News & Events Update
The good news is that leisure centres and gyms have reopened this week. It means that Metro Blind Sport members and friends can get back to more activity.
I wanted to highlight that our partners and we have coronavirus safety measures in place with all activities. Gyms, pools, and leisure centres proved they were safe after the first reopening. The sector worked closely with the Government to develop the guidance for reopening. Leisure facilities have followed strict government guidance, ensuring social distancing among staff and customers, proper ventilation throughout, and comprehensive cleaning protocols.
This helped to ensure employees and the public that their gym, leisure centre or fitness class is a safe place to work in and a safe place to work out. There has been a very low prevalence of the virus in leisure facilities. From a Metro Blind Sport perspective, we work with facilities and partners to supplement their safety measures with our arrangements. We must return to activity in a safe and controlled manner.
We are delivering five activities this week. Please find out what is available and please get in contact if you need more details.
Tennis
It is the first week returning to tennis, and we have a good number of members registered to play on both nights. We have a few spaces left on Wednesday and Friday, so please book in using the links below. Newcomers are very much welcome to come along and try tennis.
14 April 2021 6 pm – 8 pm
https://tinyurl.com/BTennis14April
16 April 2021 – 6 pm – 8 pm
https://tinyurl.com/VITennis16April
If you are interested in playing, please contact Charlie charlie.raven@metroblindsport.org 07956 292046.
Bowls
Bowls returns to play this week for the first time since December at Paddington Sports Club. Our first session is on Thursday at 3 pm.
Again, newcomers are very much welcome to come along and try bowls. We look forward to welcoming our regular bowlers back to the green, and please register your attendance with Charlie. If you are interested in playing, please contact Charlie charlie.raven@metroblindsport.org 07956 292046.
Cricket
Another one of our regular sports returned on Tuesday evening. Our cricketers took part in a training session and a net session at Highgate Woods. These sessions will be continuing every Tuesday at 5 pm.
We are always happy to welcome enthusiastic new players, so if you are interested in playing this season or taking part in training sessions, please contact our Sports Lead for cricket, Rory Field rory.field74@gmail.com 07742 323224 or contact Charlie charlie.raven@metroblindsport.org 07956 292046.
Football
The football sessions back at the Score Centre have been at capacity for the last three weeks, so please book early to avoid disappointment.The sessions are a mixture of training and game time, and feedback from those attending has been brilliant.
The sessions for partially sighted players are occurring every Tuesday evening from 6.30 pm until 8.30 pm. Players should not attend if they have not booked in advance. If you are interested in playing, please contact Charlie charlie.raven@metroblindsport.org 07956 292046.
Ride Side-by-Side with Bikeworks and Metro Blind Sport
These sessions have been going from strength to strength, and we have been welcoming new people along to West London every week. If you would like to join a session, then please get in contact with Martin martin.symcox@metroblindsport.org.
We have sessions that will be running every week, and we would love to welcome you along. You can book in for one session or a series of sessions, and the great news is, the sessions are all free! The sessions in April and May will be on the following days:
- Tuesday 20 April
- Wednesday 21 April
- Tuesday 27 April
- Wednesday 28 April
- Tuesday 4 May
- Wednesday 5 May
- Tuesday 11 May
- Wednesday 12 May
- Tuesday 18 May
- Wednesday 19 May
- Tuesday 25 May
- Wednesday 26 May
There will be two time slots available for you to choose from on each of the days. Session 1 is from 9.30 am until 11 am, and session 2 is from 11.30 am until 1 pm.
If you would like to join one of the sessions above, then please get in contact with Martin martin.symcox@metroblindsport.org.
Due to the popularity, Bikeworks are looking to arrange sessions in East London. If there are Metro Blind Sport members living in the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham or Waltham Forest who are interested in riding on the side-by-side cycle, please contact Nikki Ray from Bikeworks Nikki.Ray@bikeworks.org.uk 07833 757954, and she will see if it’s possible to set up a group ride.
Ideally, a group ride around Olympic Park would be a really cool, off-road experience for our members. Individual rides may also be available, so please contact Nikki.
Shape up with Spurs
Sessions continue on Zoom on Wednesday’s at 2 pm. If you wish to register interest or find out more, please contact: Adam Millar 07392091327 Adam.millar@tottenhamhotspur.com
Sense
Sense Active offer a range of inclusive sport and physical activities. They work with experienced instructors and providers who aim to make each session enjoyable, accessible, inclusive and fun. Please contact for booking sense.active@sense.org.uk,
Link to activities: https://tinyurl.com/SenseOnline
Other Sports
Now that the leisure facilities are back open, we will be working hard with our partners to get our other activities back. Keep reading the newsletters and following us on social media for all the latest news about swimming restarting, a new climbing programme and a new multisport club in the coming months.
