Duo focused on securing another gold medal ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games
Despite the World Championships not being too far away, the duo who have won 12 of their last 13 races, are looking to ensure they keep up their impressive form on the streets of Paris. Ellis said: “You’re not looking too far ahead. I know the World Championships is close, but you still want to do your best performance here and learn as much as you can. “Looking too far ahead and thinking we’ve got the worlds to prepare for so this doesn’t matter, is the wrong attitude to have. We’re definitely focusing on this, and we’ve put in a good block of work for it.” That attitude is matched by Pollard. He explained: “Looking too far ahead you lose focus on what is coming up and before you know it half the season is gone, and you haven’t quite got the results you want. “So, I think our approach, taking it race by race, gives us the best opportunity to get the best results.” The race offers the duo, who compete in the PTVI category, the opportunity to experience the same course they will go for gold on at next summer’s Paralympic Games and is providing plenty of new challenges. Ellis said: “It’s quite a different event, with swimming in a river, which we don’t normally do and racing on the cobbles, so to have the opportunity to see how it goes and what we need to change and adapt is really positive for next year to make sure we’re prepared for that.” The duo have been at a training camp in France ahead of the racing with of the British paratriathlon team. The pair have found the opportunity a positive one as part of the group that includes fellow PTVI athlete and guide Oscar Kelly and Charlie Harding, and bronze medallist from Tokyo Claire Cashmore. Pollard explained: “I think with it being a newer squad, it’s nice to share what we’ve learnt and hear the experiences they’ve had. It’s nice to share different stuff.” Ellis added: “Having a positive environment always helps. It’s been good. Just getting over to France and getting some decent training in is positive. “The group all together is quite nice, to have different people to train with and spend a bit of time with.” Ellis and Pollard will race on Saturday 19 July in the PTVI category. They get underway at 7:05 and you can watch their race on Triathlon Live. You can view the full start list for the men’s PTVI race here. Photo credit: Jessica Barratt
Edinburgh disability charity to hold summer holiday camp with help from local school
Edinburgh-based charity SuperTroop, which provides residential breaks for children with learning disabilities, will hold a summer holiday camp on the grounds of Fettes College thanks to the school’s generosity. The event is a community effort, with students, teaching staff and the operational team involved throughout the week, meaning Fettes is much more than just a host for the holiday camp. Around two dozen students will give up the first week of their summer break to volunteer with the holidaymakers and help give them support and friendship. Fettes teaching staff also volunteer to organise and support the holiday, with some taking the lead in activities throughout the week. In just 24 hours, Dalmeny House – a boarding house on the Fettes campus – is transformed into the perfect accessible location for attendees to SuperTroop’s week-long camp. Dalmeny House is a modern, accessible building with dorm bedrooms, shared bathrooms and lots of relaxation space. 16 children and young people with learning disabilities take part in the holiday week, receiving 24/7 one-to-one support. Many of the participants have never had a night away from home before. Student Louisa said: “The relationship between SuperTroop and Fettes has not only provided incredible holidays but also a transformative learning experience for us as Fettesians. We all hold SuperTroop dear to our hearts and hope that future Fettesians can continue to support this beautiful charity in the future.” The holidaymakers stay on campus, sleep in dorm rooms with their peers and 1:1 helpers, and eat meals as a group in the dining hall. Fettes provides a high-quality and accessible residence, catering for the week, and facilities such as outdoor spaces, swimming pool and sports hall. Sue Fletcher-Watson, Founder of SuperTroop said: “We are thrilled with the efforts from the students and staff at Fettes College towards SuperTroop’s residential break. Their generosity will make sure that this residential break is truly special for all involved and make for some very happy campers. “SuperTroop’s goal is to provide extraordinary holidays, creating an environment in which holiday makers feel surrounded by friends. The support we have from Fettes, as fundraisers, hosts and volunteers, is vital to provide the best experience possible.” Mr Rhys Rowlands, Director of Service at Fettes College said: “The work that SuperTroop do to bring a fun break to these young people is truly remarkable. Fettes is proud to be able to support this charity in any way we can and help provide a fun summer for everyone taking part.” £10,000 raised from a log-carrying challenge will allow SuperTroop to provide travel, admission to places such as Edinburgh Zoo, fun activities and art supplies for 16 young people. In March, every Fettes College student took a turn carrying a 100kg metal log up and down the school’s drive for 24 hours, taking it in 15-minute shifts. To find out how you can join the troop or lend your support, go to supertroop.org/ Images: Young people with learning disabilities are helped by Fettes student volunteers to decorate cakes on their SuperTroop holiday Images taken by Chris Watt Photography.
