Ben Moore, aged 13 and prosthetist Clare Johnson

Children across England have begun to receive new running and swimming blades from the NHS, in a move by the government to help a future generation of young people get active and even become the next Paralympians.

The introduction of children’s sports prostheses on the NHS follows the creation of a £1.5 million fund by the Department of Health to help children run, swim and play sport using specialised sports prostheses.

The move was announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt during last summer’s Paralympic Games in Rio with the first children now benefitting from the new prostheses.

The money has been split between funding going to NHS limb centres to fund requests for prostheses and investment in a Child Prostheses Research Collaboration, bringing the latest technology into the NHS. It will also enable more children to benefit from sports prostheses that are tailored to their needs and the sports they want to play.

 Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

“Every child should be able to participate in sport.

“Team GB surpassed everyone’s expectations at last year’s Paralympics and this investment will ensure the next generation of children who have either been born without a limb or who have lost a limb will be able to lead an active life.

“It’s wonderful that the first children are now receiving their blades and that they will be able to reach their sporting potential – I hope some may even be selected in the future as members of Team GB.”

Sports prostheses given out. include a running blade for a 13 year old boy in Brighton, and a water limb that will allow a child from Cumbria to go to the beach or pool and swim with friends.

Ben, 13, has just been fitted for his new running blade at the Sussex Rehabilitation Centre at Brighton General Hospital and has enjoyed using his new running blade to play football and run. He has now set his sights on the Paralympics.

Ben’s mother Kate Moore said:

“We’re really pleased Ben has been fitted with a new running blade. After watching the success of Team GB last year, this blade means Ben can develop his interest in sport and could become part of the next generation of Team GB. We hope more children and young people like Benjamin will be able to benefit too.”

The fund was made available after a campaign to highlight the issue by Sarah Hope, whose daughter Pollyanna lost her right leg below the knee when a bus hit her on a pavement in South London at the age of just two.

Sarah Hope, mother of child amputee aged 11 Pollyanna Hope, and founder of Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope, said:

“The running blade is vital for children like Pollyanna to try and make her life easier. For Pollyanna it’s more of an activity blade, giving her the opportunity to dance and play with her friends. Because ultimately people need to remember that amputees are missing a part of their body and nothing can ever replace what should be there.”

Kiera Roche, Chief Executive of LimbPower, the National Disability Sports Organisation for people with limb impairments, said:

“The children’s prosthetic fund has been welcomed by the amputee community as a really positive step in supporting children to be more confident and socially engaged, providing them with the equipment to participate and immerse themselves fully in school P.E. and community activities”. 

Richard Whitehead MBE, double leg amputee and double Paralympic champion in T42 200m, said:

“Having run thousands of miles on prosthetics myself I’m delighted to see the next generation take their first steps in experiencing the freedom of running  whether just for general enjoyment or towards achieving their own Paralympic ambitions.”

ParalympicsGB athlete, Ellie Simmonds with children at Chiswick School, West London at the launch of the “Sainsbury’s Active Kids For All” initiative
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed Leicester

In the same week as the International Day for Disabled People, on 29 November, Ministers, MPs and senior sporting figures joined a celebration event held at the House of Lords. The event was organised by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and hosted by the Chair of the Youth Sport Trust, Baroness Sue Campbell. The reception recognised the success of the Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive PE training over the past four years.

Paralympic champion swimmer, Ellie Simmonds OBE, was amongst the 60 guests who celebrated the superb impact the Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive PE training programme has had on thousands of young disabled people across the country.

Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All launched in 2012 and initially focussed on the development and delivery of inclusive PE training for teachers in mainstream schools across the UK. The initiative provides free training to teachers, trainee teachers and school staff to improve the quality of PE provision for young disabled people.

