Sadly at the age of thirty, Jonny Mitchell passed away peacefully on Monday 26th March 2012.
Jonny was injured whilst playing rugby for North Berwick RFC where he was captain. They were playing against Hawick Linden in September 2005 and Jonny sustained a spinal injury.
Jonny loved the game of rugby and raised awareness of spinal injury through various other charities and organisations.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
CLICK HERE to read more
Keith Thom
Winning Wheels, the wheelchair tennis club based at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre is pleased to announce that they have secured funding from Awards For All to help support travel and hotel expenses for Scottish players that are traveling to the 2nd Edinburgh wheelchair tennis tournament. Keith Thom (pictured) from Dumfries, winner of the inaugural Tennis Foundation development series last year said “Having the Awards For All funding to support Scottish adult and junior players will hopefully encourage more disabled people to travel to this event and also help to raise awareness of wheelchair tennis throughout Scotland”
The 2012 Edinburgh wheelchair tennis tournament is part of the Tennis Foundation’s development series and will take place at Craiglockhart on 14thth and 15th April. Entry is open now, the closing date is March 22nd . Please contact tournament organiser David Hogg or Andrew Raitt for details.
If you would like to try wheelchair tennis weekly coaching sessions take place in Aberdeen, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow. New players are always welcome and all equipment is available at the tennis centre. For more information and details of sessions please contact Andrew Raitt.
davidhogg472@gmail.com or 07835 222 533.
Andrew.raitt@tennisscotland.org or 07908 091 820
Adrian Kennedy has brought wheelchair rugby league to Scotland and is keen to develop a Scottish team.
He has already been in Scotland and had several ‘come and try’ sessions.
Wheelchair rugby league is not only for full time wheelchair users, exactly the opposite. People who are able bodied can also take part and this leads to interesting games. In basketball and wheelchair rugby there is a points system depending on your level of ability whereas in rugby league anyone who can push the chair can play.
If you want to know more about the sport CLICK HERE
There is a training session taking place on Saturday 3rd March between 12 and 4pm
This training session is being held at:
Scotstoun Leisure Centre
72 Danes Drive
Glasgow
G14 9HU
Why not go along and give it a try, you never know you might just enjoy it
If you are going along, please bring plenty to drink.
Spinal Injuries Scotland, wish to appoint a Chairperson who can provide dynamic, strong and strategic leadership.
In recent years the organisation has gone from strength to strength reacting positively to its changing role within the wider community of people with Spinal Cord Injury in Scotland.
For more infomation and how to apply please click here
The Blue Badge Scheme has undergone changes recently and with fraud estimated at £46 million per year hopefully the new measures that have been introduced will reduce this figure.
Do you want to see wheelchair tag rugby or would you like to try it?
If the answer is yes why not go along to the next training session on Saturday 17th December 2011 and see what is involved.
This training session will be held in the following venue:
EASTERHOUSE SPORTS CENTRE,
Auchinlea Road,
Easterhouse,
Glasgow,
G34 9HQ
Training will start at 10am prompt also bring plenty of drinks and lunch for yourselves.
Adrian wants even more players to attend to gain an introduction and further experience of the game.
If you are able, bring along a sports wheelchair.
If there are any questions please contact Adrian on: 07577 709 600
If you are going to go along can you please confirm with Adrian on the number above or by email: adrian.n.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk
CLICK HERE to read about previous training sessions
I have been posting information on the Blog about wheelchair tag rugby league and it being a relatively new sport to the UK and totally new to Scotland I decided to go to one of the taster sessions.
I had played, well turned up at wheelchair basketball a number of years ago and did so regularly for a number of years but I am not the fittest person by a long way.
I wasn’t able to be there at the start of the taster session but when I arrived there was a fairly large group of people taking part in different training drills. I have seen similar drills at basketball training but the main difference was that everyone had to be aware of passing the ball backwards and it was an actual rugby ball. This seemed somewhat alien to what I had seen before at basketball as the ball can be passed forward and it is obviously a basketball. Dropping the ball makes an interesting experience as you have no idea which direction it will bounce so careful passing is one skill required for this game.
I was offered a couple of times to swap into a sports chair and join in but I was happy to observe from the end of the court.
After watching for thirty minutes or so I was coaxed to try a sports chair and try some of the skills. Transferring from an everyday chair to a sports chair with a guard round the front is not an easy transfer so this was done with some difficulty, not a graceful transfer at all. Having not been in a sport chair for a number of years, pushing, turning and stopping was interesting but I soon got into the swing of it.
Scoring a try and kicking a conversion, yes a conversion was a new concept. There are goals just the same as on a rugby pitch, only smaller and you use what is called a tee to hold the ball which can be adjusted to the height to suit you. The aim is to hit the ball over the crossbar with a clenched fist or by your wrist. We all took numerous shots with some people more successful than others.
We then progressed to having a game. Oh what a difference this made because as soon as I seen someone with the ball I went shooting off up the court as quick as possible to quickly realise that I had to be behind the person with the ball. I then had to dash back to position to receive a pass. Now what do I do was the first thought and within a second of getting the ball I had been tackled.
Playing this game you wear a bib with two long strips (tags) attached via Velcro to the shoulders. If you have the ball, an opposing player will try to remove a tag, hold it in the air for the referee to see and this is classed as a tackle. Once tackled, the team gets back into position and play commences.
Overall I had a great time, I felt very welcome and it was good to get back in a sports chair and take part in some physical exercise.
I plan on attending the next taster session in Scotland, the dates and venue of which will be posed on this Blog.
More information about Wheelchair Rugby League can be found HERE
If you are interested in attending these taster sessions or want to know more about the sport you can contact Adrian Kennedy on: 07577 709 600 or by email: adrian.n.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk
Saturday 29th October is the date of the new training sessions and the time is between 11am – 3pm.
The new venue for this training session is:
TOLLCROSS LIESURE CENTRE
350 WELLSHOT ROAD
GLASGOW
G32 7QR
If you own your own sports chair, please bring it along to assist for the moment.
Please bring plenty to drink and also bring something for your lunch.
If you require any more information, please contact Adrian by email on: adrian.n.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk or by phone on: 07577 709 600
At the AGM on 3 October 2011, a presentation of ten TV/DVDs was made by SIS to the Spinal Unit for patients’ use.
Brian Grassie, Office Manager, and staff from the Spinal Unit are pictured with the TVs.
Well, it’s approaching that time of year again. Invites are printed, the venue is booked and…….well…..the rest is pretty much a secret! For those of you who have been to an SIS Winter Dinner Dance before, you will know that they do not disappoint. Not only is it a major fund raiser it is a great chance for everyone to get together and enjoy a thoroughly good night out. Work is underway to put together the prizes for the auction and raffles, and there are a few spectacular items up for grabs. Watch this space!
For More information contact: Craig Semple on: 0131 319 8147 or email: wdd@digbybrown.co.uk to find out more information and to reserve your table.