Stairlifts for disabled children
As Stairlift Experts, we hear from people every day looking for a solution to assist them in climbing stairs, something we all take for granted. Whilst it’s true that most of us may not need a stairlift until later in life, there are many people who, unfortunately, will. From post-op recovery and stroke victims to those with bariatric conditions, chronic breathing issues and a whole host of other debilitating mobility problems. Stairlifts are not new technology, they’ve been around for decades and for most adults they’re a great solution. But what if you have a child with a disability? Will a regular stairlift be a viable solution? Perhaps. Assuming they’re tall enough for their feet to reach the footplate, big enough for the lap belt to secure them adequately, and able-bodied enough to sit upright, unaided, for the duration of the stairlift’s journey. For most young disabled children, this isn’t the case. Thankfully, there is a solution. Stairlift manufacturers have partnered with a world-leading developer of innovative assistive devices and patient-handling equipment to produce a specialist stairlift complete with a seat designed to hold the child securely and change shape as the child develops. It’s highly configurable and provides tailored support to fit individual needs. It can be adjusted in seat width and depth, and back width and height to ensure a tailored fit with a high level of comfort. Of course, there are other solutions such as a through-floor-lift (TFL) which is the most convenient solution if your child is a wheelchair/powerchair user but this comes at a huge cost and assumes your home has the space to install a vertical TFL. It is crucial to recognise that every child’s needs are unique and comprehensive assessments and consultations with healthcare professionals or occupational therapists are highly recommended when making modifications to the home. By working together, caregivers, families, and professionals can ensure that the home environment becomes a supportive and nurturing space where disabled children can thrive, explore, and grow with confidence. If you are a parent of a disabled child looking for a safe and comfortable solution to assist with stairs or considering a stairlift for yourself or your loved one, get in touch today, we are here to help. We provide impartial advice and can arrange free home surveys to obtain highly competitive quotes. Images courtesy of Stairlift Experts
2023 FA Disability Cup Finals
The FA Disability Cup in association with EE, returns for the seventh edition of the tournament, over 24th and 25th June at St. George’s Park. The finals, which are the largest competition of its kind, ensure players within impairment-specific football have a national FA competition to call their own with a total of six disciplines competing: Partially Sighted, Amputee, Blind, Cerebral Palsy, Powerchair and Deaf. Fans attended the finals and cheer the players on from St. George’s Park and also had the opportunity to visit the Experience Area, where there will be equipment and adaptions to simulate some of the formats of disability football showcased throughout the finals weekend. The Experience Area encourages attendees, and more specifically disabled individuals, to engage and participate in football. The taster sessions are linked to Football Your Way, a ground-breaking plan for Disability Football. Part of the three-year plan aims to grow participation, increase the number and quality of coaches, develop an inclusive and diverse talent pathway, build support for elite players, and raise the profile of disability football at every level. 2023 FA DISABILITY CUP FINAL RESULTS: Partially Sighted Cup Final: Merseyside Blind & V.I FC 1 – 2 Scorpions FC Amputee Cup Final: Everton 4 – 2 Portsmouth Blind Cup Final: Brighton & Hove Albion 1 -0 The Royal National College for the Blind Cerebral Palsy Cup Final: North East and Yorkshire CP 4-0 Norwich City CSF Powerchair Cup Final: Aspire 2-0 Newcastle United Foundation Deaf Cup Final: Farsley Celtic 0-3 St. John’s Full Match Reports can be found from each day: Saturday, 24th & Sunday, 25th All matches were streamed live on BT Sport over the weekend, with highlights being shown on Channel4 and available on 4oD. SATURDAY, 24TH JUNE: DAY ONE REPORT Partially Sighted Cup Final Merseyside Blind & V.I FC 1-2 Scorpions FC It was Scorpions Futsal Club who lifted the first trophy of the FA Disability Cup weekend after an enthralling 2-1 win over Merseyside Blind & V.I FC. Scorpions took the lead after five minutes when an impressive set-piece move and through ball from England international Adam Lione allowed Daniel Angus to score with an exquisite back-hell flick. Captain Tom Lamb, who has been capped more than 40 times by England, said: “It is unbelievable. It is what you have worked for. “Having opportunities like this as a disabled athlete, it is unbelievable. To get this opportunity on this stage, in front of the BT Sport cameras and all the other promotion that comes with it, it is unbelievable for our game and the other disability games.” EE Player of the Match: Tom Lamb Amputee Cup Final Everton 4 – 2 Portsmouth Everton edged a thrilling Amputee Cup Final 4-2 at St. George’s Park’s 3G pitch after a frantic second half. Everton took the lead on 23 minutes with a moment of magic, as Rhyce Ramsden flicked the ball over the defender’s head, Liam Burbridge back-heeled the ball back into his path and Ramsden applied the finish. Portsmouth reduced the deficit moments later when TJ Yates scored following a smart turn but Everton went straight down the other end and made it 3-1 through Dave Tweed. Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Tweed said: “It has been a big week, especially for the England Amputee lads who came back from the Nations League as champions. That winning mentality has come through in today’s performance.” He continued: “We know Pompey and their quality. We came in really relaxed and we have been building towards a performance like this for 18 months now, it hasn’t been a turn-up and take each game as it comes – we deliberately have been playing to create an ethos and a style of play and it is really working.” EE Player of the Match: Rhyce Ramsden Blind Cup Final Brighton & Hove Albion 1 -0 The Royal National College for the Blind Brighton & Hove Albion ensured there would be a new name on the trophy as they beat Royal National College for the Blind 1-0 at St. George’s Park. It was a first half which was largely dominated by two players: Brighton’s Hamad Ebrahim and RNC’s Rainbow Mbunagi. Ebrahim said: “I am happy with my goal. For the defence, it is difficult to secure a victory when you only have one goal, so I am really happy we won. “This is the first time I have attended the FA Disability Cup and the opposition was difficult, so it was tough to score. EE Player of the Match: Hamad Ebrahim All the action from day one can be seen here. SUNDAY, 25TH JUNE: DAY TWO REPORT After an action-packed first day, Sunday saw the return of the 2023 FA Disability Cup with another three finals at St. George Park. Cerebral Palsy Cup Final North East and Yorkshire CP 4-0 Norwich City CSF North East and Yorkshire CP made it three consecutive FA Disability Cup titles with an impressive 4-0 win over league champions Norwich City. Captain Dan Dalby said: “When we were younger, there was nothing like this to push us into CP football. “I hope there will be a lot of young lads watching today who will see this and aim to push themselves through the pathway. “We have North East & Yorkshire level but then you have the England level and you can get paid for playing cerebral palsy football now.” EE Player of the Match: Jack Fox Hockney Powerchair Cup Final Aspire 2-0 Newcastle United Foundation An emotional Jon Bolding dedicated Aspire’s fourth FA Disability Cup title to his deceased father John Snr after he scored both goals during the 2-0 victory over Newcastle United. Newcastle defended resolutely for the opening half an hour as Aspire struggled to find a way through some impressive defending. Bolding, who was wearing a vest with a picture of his father on it, said: “I lost my dad last year and he followed me everywhere, so this is for him and the whole season was for him. “Also the
The social care system is on its knees – a new vision that puts disabled people at its heart is a watershed moment
Richard Kramer, Chief Executive of Sense, said: “For generations, the social care system has been treated as the Cinderella service to the NHS. Barely a week passes without a media headline or report on the crisis in social care, and despite years of empty promises of reform, it’s a crying shame that we still have a social care system that is on its knees – underfunded, understaffed and underresourced. Proposals by the Fabian Society to deliver a new social care service could be a watershed moment for millions, and finally see a shift in how social care is funded, akin to the NHS. “Disabled households up and down the country rely on social care support to get by, with disabled adults of working age making up a third of adult social care users. But for far too long disabled people have been forgotten and left out of the conversation about the care they receive. That’s why it’s so heartening to see the new proposals recognise the struggles that disabled families face, and emphasise how crucial it is that the needs of disabled people are met and that disabled people have a say on all aspects of their social care.” Image courtesy of Adobe Stock
Food price hikes ‘yet another blow’ for disabled people who need to fork out on specialist food
Richard Kramer, Chief Executive at Sense, said: “Further food price hikes are yet another blow to disabled households, who may need specialist food and are already struggling to make ends meet after being hit by a barrage of untenable extra costs in recent years. “Disabled people are particularly impacted by spiralling costs, as many need to spend more on specialist food and are dependent on energy-intensive equipment such as feeding machines. Increased costs have already pushed almost three-quarters of disabled households into debt, and with food prices only rising there is no end in sight. “More than half of disabled families that we supported with our cost of living fund told us they needed this money to pay for food. No-one should be struggling to put food on the table, but that is the grim reality for disabled families up and down the country. It is a total injustice. “Before the cost of living crisis hit, seven in ten people with complex disabilities had less than £1,500 in savings to weather the storm. Now the crisis is worsening, debts are rising and the government isn’t doing enough to help. We are urging the government to recognise the full impact of rising costs on disabled people and bring in a long-term plan of targeted support which addresses the additional expenses disabled people face.” Image courtesy of Adobe Stock Photos
Chi Onwurah MP presents Motability Scheme keys to constituents in Newcastle
Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne Central, has presented the keys for Motability Scheme cars to local constituents Mollie Burns and Carl Fice. The handovers took place at the Lookers Volkswagen Newcastle dealership, Scotswood Road, on Friday 12 May. Mollie Burns, 23, from Newcastle upon Tyne, is a qualified counsellor with an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Psychology. She is currently studying for a BSC at the Open University. Mollie has cerebral palsy and started using the Motability Scheme in August 2019. Her latest car, a Volkswagen T-Cross, is fitted with a boot hoist and a twin flip folding accelerator. Mollie said the adaptations have increased her sense of independence and she’s able to drive others including her relatives, both young and old; “It’s a great thing to do for myself but also to help the people I love. When I’m in the car, no one else on the road knows I’m disabled so I’m just the same as everybody else. It’s a good feeling to have.” Carl Fice, 47, is also from Newcastle and works as a Skills Facilitator at the Education Development Trust. Carl became a paraplegic 25 years ago, following a car accident in Germany, where he was serving in the Army. He has been a Motability customer since 2008. Carl drives a Volkswagen Tiguan, which enables him to enjoy trips to the beach with his children. He said his Motability car means “I can take the kids out and do things on my own. I chose the car because I can put the wheelchair in the back without folding it, plus the kids and the dog. Having the car means I’m able to do my job. I can drive anywhere to meet new businesses.” The Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Chi Onwurah, said: “I am delighted to present Mollie and Carl with their new Motability Scheme vehicles in my constituency. There are around 830 people in Newcastle Upon Tyne Central who use the Motability Scheme to lease a car, powered wheelchair or scooter to retain their mobility and independence. I am so pleased to have been able to meet Mollie and Carl again today and to see how invaluable the Scheme is to them and their families.” Barry Le Grys, CEO of Motability, commented: “We are delighted to organise the first MP constituency handovers since the COVID-19 pandemic here in Newcastle. We would like to thank Chi Onwurah for supporting the Motability Scheme, and Mollie and Carl for coming today to highlight what a difference having access to transport can make to disabled people. Over five million cars have been leased by disabled people since the Scheme began 45 years ago and we look forward to supporting many more in the future.” Photography by: Paul Starr
Tri something new as Jorvik Tricycles sets up for a limited time at The Eyot Centre, Henley-on-Thames