An Ambassador for Sainsbury’s, Ellie gave credit to their role, the delivery partners and tutors involved:

“I’ve been fortunate to be involved with Sainsbury’s Active Kids for many years now and it’s been fantastic to see initiatives like this ensuring all children have the opportunity to be active. There has never been a better time to engage young people in inclusive sport and I would urge all schools to get involved with the Active Kids for All programme. Inclusion in school is a vital first step on what can be an exciting journey for young people and which could eventually lead to a gold medal.”

Sainsbury’s began funding the programme in 2012 as part of their Paralympic legacy to provide free training until March 2016. Then, in March 2016, Sainsbury’s awarded the initiative funding for a further year. All present at the celebration event remarked how vital inclusive PE is to ensure all young people enjoy equal access to high quality PE and school sport.

Sarah Warby, Marketing Director for Sainsbury’s, commented:

“It’s great to see the impact this initiative has had on teachers’ ability to teach inclusive PE lessons. We’re incredibly proud of the Active Kids for All Inclusive PE Training Programme, which has proved a really effective way to continue the momentum of the success in 2012 in raising awareness of disabled sport among young people. We know high quality PE is essential to inspire young people to lead full and active lifestyles and we’re privileged to have worked with Home Country Disability Sport Organisations, British Paralympic Association and Youth Sport Trust in delivering this successful programme.”

Children play sport at Chiswick School, West London at the launch of the “Sainsbury’s Active Kids For All” initiative. Credit: Action Images / Jed Leicester

EFDS coordinates the Inclusive PE training programme, which is delivered in partnership with the Home Country Disability Sports Organisations and the Youth Sport Trust in England. It is also supported by the British Paralympic Association.

Since the training began, tutors have delivered more than 575 workshops across the UK. Over 8,500 teachers, trainee teachers and school staff have attended one of the free workshops. It is estimated that 200,000 young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have benefitted. External evaluation shows a significant and sustained impact on participants’ confidence and competence in delivering inclusive PE.

Baroness Sue Campbell, who opened the event for the Youth Sport Trust, said:

“The inclusive training initiative has been a huge success thanks to investment from Sainsbury’s. We are incredibly proud to have been part of developing teachers’ skills and knowledge of how to include disabled students in PE lessons. Disability participation in sport is a big issue and too many young disabled people still have very negative experiences of PE because they are not included in activities. We hope more schools will see this as a priority and support their teachers to make sports activities accessible for all young people.”

Barry Horne, Chief Executive at EFDS, said on behalf of all the home country organisations:

“We are extremely proud of this programme and its successes. Sadly, insight shows us that many disabled adults cannot recall positive PE lessons. This needs to change to ensure disabled people want to be active long after they leave school. EFDS, with our partners, have worked hard to deliver training that gives all children a better experience. We all want to see more young disabled people reaping the benefits of inclusive PE lessons. To do this, we need to continue boosting the confidence and skills of our PE teachers.”

Guests heard from Gary Oliver, a former Redwood Special School pupil, who features in one of the short films about the programme. He recalls how he became involved in the programme and has gone from classroom to staffroom as he is now a school employee. David Butterworth, an Inclusive PE Training tutor and PE teacher at the school, also talked about the benefits.

This cycle of the Sainsbury’s Inclusive PE training programme ends in March 2017. All partners would like to thank all those involved in making it an overwhelming success.

For more information please contact the Active Kids for All team at EFDS via email ak4a@efds.co.uk or phone 01509 227750.

Flag bearing Paralympian ‘Queen Kadeena’ returns to heroes’ welcome and gold Union Jack wheels courtesy of Carbon Black

Forget golden post boxes in the home towns of returning Olympic and paralympian athletes, a company that manufactures F1 Wheelchairs has put a distinct twist on the tradition by welcoming their Rio hero home to a pair of golden union flag wheels.

Kadeena Cox, the first Paralympian in almost 30 years to win Gold medals in two separate disciplines and who was selected to carry the Union Jack for Team GB in the closing ceremony in Rio, returned home to a permanent and personal reminder of her achievements, thanks to Carbon Black.

