www.gbwr.co.uk

The Association are looking for interested parties in the South West to contact them as they would like to expand their sphere of operation into our region. Any interested Clubs or individuals can contact them via their website or contact us admin@disabledsouthwest.co.uk and we will pass on the details to their development officer.

  ACE - Activity Club For Everyone
ACE (Activity Club for Everyone) a pioneering new club putting sport within the reach of people with disabilities and is open to those living in the Stroud District, and beyond. The club is based at various locations around the district including Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Thomas Keble Sports Centre and Rednock Community Rooms.

The club has recruited a dedicated team of volunteers and coaches who deliver a range of mainstream and adapted sports ranging from Football, Badminton, Tennis, and Cricket to Boccia, New Age Kurling and Floor Lacrosse.  The club provides a great opportunity for young people and adults to participate in physical activities while making new friends. ACE is the first of its kind in the county and provides a valuable service to the local community. For more information about the ACE (Activity Club for Everyone) contact Hannah Drew, Community Disability Development Officer (CDDO) via email on: hannah.drew@stroud.gov.uk or phone 07921250092

  Ability Sports Association (ASA) is a registered charity, which provides professionally coached sport and leisure activities for disabled and disadvantaged children and adults in the South West of England.

ASA provides opportunities to develop clubs, festivals, tournaments, summer schools, leagues and cup competitions, catering for a variety of adapted disability sports and leisure activities.

Currently ASA has eight affiliated multi-sports clubs based in Bath, South Bristol, Malmesbury, St Paul's Bristol, Stroud, Swindon and Winterbourne.   www.abilitysports.org.uk

South Gloucestershire Union of Disability Sport

       PATRON  Dame Kelly Holmes MBE

Sportability, a registered charity, provides sport and challenging pursuits for people with paralysis around the UK. People with conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, MS and others, are able to participate in a whole range of sports - scuba diving, sailing, archery, angling, abseiling, quad-biking, gliding, canoeing, clay pigeon shooting, go-karting, wheelchair tennis and many more.

It is not about creating elite sportsmen and women. It is about trying something new and different. It is about the adrenaline rush, putting the buzz back into a life corralled by the wheelchair, taking the 'dis' out of disability and focusing on ability. To inspire the thought, "If I can do this, what else can I achieve?"

The British Paralympic Association (BPA) is a registered charity which is responsible for selecting, preparing, entering, funding and managing Britain' s teams at the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games. The invitation to participate in the Paralympic Games is to the BPA as the National Paralympic Committee for Great Britain.

The Paralympic Games take place once every four years (with a Winter Games two years after each summer edition of the Games) in the same city and year as the Olympic Games. They are an elite multi-sport event for athletes with a disability and are a direct "parallel" to the Olympic Games - hence the name.
 

Parasport is a joint initiative between the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and the professional services firm Deloitte. The project will improve how talented sports people at community level are identified and supported, with the aim of increasing participation levels in competitive sporting events.

The funding will provide individual bursaries to talented and high-potential athletes, through a partnership with SportsAid, and establish a new Disability Sports Institute known as Parasport run by the BPA.

Deloitte announced plans to commit £1.7 million to support and develop disability sports in the UK between now and 2012

Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) is the major provider of sporting opportunities for people with a learning disability and provides equality of opportunity for all our athletes regardless of ability or degree of disability.

Since our formation in Great Britain in 1978 as part of the worldwide movement, which was founded in the USA in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a wonderfully enthusiastic team of experts and volunteers has worked mightily to bring sports training, competition and sheer pleasure to thousands of people with a learning disability in Great Britain.

   BWRA
The British Wheelchair Racing Association was formed in 1989 by athletes who wished to promote wheelchair racing for all in Great Britain. At the present moment we have 116 members from all over the British Isles.
The Association is run by the athletes themselves who give up time to promote the sport in this country. Since the Association formed we have developed a road racing grand prix and our own National Track Championships.
The main part of the Association is the newsletter, which is an integral part in helping us to reach all our members, although we are now developing a website

Launched in 1998 the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is the umbrella organisation for disability sport in England. English Federation of Disability Sport brings together the nine regional Federations and five National Disability Sport Organisations recognised by Sport England:

British Amputees and Les Autres Sports Association
British Blind Sport
WheelPower-British Wheelchair Sport
Mencap Sport
UK Deaf Sport

Our mission is:
"To be the united voice of disability sport seeking to promote inclusion and achieve equality of sporting opportunities for disabled people."

  GRAND NATIONAL ARCHERY SOCIETY

If you are someone thinking of ‘having a go’ at archery, you are likely to have some questions like - Where do I start? With my disability, is it safe to do? Etc. Whatever your query, we will do our best to help you find an answer. Archery has always been in the forefront of integration between able-bodied and disabled participants. We share the same shooting line, tolerate the same weather and compete for the same trophies -  and frequently win them!! We have a paralympic squad to be proud of and to aspire to. The club structure of the GNAS ensures that there will be a level of activity to suit your needs and provide you with enjoyable recreation or challenging competition.