Volunteers
Metro Blind Sport would not be able to do the things that we deliver without our volunteers’ fantastic support. If you have a family member or friends who would be keen to get involved and volunteer with Metro Blind Sport, please ask them to contact Martin martin.symcox@metroblindsport.org.
Volunteering can come in many forms, from helping people play sports or helping people travel to activities or promote our activities. We welcome all the help we can get, so please encourage friends to get in touch.
News
Sport for Confidence
Sport for Confidence can’t help but have a Spring in their step with restrictions easing and a clearer pathway to full face-to-face delivery back on the cards. For now, they’re still operating a complete programme of Stay Connected Zoom activity sessions. Click the links below to find out more and get involved!
What is stay connected all about? PDF link below.
https://tinyurl.com/StayConnectedBriefing
View the Stay Connected timetable & get involved! PDF link below.
https://tinyurl.com/StayCTimetable
VICTA Access Escape
Get together with five friends, form a team, give yourselves a cool name and enter the world of Access Escape! Their online escape game ‘Witches, Wizards and Wands’ has been designed with vision impairments in mind to make it accessible fun for all.
If you are over 18 years and have a vision impairment, you and your team can take advantage of the 20% discount code provided, especially for VICTA! Email VICTA at activities@victa.org.uk if you would like to book your team in, and they will send you the code.
You can find out more about Access Escape and the games they run here: https://www.accessescape.com/
Polrunny Farm Holiday Cottages
One of our members has set up a holiday cottage business in Cornwall. The farm is ideal for Guide dog users, walkers and cyclists as a base. Click on the links for more details.
https://polrunnyfarm.com/home
https://polrunnyfarm.com/sloe-cottage
Online Yoga
Claire Miller has started her own business delivering online yoga sessions. Claire delivered a series of free sessions for Metro Blind Sport last year and this year, and now she has a website.
Please take the time to find out what Yoga classes Claire has to offer. For example, on Tuesdays at 10.30 am on Zoom. There is an online visually impaired & blind yoga class. www.clairemilleryoga.co.uk
LTA Youth: Instilling confidence on and off the court with launch of new junior programme for tennis
The LTA is paving the way for a new generation to pick up a racket and play. LTA Youth is a unique and innovative junior programme aimed at kids aged 4-18, created to help more children enjoy the benefits of playing and staying in tennis, whatever their age, gender, ability, disability or background.
The programme is a significant step-change for children’s tennis in Britain, providing kids fun, action-packed sessions with a range of activities designed to help them develop life skills, on and off the court. To make it easier for kids who have never played tennis before, there is a dedicated tennis taster course called LTA Youth Start.
LTA Youth: https://tinyurl.com/LTAYouth
LTA Youth Start: https://tinyurl.com/LTAYouthStart
The FA – Football Your Way
The FA are currently creating Football Your Way, a new online hub, and it is in production.
The hub will be dedicated to giving disabled players the guidance, motivation and inspiration they need to stay active and connected whilst preparing players for their journey back to the pitch. The FA have created a short survey to help them ensure the hub meets all players’ needs. The FA would like responses to arrive no later than 10 am Monday 19 April.
The link for the survey is https://tinyurl.com/FAHubSurvey
Girls Football
Are you looking for a fun way for girls 5-11 to get involved with football? Then look no further! Weetabix Wildcats is the place to be; everyone is super awesome, from the friends you’ll meet to The FA qualified coaches and volunteers who deliver the sessions.
So, what is Weetabix Wildcats? Well, it’s non-competitive football for girls who want to give it a go for the very first time or want to play with other girls their age. Find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/FAWildcats
Vacancy: Assistant Producer – In Touch, BBC Audio North
The BBC are currently advertising for an Assistant Producer for their In Touch – Radio 4’s weekly programme.
They are particularly interested in visually impaired candidates or have experience and a deep understanding of the blind and visually impaired community. They are hosting an event to discuss the department and role; for more details, please contact Victoria Caddens victoria.caddens@bbc.co.uk
Thomas Pocklington Trust Student Support Service
Thomas Pocklington Trust knows that the lead up to exams can be a stressful time and never more so than during Covid-19. That is why Thomas Pocklington Trust’s Student Support Service have developed guidance for universities and exam providers to ensure that their online exam systems are accessible for blind and partially sighted students. Link: https://tinyurl.com/GUIDEUni
They are also hosting a webinar with Look UK for students on all things exam related. An impressive panel of students and professionals will be on hand to talk through, check that online exams are accessible, and share top tips on revision strategies. If you’re about to sit exams, then this is not to be missed! https://tinyurl.com/AllThingsExams
John Amaechi Interview
John Amaechi, Vice President at Activity Alliance and a respected organisational psychologist and Founder of APS, spent time with Activity Alliance Marketing and Communications Manager Sarah Brown-Fraser, to discuss the psychological effects of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions.
https://tinyurl.com/AmaechiInterview
Stay safe and best wishes.
Martin and the Metro Blind Sport Team
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