Carbon Black, based in Scotland and Oxfordshire created the ‘Formula 1’ inspired wheelchair to be used by multiple medalist Kadeena while not on the athletics track or in the Velodrome, produced two stunning Gold Union flag wheels for her chair as a welcome home gift.

Kadeena, 25, who won two Gold medals, a Silver and a Bronze, said this week:

“The last few weeks have been a dream and to be selected to carry the Union flag was a real honour. Now, arriving back to such a warm welcome and my own gold flag wheels, is a real welcome home-coming.”

“I am delighted to have achieved what I have and be a role model for other athletes not to give up, no matter what life throws at you – it’s amazing what you can do it with hard work and determination.”

Kadeena took part in the returning Olympic and Paralympic heroes processions through Manchester and London and met HM The Queen, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace.

“The Queen asked me about the weight of the medals and I told her that I had developed some additional neck muscles to carry them,” she said.

Two years ago the Leeds sprinter who now lives and trains in Manchester, had the world at her feet until a stroke – the first symptom of what was later diagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS) – almost ended her athletic ambitions.

During her preparation for the Paralympics, Kadeena, who lives in Sale, approached Carbon Black to be a Rio Games Ambassador for the brand. She uses the chair as a rest point in between races because the extensive pressure the different events put upon her body.

The distinctive chair built by F1 carbon fibre engineers in Oxfordshire was also the transportation of choice for disability campaigner and presenter Sophie Morgan who was commentating on the Games for Channel 4.

Carbon Black was one of a handful of British businesses in Rio during the Paralympics exploring trade deals with Brazil led by a Prince Edward.

Carbon Black System was the only Scottish company and one of just five UK firms selected to form part in the delegation in Rio and Sao Paola as guests of Ambassador to Brazil Alex Ellis.

Supported by Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Venture Capital, Carbon Black was joined by Kadeena at GB House, the British Embassy in Rio as part of the “Pitch At The Paras’ trade initiative.

Carbon Black won the opportunity to pitch to potential Brazillian investors out of thousands of British companies because of the chair’s contribution to improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Paul Lettice, Carbon Black Chairman, said:

“Kadeena’s achievements have been absolutely incredible, as have all the medal winners for Team GB during these Paralympic Games.”

“In addition, being invited to the British Embassy was a great honour for us and a fantastic platform to promote British and Scottish enterprise on a world stage.

“We presented in Rio and San Paolo in front of Price Edward and the UK Government to potential investors and distributors from Brazil – one of the BRIC countries, and one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. We had a fantastic response and a lot of interest.

“Now we intend to use the Rio trip as a springboard to work extensively with Scottish Development International (SDI) and wider UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) over the coming months. We have planned meetings with SDI and UKTI in Norway, Denmark and Switzerland, and have reached out to France, Spain, Italy and Germany.”

Study by disabled people’s charity reveals need for small changes from all to create lasting difference

With memories of the most successful Paralympic Games of all time still fresh in everyone’s mind, a quiz designed to engage non-disabled people in a light-hearted conversation about respect for disabled people revealed that a majority of non-disabled people had no problem using facilities set aside for the needs of disabled people.

The Saint or Sinner Quiz, rolled out by national disabled people’s charity Revitalise to coincide with the Paralympics, found that 6 out of 10 (57%) non-disabled people use disabled toilets and are showing no signs of stopping, with 1 in 5 (17%) saying they had “done it loads of times and really don’t see any harm in it”. The study also found that more than 1 in 10 (12%) non-disabled people use disabled parking spaces either sometimes or habitually.

Revitalise is citing a study by the charity Scope in the run-up to the Rio Games, which found that even though 78% of disabled people thought the 2012 London Paralympics had a positive effect on people’s attitudes to disability, only 19% thought Britain was a better place to be disabled than it was four years ago. Revitalise is therefore calling for positive action to preserve the Paralympic legacy in order to reverse this trend.

