Disability Sport Week offers packed calendar – and chance to get involved with inclusive aims
Date: 19 July 2021
Time: 01:45
Orkney Islands Council’s Sport and Leisure team working in partnership with Scottish Disability Sport are running a Disability Sport Week from 31 July - 6 August, jam packed with games and activities for children with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.
The week’s activities have been made possible by the national ‘Get Into Summer’ campaign, funded by the Scottish Government and Sportscotland and supported by Parent Club, which aims to create opportunities for children and young people impacted by COVID-19 to socialise, play and reconnect this summer.
In addition to the activities being offered during the week there will also be free training opportunities for interested members of the community, including Disability Inclusion Training and a Boccia Leaders Award. Both courses include a virtual session before a face to face practical.
Inclusion and equality are and will continue to be an important focus locally and nationally – and in order that activities for children and young people with additional support needs continue to be offered and developed the week will also see the inaugural public meeting of the Inclusive Orkney group. The purpose of the group is to set up as a charity to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities – from sport and physical activity, to music, arts and crafts. The information evening will take place on Monday 2 August from 18:30 – 19:30 at KGS Sports Centre.
Chair of Inclusive Orkney is Karin Spence - an Additional Support Teacher at Glaitness School. She says the group started when the parent of a child with additional support needs, Karin and another primary teacher, Caroline Heddle, started talking about the need for outside school activities for children with additional support needs: “We met together, got in touch with Scottish Disability Sport, the Picky Centre and the Council’s Active Schools team and other organisations who shared our thinking and they have all been really supportive of our aims. Together we are hoping to create a charity to help create lots of opportunities for children and adults with additional support needs. Davie Campbell from VAO has also been a huge help with the charity application.”
Kirsty Ewen, Regional Manager for Scottish Disability Sport, will be coming to Orkney along with two tutors to assist with the Disability Sport Week activity sessions and the training courses: “We are delighted to be working with Orkney Islands Council to provide and help develop inclusive opportunities for participants with disabilities.
“Evidence has shown that participants with a disability are amongst the most underrepresented groups of participants in sport and physical activity. So it’s an absolute pleasure to work in partnership with Orkney Islands Council to address this imbalance in Orkney and work towards providing even more opportunities.”
“We’re also very pleased to have been involved in the establishment of ‘Inclusive Orkney’ and would welcome anyone with an interest in the provision of more opportunities in sport and physical activity for people with disabilities to come along to the information evening at KGS on 2 August.”
Garry Burton is the Council’s Sport and Leisure Service Manager: “We’re very grateful to Scottish Disability Sport for their advice and help putting together the best possible ‘Get Into Summer’ sessions for young people with additional support needs – our Disability Sport Week provides a wide range of activities to choose from and creates the much needed chance to socialise and challenge themselves safely.
Gwenda Shearer is Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing committee: “I would commend everyone involved in this year’s Disability Sport Week which offers huge potential for driving forward inclusive social and sporting events locally, and offers young people with disabilities a boost this summer after what has inarguably been a very challenging and often isolating year.”
The Disability Sport Week activities can be found in the ‘Get Into Summer’ programme on the Council website at www.orkney.gov.uk/getintosummer. All activities are free but booking is essential. To book, call 01856 873535 or go to www.orkney.gov.uk/slbookings. You can also book by contacting KGS Sports Centre or the Dounby Centre.
The Disability Sport Week events are as follows -
Kayaking - P6 - P7
Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August, 15:00 - 16:00 at The Pickaquoy Centre
Wednesday 4 August, 15:00 - 16:00 at sea (beach to be confirmed)
'Run, Jump, Throw' and Boccia (P1 – S6)
Monday 2 August - S1-S6
Tuesday 3 August - P1 - P7
10:00 - 12:00 at KGS Sports Centre
Gymnastics
Tuesday 3 August - P1 - P7
13:00 - 14:00 or 14:15 - 15:15 at the Orkney Gymnastics Club
Disability Inclusion Training (16+)
Wednesday 21 July 1830 – 2000 (virtual session)
Tuesday 3 August 1800 – 2000 (face to face session at KGS Sports Centre)
Rugby and Curling (P1 - P7)
Wednesday 4 August from 1000 - 1200 at KGS Sports Centre
Swimming (P1 - P7)
Wednesday 4 August from 13:00 - 13:45 or 14:15 - 15:00 at The Pickaquoy Centre
Boccia Leaders Award (16+)
Wednesday 28 July 1830 – 2000 (Virtual session)
Wednesday 4 August 1800 – 2000 (face to face session at KGS Sports Centre)
Football and Boccia (P1 - P7)
Thursday 5 August from 1000 - 1200 at the KGS Sports Centre
Golf (P1 - P7)
Thursday 5 August from 13:00 - 14:00 or 14:15 - 15:15 at the Orkney Golf Club
Rugby (S1 - S6)
Friday 6 August from 10:00 - 11:00 at the KGS Sports Centre
To register for the Inclusive Orkney meeting, contact Joanne Bamford, OIC’s Community Sports Officer, on 01856 873535 ext 2443 or by email.
To find out more about what is involved in the Disability Inclusion Training and a Boccia Leaders Award training, check the following guides:
