Stoke Mandeville Stadium & Olympic Lodge

Stoke Mandeville Stadium is launching ladies only No Strings Badminton sessions after the success of its ladies only beginner courses, with the first session starting on Tuesday 20th March at 8.00pm – 10.00pm

These pay to play sessions provide women with a great opportunity to have some fun on the courts, from those who have never picked up a racquet to those budding professionals – players of all ages and abilities are welcome and you are always guaranteed to have a playing partner at every session.

Nina Bridge, Regional Officer for Badminton England, said:

“The sessions are a fun and friendly way to get back into badminton and Stoke Mandeville Stadium is running some great sessions led by fantastic coaches from the local area. The classes are very relaxed and informal so why not pop along – even if you haven’t played in years, why not come along and try it out.”

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for Stoke Mandeville Stadium, said: “With the help of Badminton England, we have been able to provide opportunities for the local community of all abilities to play Badminton in a fun and relaxed environment.”

No Strings Badminton is a Badminton England initiative that has been set up in a bid to get more people from across the country involved in badminton.

Following a substantial investment The Olympic Lodge at Stoke Mandeville Stadium is delighted to host ‘Buckinghamshire Business, Celebrating 2012 at 6.00pm on Tuesday 13th March.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium in partnership with Buckinghamshire Business First and WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport will bring together local businesses and look at how the Olympic and Paralympic Games will benefit the local business community as well as showcasing the fantastic facilities at the Olympic Lodge.

Martin Tett, leader of Buckinghamshire County Council, will be a guest speaker, and Buckinghamshire Ambassadors, key businesses and Olympic contract holders will also be attending.

Alex Pratt, Chairman of Buckinghamshire Business First (sponsors of the event), said:

“As the collective business voice looking after the interests of every business in Buckinghamshire, BBF celebrates the re-launch and refurbishment of the Olympic Lodge in time for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics. Not only is Buckinghamshire the birthplace of the Paralympics but also over 50 significant contracts have been won by businesses in the County to support the Games, and many international teams have chosen us as a place to train. The Paralympic movement is just another example of the Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain in action.”

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager at Stoke Mandeville, said:

“The Olympic Lodge boasts new and improved facilities due to the successful recent refurbishment and the team here are looking forward to hosting this exciting event, where we can allow attendants the opportunity to have a look around the facilities and get to meet the people involved.”

Martin McElhatton, WheelPower’s Chief Executive, said:

“The extensive improvements to the Olympic Lodge are one of the many ways that Stoke Mandeville Stadium is helping athletes get into peak condition. The improvement offer better comfort and access not only to athletes, but also to our local community.”

Stoke Mandeville Stadium boasts some of the best sports facilities in the UK and one of the most popular gyms in Aylesbury and offers free use of the on-site gym, sporting facilities and swimming pool to all facilities. The stadium will host the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay.

As part of a series of refurbishment works at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the Olympic Lodge car park (situated next to the Stadium) is temporarily closed for a six-week period during work to improve access for customers of the Stadium.

The conference centre and the Olympic Lodge will remain open throughout the six-week refurbishment phase.

At the same time as the creation of a new Stadium entrance and launch of the newly refurbished Olympic Lodge, a new car parking management system will be introduced. Only users of Stoke Mandeville Stadium and the Olympic Lodge will continue to enjoy free use of the car park.

If you would like more information or have any comments about car parking and access to Stoke Mandeville Stadium, we are hosting customer forums on Tuesday 6th March and Tuesday 20th March, from 5.30pm to 7pm in Café Connect.

The team at Stoke Mandeville Stadium would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during these improvements which will ensure our users enjoy a better experience at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium is helping keep teenagers and young adults in the Aylesbury area active in the new year with the launch of new Water Polo sessions and a further swimming class, which are due to begin on Tuesday 3rd January.

The new courses are being delivered locally as part of the Sportivate programme. Sportivate is a £32 million Lottery programme that gives teenagers and young adults between the ages of 14–25 access to attractive, affordable and accessible six-week courses in a range of sports and is supported by Bucks Sport Reactivate Programme.

What and when are these courses available?

Water Polo (14- 18 year olds) £29 for a 6 week block:

Starting Tuesday 3rd January from 8pm-8.30pm, the water polo six-week provides 14-18 year olds with an introduction to the rules of the game and skills required, and at the same time incorporating fitness and stamina in a fun environment. Book before 31st December 2011 and get the course at the special discounted rate of £18!!

Learn-to-swim courses and advanced swimming sessions (19-25 year olds) only £3 per lesson:

Starting Tuesday 3rd January from 8.30pm-9pm, Stoke Mandeville Stadium is offering private or group swimming sessions for all abilities. For more advanced swimmers, qualified instructors can help improve your technique or enhance your training if you’re preparing for a swimming or triathlon competition.

Ian Seabrook, Business Development and Marketing Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium commented:

“Sportivate is a great initiative to help engage young people in a range of sporting activities. We’re looking forward to welcoming more young people into our centres to take part in the new courses. We want to ensure that more teenagers and young adults have the opportunity to find a sporting activity that is both appealing and affordable, with the aim of supporting them into life-long participation. ”

The Sportivate programme is part of the Play strand of Sport England’s mass participation legacy programme ‘Places, People Play’, which was launched on 15 November 2010. Sportivate will provide a range of attractive and sustainable sporting activities for 14-25 year olds who are not choosing to participate in sport during their own time, or are doing so for a very limited amount of time.

It is never too late to learn to swim or improve your swimming technique!

We offer private and group sessions for all abilities at a variety of times to suit your lifestyle specifically for 19 to 25 year olds.

Our lessons are taught by qualified instructors who are experienced in teaching adults to swim. We also offer lessons for those who want to improve technique or learn a new stroke.

For more advanced swimmers we can enhance your training for a swimming or triathlon competition.

Starting Tuesday 3rd January, 2012, 9pm to 10pm, for 6 weeks.

Only £3 per lesson

For more information please contact us on:

http://www.stokemandevillestadium.co.uk/promos/sportivate-learn-to-swim/ swim.stoke@leisureconnection.co.uk

Tel - 01296 484848

Ever thought of trying water polo? It’s a high energy ball game played in the pool and great fun!

Our Water Polo 6 week course provides 14 to 18 year olds an introduction to skills the required and rules of the game, and also incorporates fitness and stamina in an fun environment.

Starting Tuesday 3rd January, 2012, for 6 weeks

Time - 8pm to 8.30pm

Cost - £29.10 for a 6 week block

For more information please contact us on:

http://www.stokemandevillestadium.co.uk/promos/sportivate-water-polo/

swim.stoke@leisureconnection.co.uk

Tel - 01296 484848

30 November 2011: Stoke Mandeville Stadium plays host to one of the first and very exciting ‘No Strings’ Badminton matches.

The No Strings Badminton Monday team won their first match 5 games to 4. Sue Rutson, Coordinator for the No Strings Monday session said:

“it was a fantastic battle of badminton with body’s flying all over the court. There were yells and of course war cries and the odd collision. Some rallies were extended periods of full exertion and the players fought hard to take and keep control. However hard the games were, or how challenging the rallies, everyone played within the spirit of the game with fairness and outstanding goodwill.”

Fun, fitness and friends describe some of the benefits from joining sessions, and each session continues to go that extra mile for every player offering the opportunity to experience some social and competitive play.

No strings Badminton has been such a huge success at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and is now welcoming the launch of exciting new ladies only session. This will launch on the 10th January and will be a 10-week course on Tuesday evenings between 8-9pm, a perfect time to get fit after all those festivities.

Ross Timms, the No Strings Coordinator for the Sunday evening ‘Family No-Strings’ session at Stoke Mandeville Stadium said:

“This new course comes hot on the heels of the men’s doubles competition. I believe the casual nature of the sessions, not only give the players the chance to get fit and play on a regular basis. It allows the opportunity to experience some organised competitive play.”

There are currently two sessions offered at the Centre: Sunday 6-8pm for all of the family, and Monday for adults 1-4pm. Both of which create a sense of friendly competition between the two sessions, and gives two playing opportunities.

Nina Bridge the Regional Officer for Badminton England said:

“This is the first No Strings Badminton friendly match in the area and we’ve set a president for others to follow. The success of the Badminton is down to the fantastic staff and coordinators at the Stadium who help players to enjoy the sessions every week”.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s Olympic Lodge is to undergo a series of refurbishment works, in a bid to improve the hotel accommodation and develop its outstanding service to teams that use the venue as a training camp.

Significant investment in updating the Olympic Lodge, will include complete redecoration and new TVs with an innovative interactive system. The hotel already offers a cooked breakfast service as part of its recent development to offer customers the highest standard of service.

The hotel, which is based in the heart of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, offers fantastic value for money, including free use of the on-site gym, sporting facilities and swimming pool, 50 comfortable bedrooms all with full disabled access, and exceptional conference and training facilities.

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for Stoke Mandeville Stadium said: “This refurbishment and investment is an important project, which will build and improve the fantastic value for money service we currently offer.”

The refurbishment starts on 14 November and will run for a period of weeks. The hotel will remain open throughout the refurbishment period.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium boasts some of the best sports facilities in the UK and one of the most popular gyms in Aylesbury. The Stadium will host the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay’s.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Guttmann Road in Aylesbury is going green this December as it invests in updating the swimming pool lighting for a more eco-friendly system.

The new lighting is expected to reduce energy consumption by 75% year on year and help the local sports and leisure facility reduce its carbon footprint.

In order to install this new lighting system, the swimming pool programme will be slightly affected. Week commencing 5th December, the pool will be closed from 7am until 4pm each day. However, it will re-open at 4pm for the Swim School classes and will remain open for the rest of the evening. A normal pool programme will resume on Saturday 10th December.

Ian Seabrook from Stoke Mandeville Stadium says: “This work is urgently required from a health and safety point of view – to improve pool hall visibility and of course to help us reduce our carbon footprint. We appreciate the support and patience of our swimmers during this period of necessary works. The end result will be worth it.”

The national centre for wheelchair sport and Aylesbury’s leading local leisure centre on Guttmann Road has just been re-awarded and reaccredited with the Hospitality Assured standard - the definitive standard for service and business excellence in hospitality and the only standard that focuses on the customer experience.

The centre achieved an overall score of 70.9% which is an increase of 1% from the last assessment and is an excellent result, which followed a rigorous reaccreditation process using the revised nine key steps, which examined how well the business operates in areas as diverse as business planning and strategy, to training and development of employees, through to delivery of service.

The 70.9% achieved by Stoke Mandeville Stadium is one of the highest scores achieved by similar organisations in the country and highlights the hard work that has been put in by the team at the Stadium, in partnership with WheelPower – the national charity for Wheelchair sport.

Ian Seabrook, business development manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium said: “We are absolutely delighted to be reaccredited. This prestigious award demonstrates our continued commitment to improvement and to provide the highest quality sports, facilities and services. Our aim has always been to make Stoke Mandeville Stadium a World Class facility that serves both performance athletes, visitors to Aylesbury and the local community. Given the challenging nature of the Hospitality Assured standard, this says a lot about the culture of customer service which is embedded throughout the whole team.”

The Institute of Hospitality, owners of the Hospitality Assured Standard, commented:

"The assessors were impressed with the developments of business strategies and plans that will enable the organisation to offer improving services to its existing customer base, as well as to new markets. The management team has been strengthened significantly, and the estate is in the throes of major improvement work. Of particular note was the close working relationship with the organisations primary client, WheelPower, which the assessors felt was an example of excellent partnership-working, and an area of best practice. All of these put Stoke Mandeville in a great position to even further raise their game!

“This award assures our customers that we provide services and facilities that are nationally accredited and at a very high level. I would like to thank all the staff at the centre who continue to do such an outstanding job each day”

DATE, 2011: This October, Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury is urging as many local people as possible to swap the TV remote and games consoles for a pair of goggles and head down to their local swimming pool to take part in the UK’s Big Splash.

The Big Splash is a campaign by British Swimming and the BBC to encourage the nation to take a dip in their local swimming pools and celebrate a much loved past time of swimming.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium wants to encourage as many people as possible to join the other 13 million people across the UK who are already making a Big Splash, by taking part in swimming activities.

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for Stoke Mandeville Stadium says: “There’s a great deal going on locally to celebrate swimming from Kids Go Half Price, to Adult Swimming Lessons and Swimming for Fitness too. The aim of the Big Splash is to encourage new people into the pool and help those who already swim to have more fun more often. Swimming is a great form of physical activity and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. We want to encourage as many people as possible to register via www.swimming.org/bigsplash/get-involved and join in the fun. Come on, jump in – the water’s lovely.”

Some of British Swimming's biggest names have also thrown their support behind the Big Splash, not least double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington."Swimming is my life but just getting in the pool a couple of times a week is a really great way of getting active and staying healthy. I'm right behind anything that encourages people to take the plunge and swim more often," said Adlington.

· Stoke Mandeville Stadium to host London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay

· New concept for the Paralympic Flame is launched - four separate flames to be lit using the energy of human endeavour in London, Greater Belfast , Edinburgh and Cardiff

· Four flames will be combined at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, birthplace of the Paralympic movement at a special ceremony to bring the flames together to create the Paralympic Flame

· 24 hour overnight Torch Relay from Stoke Mandeville to Stratford for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Celebratory flames from across Great Britain & Northern Ireland will combine at Stoke Mandeville Stadium as part of Paralympic Flame Festival before beginning a 24 hour Paralympic Flame journey to the Stratford and the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Building on the traditional Torch Relay format, the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay programme will begin on Friday 24 August 2012 with the first flame lighting event to be held in London. Over the Bank Holiday, Greater Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff will each host a flame lighting moment in the morning followed by a Paralympic Flame Festival later in the day.

Each of the four flames will be lit by the energy of physical human endeavour, with each city creating its unique method of lighting the flame.

The four flames will be brought together to create the Paralympic Flame at special ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, on Tuesday 28 August 2012. Later that evening, there will be a 24 hour Torch Relay to journey the Paralympic Flame to London for the opening of the Paralympic Games.

580 Torchbearers working as teams of five will then carry the Flame from Stoke Mandeville towards the Stadium to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Details about how Torchbearers will be selected are to be announced at a later date.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: ‘We are thrilled that Stoke Mandeville Stadium will be hosting the special Paralympic Torch ceremony that will create the Paralympic Flame. Day after day our Paralympians show the energy of human endeavour both on and off the sporting field of play. By lighting the flame which heralds the start of their competition through the energy of human endeavour, the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay is a tribute to their inspirational stories of courage and determination and a celebration of teamwork right across the UK.

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, owners of Stoke Mandeville Stadium, said “We are delighted to be welcoming home the Paralympic Movement for the Paralympic Torch Relay. The London 2012 Games provide us with the wonderful opportunity to celebrate Britain’s proud heritage as the birthplace of Paralympic Sport and use the power of the Games and the uniting of the Flame as a symbol to inspire disabled people throughout the world to transform their lives through sport.”

Councillor Derrick Isham, Chairman of Aylesbury Vale District Council and host District to the Stoke Mandeville celebration said “We are delighted that Stoke Mandeville has been selected to host this very exciting and unique event and look forward to working with LOCOG, WheelPower and all local partners in organising a magnificent celebratory event which will be seen throughout the world to mark this occasion.”

Mike Colston, Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council, said: ‘We’re honoured to be recognised as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. We’re looking forward to an exciting year, welcoming home the Paralympic Games, and hosting the Olympic and Paralympic competitions at Eton Dorney. What a great opportunity for all our communities to come together to celebrate!’

Oona Muirhead CBE, the London 2012 Nations and Regions Member for the South East, Chair of the South East Partnership and Chief Executive of SEEDA commented; “It is incredibly exciting that the Paralympic Torch will recognise so clearly the very important role Stoke Mandeville has played in the creation of the Paralympic Games. The South East Partnership, through programmes such as Accentuate, is working to raise the profile of Stoke Mandeville and being able to promote and acknowledge Stoke Mandeville and all of our work on a global scale is fantastic. Today is the beginning of the next stage of the Stoke Mandeville story and over this coming Olympic year we will celebrate the heritage and birth of the Paralympic Games in the South East of England’.

