Tag Archives: Activity Alliance

Activity Alliance urges prioritising disabled activity!

Activity Alliance urges prioritising disabled activity!

Activity Alliance is urging decision-makers in sport and leisure to prioritise disabled people, as they strive to recover from the pandemic.

The call comes after they released their latest Annual Disability and Activity Survey.

This year’s survey results show how the pandemic is not only widening existing inequalities for disabled people but creating new ones too.

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

  • Disabled people felt that they do not have the opportunity to be as active as they want to, compared to non-disabled people (29% vs 44%).
  • Almost a quarter stated that they had not received enough information about how to be active during the pandemic (23% vs 13%).
  • Respondents said the lack of activity has led to both their physical and mental health being harder to manage. Feelings of loneliness and social isolation were frequently voiced.
  • A fear of contracting the virus, the impact on their health, a lack of space and support to be able to exercise safely at home, have become significant barriers for disabled people.

Annual Disability and Activity Survey

The  Annual Disability and Activity Survey report can be found using this link:
http://www.activityalliance.org.uk/how-we-help/research/annual-survey

 

 

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An inclusive response to COVID-19 in sport and activity

An inclusive response to COVID-19 in sport and activity - 17 Nov 2020

An inclusive response to COVID-19 in sport and activity Online Event!

New speakers confirmed and opportunity to submit your questions

More than 400 people have registered so far, which shows how important this topic is to so many of us across the country.

Bringing together disabled people’s experiences with leaders from the sport and leisure sector, this is an event not to be missed. While sport and leisure continue to go through challenging times, the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people has led to widening inequalities. Join Activity Alliance Chief Executive, Barry Horne, alongside fellow leaders Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England, and Huw Edwards, ukactive, for a live event.

They will explore how we can collectively deliver an inclusive response to COVID-19. Marc Woods, Chair of CIMSPA and former Paralympic swimmer, will host this all-important event.

Booking required

Tuesday 17 November 2020,  10:00 – 11:30am. Event registration page on Eventbrite.

Activity Alliance is the leading national charity working towards fairness for disabled people in sport and activity. This event will address the growing concern that disabled people may become the forgotten audience as the nation’s activity level increases.

Sport and leisure positively change lives. Before the pandemic, there was good progress in closing the unjust gap between disabled and non-disabled people’s activity levels. By the end of 2019, we witnessed the highest number recorded for disabled people’s activity levels in Sport England’s Active Lives Adult survey. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic presents a huge challenge for disabled people and the sporting world.

At this event, our speakers will talk about the need for innovative and accessible responses at all levels of sport and leisure. Influential leaders’ perspectives will combine with disabled people’s real lived experiences and their hopes for the future.

This event is ideal for:

Local and national policy and decision makers in sport, leisure, health, and education

Professionals working with disabled people

Cost: Free of charge

This event will provide British Sign Language interpretation and captions.

For any additional information please email Jannine Walker, National Events Manager at events@activityalliance.org.uk or call 0161 200 5445

Booking Below

Tuesday 17 November 2020,  10:00 – 11:30am. Event registration page on Eventbrite.

Speaker latest

We are delighted to inform you that Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has added her voice to this all-important event. Her crucial views will be shown on the day in a specially recorded interview.

Also, we are excited that TV’s The Last Leg presenter, Alex Brooker will be joining us to talk through his experiences this year.

Submit your question for consideration

We want to gather the type of issues you are interested in knowing more on. So, we are encouraging attendees to submit questions for our sport sector leaders ahead of the event.

These questions are for Barry Horne – Activity Alliance’s CEO, Tim Hollingsworth – Sport England’s CEO and Huw Edwards – ukactive’s CEO.

Due to the tight event schedule and time limitations, we cannot promise your question will be asked. But we will collate the range of topics and provide further information where possible after the event.

You can submit your questions for consideration using our online Slido form. Deadline for submitting your questions is Sunday 8 November 2020.

If you have further queries, please email Jannine Walker on events@activityalliance.org.uk or call 0161 200 5445.

 

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WDBS: Disability Billiards And Snooker!

World Disability Billiards And Snooker (WDBS)

World Disability Billiards And Snooker (WDBS)

WDBS is a body created in 2015 to give more people with disabilities the opportunity to play cue sports.

WDBS Website: https://www.wdbs.info/

The WDBS has been set up under the auspices of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), with guidance from Activity Alliance.

Since its formation the WDBS has successfully staged several snooker events for people with disabilities, including both open days and competitive tournaments.

Events are open to people with a range of physical, learning and sensory disabilities as set out within our classification system.

YouTube video below on World Disability Billiards And Snooker (WDBS)

 

Derby Open 2020 – Cancellation Notice

  • We can today announce that unfortunately, the upcoming Derby Open scheduled to run from 15-17 May 2020 will not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.All players who have currently entered the event will receive a full refund of their entry fees shortly.
Metro Blind Sport advises checking the latest government Coronavirus advice: link here also to phone or email the event contact in advance, if you intend to attend any event to check for an events cancellation and/or possible rescheduling Information.

WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer
“Snooker and Billiards are among the few sports which can be played by anyone, regardless of age and gender, and the WDBS will give more chances to people with disabilities to meet up and play competitively. I would like to thank Activity Alliance (formerly EFDS) for their specialist advice as creating the correct framework at this early stage is vital to our international success.