Sitting Volleyball - Sitting volleyball is an adapted game for people with disabilities, it has enjoyed full Paralympic status since 1980, with a Great Britain Team competing at the highest level until 1991.  The game is an excellent vehicle for players returning from injury during rehabilitation.

The game ceased to exist in the UK in 1991, except on a small recreational scale in East Kent. As part of an effort to promote the game in Kent, Kent Sports Development Unit (KSDU) has purchased a purpose made transportable Taraflex floor for Sitting Volleyball, the only one of its type in the UK.

This initiative has been recognised by the British Volleyball Federation as the first step in resurrecting the sport in this Country and ensuring a GB Team competes in the 2012 Paralympics.
 

  Many years ago shooting live pigeons released from boxes, or 'traps' was a fashionable competitive sport, often involving large sums of money.

Then, at the beginning of the last century glass balls were substituted for live birds and these in turn were superseded by 'clay pigeons' - saucer shaped discs of baked ceramic material (often re-cycled mineral waste.)

Today clay pigeon shooting is a popular sport that covers all social classes, many women are enthusiastic competitors and it is one of the few sports in which the disabled can compete on level terms with able-bodied people.

  DISABLED SAILING FORUM
Reinstating the fellowship of ‘Sailability’ within the disabled sailing community
The main purpose of this site is to enable people with disabilities, who would like to sail, to contact clubs, groups and individuals who can make this happen.We have a facility through Yahoogroups.com which makes it easy for people to make contact, exchange views and information and generally feel part of a wider community.

Sailing is one of the sports, pastimes where the limitations of even severe disabilities can be lessened or overcome completely. This is through the use of specially designed or adapted boats and equipment.However disability is not just about wheelchairs.

If you are interested in taking this further for yourself or a friend or relative you can enrol at:

disabledsailingforum-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - a totally free service or follow any of the links on the site.

  The British Tennis Foundation is a registered tennis charity, that works closely with the Lawn Tennis Association. One of BTF's main responsibilities is the development of tennis for disabled people, focusing on wheelchair tennis players, deaf tennis players, and players with learning disabilities.

The national governing body for tennis has a website for disabled people where they can find information on how to take up tennis, eligibility, equipment needed, development camps, competitions and player profiles.

For more information contact:: www.britishtennisfoundation.org.uk

 
British Wheelchair Bowls Association
The aims of the Association are :-

We are here to assist wheelchair users to get the most out of the sport, whether they are just starting out or are experienced bowlers.

Through RYA Sailability, whatever disability, a whole new life can open up.

Whether it is for you or for someone you know, the first time in tiny dinghies, or offshore cruising as part of a round the world racing crew, we’re here to help you get out on the water. It is a chance to learn a new skill, have a great social life and most importantly enjoy freedom.

There are many places where you can try sailing – 200 or so clubs around the UK have a wide range of special facilities and volunteers to help. Many have hoists, launching ramps and specially adapted changing rooms. Some are RYA Training Centres where sail training is offered.

There are also many different types of boat you can try. Use our Where to go sailing guide, by selecting Sailability Centre, and find the facility most suitable for you. Getting out on the water can be a liberating experience. So get involved today.

  RDA is a federation of Member Groups, which are dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities, through the provision of opportunities for riding and/or carriage driving. Groups enable people to improve their health and wellbeing, delivering a real and lasting therapy that not only benefits mobility and co-ordination, but encourages confidence and self worth whilst having fun.

Sports Driving Unlimited  is a brand new charity set up with the aim of bringing the exciting sport of Carriage Driving to anyone with a disability or disadvantage.
We believe this charity is unique in its approach, blending the exhilaration, excitement and adrenalin rush of sports carriage driving with the expertise of developing individual confidence, motivation and achievement.  The result being that people of all ages, who are disadvantaged, have mental or physical disabilities or are terminally ill, gain the personal confidence and skills to succeed with all of life�s challenges.  

Currently there is no organisation that specialises in providing sports driving to disadvantaged or terminally ill individuals. Through active involvement participants will personally benefit from an overwhelming increase in self esteem, confidence, motivation and achievement; all vital in helping them cope with the challenges of everyday life. 

It is widely documented that involvement with ponies has huge therapeutic powers in building relationships/friendships and strong personal bonds with everyone concerned.  These opportunities will enable each participant to be involved in sports driving to any and all levels whether for fun, as a hobby or more seriously in sports driving competitions

  What is Flyability?

Flyability is the Disability Initiative of the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association. The BHPA is the UK governing body of the sport of hang gliding and paragliding.
“Flyability aims to promote and provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the sport of hang gliding, paragliding and other related forms of flight.”
Flyability does not simply take people with disabilities flying, but strives to motivate people with disabilities to become involved in the sport of hang gliding and paragliding and to train as pilots.

Flyability encourages people with disabilities to train at the BHPA registered school of their choice - alongside able-bodied student pilots (where possible).