In March this year a House of Lords Select Committee Report* made 54 separate recommendations to the Government in order to strengthen the Equality Act, but so far the Government has acted on only one. In July this year the Equality and Human Rights Commission alleged that disabled people were still being treated like “second class citizens”, while Revitalise’s own research has added weight to the argument that society is only paying lip service to the needs of disabled people.

In a recent study of visitor attractions, Revitalise found that a fifth (20%) of the UK’s most visited attractions were not fully accessible from outside and just 17% had all their staff trained in disability awareness. The charity also found similar problems on the high street, where over half (55%) of disabled people had experienced negative or unwelcoming treatment from shop staff.

Most recently, in August 2015 Revitalise discovered that only three football clubs in the Premiership – the world’s richest football league – had the recommended number of spaces for wheelchair users, in accordance with guidelines that have been in existence for well over 10 years.

The charity believes that the aftermath of the successful Rio Paralympics presents the perfect opportunity for non-disabled people to contribute to the Paralympic legacy and add to the groundswell of pressure on policy-makers to back up the good intentions of the Equality Act with meaningful legislation.

To achieve this, Revitalise is urging non-disabled people to take on board the philosophy of Team GB, whose success is based on many small improvements adding up to one seismic change. So, the charity suggests, if non-disabled people simply make one or more small adjustment to their own habits, they will be helping to create a more inclusive and equitable society for disabled people.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented:

“We’ve just witnessed the most successful Paralympic Games of all time and legacy is now the word on everyone’s lips. Our Saint or Sinner Quiz was designed to explore the habits of non-disabled people and help them do their bit to keep the Paralympic flame burning.

“In the six years since the launch of the Equality Act it is very disheartening to find that when it comes to making society more open and accessible for disabled people, those with the power to enforce change seem to have made so little progress. Disabled people face a huge number of barriers – from physical access to transport to employment – which already obstruct them from playing a more meaningful role in society, so it is doubly disheartening to find disabled people are also being held back by something as simple as access to a toilet or parking space.

“So, in the warm glow of the Rio Games, if we as individuals can just make one or more small adjustment to our habits, we will be going a long way towards creating a better, more respectful world for disabled people and truly keeping the Paralympic legacy alive!”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nurse-led care on-call and personal support, at three accessible centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment. For more information please visit revitalise.org.uk.

Singers, dancers and fireworks lit up the iconic stadium before tributes were paid to Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad, who died on Saturday.

Britain finished the Games with 147 medals, 64 of which were gold. They were second behind China, who claimed 107 golds and 239 in total. Read the full story at BBC Sport. 

Copyright onEdition 2016© The opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games taking place in Rio De Janeiro.

Written by Barney Cullum 

Faith in the continuing appeal of the Paralympic Games was rewarded last night as over 50,000 ticket-holders flocked to fill Brazil’s most famous arena, the Maracana.

The opening ceremony was a true carnival, one that will be remembered for its warm light shows, tender Portuguese melodies and – perhaps more than anything else – its somersaulting wheelchair stunt performer.

Reinventing disability as unbreakability is nothing new of course. It has been fashionable since the last Games, London 2012. The ‘superhuman’ portrayal frustrates individuals who would rather have greater empathy, or practical support, than they would deferential adulation. But on the evidence of last night, and the exploits of Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham, an appetite remains elsewhere.

Copyright onEdition 2016©
The opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games taking place in Rio De Janeiro.

It should be said that it’s not just choreographers and marketing types who have warmed to the superhuman theme. Paralympians generally seem flattered by the term. This debate was not resolved last night, but it wasn’t dwelled upon either.

The directors later invited us to question how much we use our sight over other senses, achieving this by flooding the arena with a huge flash of white light. A perfectly synchronised dance routine from two visually impaired dancers then reversed the rhetoric.

The ceremony was full of artistry. It was also, in its second half – as is customary – finally full of athletes. The stars of the Games have almost been lost over the last two months. Politics has dictated that we’ve heard more from the International Paralympic Committee of late than the Paralympians they support. That may change now, after yesterday’s rousing spectacle.