The WPBSA’s Nigel Mawer is chairman of the body, with vice chairman Simon Berrisford, WPBSA World Snooker coach Bob Hill and tournament director Clive Brown also on the board.

“We aim to work with the international, regional and national governing body structure and in the longer term we would like to expand this out to community programmes. We would like to hear from any organisation or body that is willing to contribute to our sport’s growth in this area.”

World Snooker Federation

In 2017 World Disability Billiards and Snooker joined the new World Snooker Federation, the new International Federation for snooker which aims to bring together amateur and professional snooker worldwide.

Together both bodies will work to provide new opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in competitive, international tournaments for all.

VI Winners Crowned at Belgian Open

Another two-time winner was to be crowned in the Group 7 tournament for players with visual disabilities after Ireland’s Dylan Rees added the Belgian Open title to his victory at the Hull Open last November with a 3-0 success against Mike Gillespie.

The pair progressed to the final following a dramatic group stage which saw a play-off required to separate the top three players including Welshman Ronnie Allen, who each had finished with an identical record.

The final however would prove to be more one-sided as Rees, who had impressed during the group stage with an impressive break of 87 – the second-highest ever to have been recorded during a WDBS match – ran out a 3-0 winner to maintain his 100% record on the circuit so far.

 

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WDBS: Disability Billiards And Snooker!

World Disability Billiards And Snooker (WDBS)

World Disability Billiards And Snooker (WDBS)

WDBS is a body created in 2015 to give more people with disabilities the opportunity to play cue sports.

WDBS Website: https://www.wdbs.info/

The WDBS has been set up under the auspices of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), with guidance from Activity Alliance.

Since its formation the WDBS has successfully staged several snooker events for people with disabilities, including both open days and competitive tournaments.

Events are open to people with a range of physical, learning and sensory disabilities as set out within our classification system.

YouTube video below on World Disability Billiards And Snooker (WDBS)

 

 

WDBS Derby Open 2020 – Entry Open

Entries are now being accepted for the Derby Open which will return to the Cueball Derby for a fourth time from 15-17 May 2020.

One of our most long-standing events, the Derby Open will once begin with a Friday Open Day for people with all disabilities to come and try snooker under the guidance of WPBSA World Snooker coaches including lead coach Steve Rutter. There will also be a buffet provided early in the afternoon and opportunities to meet the WDBS team and ask any questions about the competition.

The weekend itself will then see competitive tournaments staged for deaf and visually impaired players (WDBS Classification Groups 7-8) from Saturday morning, with a Challenge Cup to be staged on Sunday for players who do not qualify for the knockout rounds.

In 2019 the event witnessed our biggest ever deaf entry with 27 Group 8 players taking part, joined also by a bumper 14 entries to the Group 7 competition.

WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer
“Snooker and Billiards are among the few sports which can be played by anyone, regardless of age and gender, and the WDBS will give more chances to people with disabilities to meet up and play competitively. I would like to thank Activity Alliance (formerly EFDS) for their specialist advice as creating the correct framework at this early stage is vital to our international success.

The WPBSA’s Nigel Mawer is chairman of the body, with vice chairman Simon Berrisford, WPBSA World Snooker coach Bob Hill and tournament director Clive Brown also on the board.

“We aim to work with the international, regional and national governing body structure and in the longer term we would like to expand this out to community programmes. We would like to hear from any organisation or body that is willing to contribute to our sport’s growth in this area.”

 

World Snooker Federation

In 2017 World Disability Billiards and Snooker joined the new World Snooker Federation, the new International Federation for snooker which aims to bring together amateur and professional snooker worldwide.

Together both bodies will work to provide new opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in competitive, international tournaments for all.

 

VI Winners Crowned at Belgian Open

Another two-time winner was to be crowned in the Group 7 tournament for players with visual disabilities after Ireland’s Dylan Rees added the Belgian Open title to his victory at the Hull Open last November with a 3-0 success against Mike Gillespie.

The pair progressed to the final following a dramatic group stage which saw a play-off required to separate the top three players including Welshman Ronnie Allen, who each had finished with an identical record.

The final however would prove to be more one-sided as Rees, who had impressed during the group stage with an impressive break of 87 – the second-highest ever to have been recorded during a WDBS match – ran out a 3-0 winner to maintain his 100% record on the circuit so far.

 

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#WhoSays End Negative Perceptions

#WHOSAYS End Negative Perceptions! - Activity Alliance

##WhoSays Campaign Challenges Negative Perceptions

Original article by connectsport

The ‘who says?’ campaign from Activity Alliance will challenge widely held misconceptions and seek to replace them with positive evidence. The six short films bellow highlight the findings from the research.

 1. It’s not a real sport if you have to adapt it.

 

 2. Disabled people aren’t competitive.

 

3. Watch what you say around disabled people.

 

 4. Disabled people don’t want to join in.

 

 5. Disabled people might get hurt.

 

6. Everyone can’t take part together.

 

Activity Alliance says disabled people are twice as likely to be physically inactive as non-disabled people. The main barriers are psychological, logistical and physical, with psychological being the most influential – including disabled people’s personal impression of sport and non-disabled people’s attitudes about disabled people playing sport.

 

To find out more, visit the Activity Alliance page on the ConnectSport directory.

 

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