Date: Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd June Location: The Eyot Centre, Riverside, Wargrave Road, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 3JD Enjoy the brilliant sunshine and explore a new hobby at the Try-Cycle Experience this June with Jorvik Tricycles. The event will run from 1pm to 4pm on Friday 2nd June, and all day from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 3rd June. One lucky visitor will also win a Jorvik tricycle for themselves! Discover an alternative way to travel and enjoy the freedom of three wheels in the beautiful surroundings of The Eyot Centre, near historic Henley Bridge. Visitors to the Try-Cycle Experience will have the exclusive opportunity to test different models and see what makes a Jorvik tricycle different. There will be an outdoor track set up so visitors can experience the exhilaration of riding a tricycle for themselves, as well as the chance to speak to experts from the Jorvik Tricycles team about the products and features, and a limited number of products will be available to purchase on the day. Accessible, easy to use; Jorvik Tricycles was created by founder James Walker after he struggled to find a solution to aid his father’s love of cycling whilst living with Parkinson’s disease. Adult tricycles have been a growing trend in recent years alongside e-bikes, which have seen sales triple over the last five years, showing the British public are enjoying getting a battery boost up the country’s hills. This popularity surged during the pandemic and fans cite a more balanced and stable ride, particularly when carrying shopping, as the largest reason for the switch. Tricycles also empower users with age or accessible needs to enjoy bike trails and the great outdoors. James said: “We’re really excited to showcase our tricycles. There really is nothing better than getting to try the tricycles out for yourself and that’s what these events are all about. There’s no obligation to purchase, it’s just a chance to come along, try a tricycle for yourself and enjoy being out and about. “We can’t wait to see everyone and help them try out a new way of getting around.” The second installment in a series of national events, the Try-Cycle Experience encourages visitors to saddle up and pick from eight models to test ride, using an indoor track or exploring the beautiful surrounds of the Eyot Centre, easily accessible by car with ample parking available, or by public transport. To find out more and book your place at the Try-Cycle Experience please click here. Images courtesy of Jorvik Tricycles
Hearing impaired opera singer performs for children to inspire love of classical music
Charlotte Hoather has been performing at a collection of 13 schools across Cheshire and London. To encourage creative and intuitive thinking, Charlotte Hoather has been sponsored to share her love for opera with children across the hearing spectrum. Charlotte’s drive to encourage and inspire the deaf and hard of hearing stems from her own personal experience of being diagnosed at birth as profoundly deaf in one ear. She has documented her extensive career and loss of hearing through a personal blog that has inspirited readers across the country. The award-winning soprano-turned-freelancer has dreamt of making her music accessible to children from all walks of life, including those that are deaf or experience hard of hearing. Singing to over 1,000 school children, she has performed her rendition of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. After creating the opera, writing the libretto and working closely with Nino Russell, her husband and renowned music composer, she has cleverly reimagined this show as ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’. Charlotte, born in Winsford, Cheshire, established her passion for performing arts from the tender age of three. What initially began as a hobby in dance, she grew her skillset when she began singing and acting at age six in Northwich. She then went on to graduate with a First Class Music Degree from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and The Royal College of Music Master of Music. Closely working with other like-minded talents, she has produced a heart-warming and captivating album which she is showcasing to local schools with the desire to encourage, inspire and educate children through the beauty and universal power of music. Claire Mera-Nelson, the Director of Music and London at the Arts Council of England, said: “Every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy high-quality musical experiences, and we know this can boost their confidence, support their learning, and encourage self-expression. “Thanks to the money raised by National Lottery players, we’re excited to be supporting the award-winning soprano Charlotte Hoather and her immersive opera project for children. Charlotte will bring a narrative inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland to life through music, physical theatre, British Sign Language and more – all to make sure that more children, including those who are Deaf or across the hearing spectrum, can experience the joys of opera and let their creativity roam without limits.”