Copyright onEdition 2016© The opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games taking place in Rio De Janeiro.

The Brazil team received a proud cheer when they came out to complete a lap of the track at dusk, but so did Chile, Colombia… all the South American delegations. With this being the first Games on the continent, it bodes well that there are strong signs of pan-American interest.

Pubs and bars across Rio were showing the opening ceremony too. Although not universally popular, momentum has continued on from the Olympics in Brazil. There appears now to be a chance for the achievements of elite athletes – who happen to have disabilities – to be celebrated like never seen before in Latin America.

Copyright onEdition 2016 © Ryan Cowling, ParalympicsGB Wheelchair rugby

By Barney Cullum

When people think of the Paralympic Games, most think primarily of David Weir and Ellie Simmonds. Rio 2016 will see new stars illuminate the stage though. With anticipation growing, Barney Cullum highlights a few to look out for.

Kadeena Cox – athletics and cycling: A newcomer to the scene since the London Games, Kadeena looks set to be the breakthrough British star in Brazil.

The Leeds-based athlete lives with multiple sclerosis, a condition synonymous with fatigue. Yet despite this, Kadeena is targeting a place in history by becoming the first Paralympian since 1988 to medal in two different events.

“I believe in pushing the boundaries in everything I do,” she says. A gold in the cycling and a medal of any colour on the athletics track would be an achievement to match anything we can expect to witness in Rio. A world record holder in both events, she has every chance.

Ryan Cowling – wheelchair rugby: “I fully expect to be the oldest debutant in Rio,” the 40-year-old Welshman readily admits. A wheelchair user for 22-years since an accident in the army, Ryan came to professional sport late after an interesting career teaching other wheelchair users how to scuba dive in Egypt.

“Scuba diving was great, but having a family makes you reflect on what you can be doing, and what you should be doing.” Ryan was avidly involved in sport at school but then left it behind for two decades. Since linking up with the Paralympics GB ‘murderball’ team last year the British squad have lifted a global title in a test event for Rio. They are among the favourites for the real thing.

Kare Adenegan – wheelchair racing: Kare is not only the youngest member of Paralympics GB’s athletics team, she’s yet to take her GCSEs. Kare’s claim to fame lies in becoming the first person to ever defeat Hannah Cockroft in a professional race – an unbeaten record she held for some seven years.

“At school I was told I couldn’t do sport for health and safety reasons,” Kare says. “I lost a lot of confidence and self-esteem as I felt it wasn’t for me but then I watched Hannah at the London Games.

Kare hopes Rio 2016 will have a similar impact on changing perceptions of what disabled people can do. “It can show teachers and children that there are opportunities out there and that sport is for everyone.”

Richard Whitehead – athletics

One to watch – for a different reason than the rest of the cast. Not a new name, but at 40-years-old this may be the last chance to tune in and watch arguably the greatest Paralympian these shores have produced on the biggest stage.

The first amputee to break the 3 hour mark in the marathon, Richard recently broke the 200m world record – his event for Rio – at London’s Anniversary Games. “I do what I do because I love it,” he insists. But propelling yourself at great speed using power from your hips and upper body alone cannot be without sacrifice.

The breadth of his achievements mean he deserves a level of recognition to match that afforded the likes of Mo Farrah and Jess Ennis. Maybe this year it will come.

And internationally…

Jarryd Wallace (USA) athletics: The T44 (single amputee) men’s 100 metres is expected to be the most exciting and competitive event of Rio 2016.

Jonnie Peacock secured gold in 2012, swept to victory by a fervent home crowd on “Thriller Thursday”. However, American Jarryd Wallace came out on top at the recent London Anniversary Games.

Should Wallace scoop the blue riband event, the 26-year-old become one of the faces of the Games. US state broadcaster NBC only screened six hours of coverage in 2012, but have pledged 70 hours out of Brazil this time around. Wallace’s showdown with reigning champion Peacock – not to mention Brazil’s Alan Oliveia – will top their bill.