

FAO Gobi: hspmarketing@herts.ac.uk Copy deadline: Third Friday of each month

2. Panathlon Event at Wodson Park

Richard Hale students were trained in different Panathlon

events and put them into practice on November 26th at

Wodson Park. Five schools attended and took part in four

main events - Table Cricket, Polybat, Boccia and Curling. To

add to the fun, field events such as javelin, shot put and long

jump were also held.

A few different races that everyone could take part were also

held - an assisted race, an unassisted race and a wheelchair

race. And at the very end of the day, each team was given a

chance to gain some last minute points.

Staff from all of the schools were delighted with the Sports Leader’s enthusiasm and

encouragement, particularly towards the students who needed additional help and a boost in

confidence.

Overall, the day was a great success with every student leaving with a smile and a medal for their

efforts. Staff from different schools said that this was a great way for the kids to be active and

discover new sports especially designed for then. Another teacher said “The children have really

enjoyed today and would definitely love to come to another one.”

3. Success for Hoddesdon Swimming Club

An impressive 25 records were broken at the National

Para-Swimming Championships 2015 in Manchester,

where over 300 competitors took part. Hoddesdon

Swimming Club’s Grace Harvey and Charlotte (Lottie)

Mills travelled to the International Competition Pool for

the competition which was held over the weekend of

12-13th December, 2015.

Grace Harvey (classification S7, SB6, SM7) who is on the

Hertfordshire Talented Athlete Programme, competed in

seven events bringing home seven gold medals! Grace

broke another British Record for the 50m Backstroke (S7) which was the split time at the turn of

her 100m Backstroke event!

Lottie Mills (Classification S8, SB7, SM8) competed in five events, her best result was in the 100m

Backstroke where she finished in 5th place beating her previous personal best by eleven

seconds.

Congratulations, a great achievement by both swimmers and Hoddesdon SC!

Click here for more information about Disability Swimming at Hoddesdon SC

4. InstructAbility Course

YMCA fit, Aspire and the Herts Disability Sports Hub are looking

for potential applicants for an InstructAbility programme which

will be running this summer. There may be a number of people

who are already embedded within gyms in Hertfordshire that

may be suitable and interested in taking up the course, so

please feel free to pass on this information to those that might

be suitable.

The criteria for the InstuctAbility Course is that the individual is an adult (16+) with a disability

who is interested in training to become a gym instructor. A big commitment is needed but the

benefits for them and for other local people with disabilities could be massive. We just need to

get the right people and find great placements.

Anyone interested in the course is invited to attend our information evening. They will hear first-

hand from two people that have been through the programme and from a placement provider

who will give info regarding potential future employment opportunities etc. This is a great

opportunity to find out more:

InstructAbility Course Information Evening: Wednesday 10th February 2016, 18:00-19:00

The Collingwood Suite, Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 6XE

Click here and select InstructAbility tab for more information

5. WheelPower Junior Sports Camp

WheelPower - British Wheelchair Sport will be hosting the

twentieth Junior Sports Camp at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on

Saturday 27th February 2016. Entry, accommodation and payment

forms can be found at the link below. The Junior Sports Camp is

open to youngsters with a physical impairment, aged 11 - 18 years.

The camp will provide the opportunity to receive coaching in a

number of sports including archery, wheelchair basketball, golf, hand-cycling, shooting and table

tennis.

Sign up to secure your place and make sure that completed forms are returned by Wednesday

17th February 2016.

Click here for more information

6. Anyone can play Cricket

As with so many forms of sport, cricket can be adapted for

people with a range of disabilities to play. Members of the

Hertsmere-based Visually Impaired Club (VIC) have recently

been introduced to cricket. Having first tried the table-top

version, participants are now being introduced to a version of

full size cricket that lets people with various disabilities to enjoy

a form of the game.

On Friday 29th January the VIC is inviting others to come along to try out indoor cricket, as part

of this project which is supported by the English Cricket Board.

The Visually Impaired Club meets at Maxwell Park Community Centre in Borehamwood on Friday

afternoons from 1-30 to 4-00pm.

For further information please contact the chairman of the Club

David Clout: 01923 854403

7. Richard Hale Students Taking the Lead

Taking the Lead was an inspiring event held at Wodson Park

Leisure Centre in Ware on the 21st of January.

The event, organised by Anne-Marie Riddle and Mary Szulilkowski

in partnership with the Youth Sports Trust, was aimed at both

students with special needs and youth sports leaders. The aim was

encourage effective communication and be adaptable in their approach to PE and activities.

Students from Richard Hale School, working towards their Sports Leaders UK level 3 qualification,

designed specially developed activities for the event and for pupils from the attending SEN

Schools. The activities included Sad and Happy Turtles, Hot Potato and Duck Duck Goose, were

all devised by the Sports Leaders to be all-inclusive.

Seven SEN Schools from around Hertfordshire attended bringing 45 students with a range of

Physical and Learning Disabilities. They all had a fantastic time!

8. Tennis Foundation – Disability Tennis Camps

The Tennis Foundation organises subsidised tennis camps for disabled

people around the country. These camps help individuals to learn the

basics of the game within an impairment specific setting. This proves

to be ideal for beginners who have never played tennis before.

The Foundation currently run camps at various locations around country for four impairment

groups; deaf and/or hearing impaired, blind and/or visually impaired, learning disabilities and for

people with a physical impairment.

LTA licenced tennis coaches are on hand to assist throughout the day, where participants can

learn the basics of the game in a fun and social environment, through fun activities. The coaches

can also provide advice on where people can continue playing.

The first camp takes place here in Hertfordshire this weekend.

30 January 2016 - Learning Disability, Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn Garden City.

Click here for further information about the foundation and other camps.

9. Coach Education Week

With Coach Education Week 2016 just a few weeks

away, make sure you don’t miss out! Get booked

onto courses that will help develop your skills.

Places are filling up fast but there are still some

spaces available on a number of courses, including

these disability sport-specific ones highlighted below. Click on the course titles for details about

the course content, day, time and venue, and how to book your place. Please share details of the

courses to others who you think may be interested:

Agility, Balance & Coordination (ABCs) of Sports Wheelchair Movement

Mencap: Including People with Learning Disabilities in Sport

Deaf Awareness Training (Basic Sign Language)

Mental Health Awareness Workshop

Safeguarding Adults at Risk

Automated External Defibrillator Course

If you’d like further information about Coach Education Week and other courses that are

available, take a look at our page on the Herts Sports Partnership Website.

Click here for further information about Coach Education Week!