Swimmers across Aylesbury Vale will now be able to make a ‘Big Splash’ after local pools, including Stoke Mandeville Stadium, have signed up to the nation’s biggest ever swimming campaign. For those that have been inspired by David Walliams’ achievement in swimming the Thames, why not take to the water at one of the participating pools.

Without having to swim 140miles along the Thames, get fit using the brand new Swimfit sessions sponsored by British Gas today! Stoke Mandeville Stadium as well as Aqua Vale in Aylesbury and the Swan Pool in Buckingham have joined forces with British Swimming and the BBC to deliver the Big Splash campaign and inspire the nation to swim.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, along with the other participating pools will be offering a number of exciting activities over the coming months including Aqua Zumba and Swimfit, which offers gym-style programmes devised by experts at the Amateur Swimming Association.

Pool users can follow a programme for a number of weeks, focusing on weight loss, toning, fitness or general swimming ability.

The Swimfit sessions are available at the following venues:

· Stoke Mandeville Stadium – Monday (12.30pm to 1.15pm) and Fridays (12.30pm to 1.15pm)

· Aqua Vale in Aylesbury – Monday, Wednesday and Friday (12.30pm to 1.30pm), Thursday (12.15pm to 1.15pm)

· Swan Pool in Buckingham – Tuesday (8pm to 9pm) and Friday (12.15pm to 1.15pm)

Aqua Zumba sessions are available at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Thursday evenings at 7.45pm.

Double Olympic champion Becky Adlington is supporting the Big Splash campaign. She said: “Swimming is my life but just getting in the pool a couple of times a week is a really great way of getting active and staying healthy. I’m right behind anything that encourages people to take the plunge and swim more often.”

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to be involved in the Big Splash initiative. Swimming is a fantastic skill to have and for those who are looking to do something a little more adventurous, the new Aqua Zumba classes that we’ll be running should just hit the spot!”

For more information, visit www.reactivatebucks.org.uk/swimming

In addition, Stoke Mandeville Stadium is currently offering any child enrolled on the swim school programme unlimited swimming as a free extra and parents can pay £50 for unlimited casual swim for the duration of the swim term so they can accompany their child in casual swim sessions.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Guttmann Road in Aylesbury is working in partnership with Badminton England to encourage more local people to play and enjoy badminton. The home of wheelchair sport and community leisure hub is launching a national badminton programme called – No Strings Badminton in a bid to promote badminton to adults and families. There are currently 535,000 adults playing badminton once a week in England and this initiative aims to increase this number to 605,000 adults playing at least once a week by 2013.

Research has shown that common barriers to participation in badminton include no partner to play with, exclusivity in clubs in terms of standard of play, commitments to annual club memberships and a general feeling of intimidation to play. No strings badminton has been created to help overcome these barriers to enable more people to get involved and enjoy playing.

The programme is a semi-structured pay and play opportunity for the casual badminton player. All ages and abilities are welcome and there is no commitment (no annual fees). There will be a playing partner guaranteed at all sessions as well as a co-ordinator to welcome new players and offer hints and tips.

Ross Timms, No Strings Family Session co-ordinator at Stoke Mandeville Stadium says: “No Strings badminton is all about fun, friends and fitness. The family pay and play sessions are open to families aged 11+ and all playing abilities are welcome, making it easy for you to dust off your racket and join in the fun. Your co-ordinator will welcome you on arrival and get you straight into the action, rotating the play and pairing you with players of similar ability or different levels to offer you a challenge. The sessions are excellent value and there are no additional fees to pay and the free registration gives you access to some great promotions too!”

Nina Bridge, Regional Officer at BADMINTON England says: “No Strings Badminton is a great opportunity for people that have not played in years to come and give it a go. It’s a fun and friendly environment with a coordinator to take you through your first steps. I’m so excited we could bring these sessions to Aylesbury!”

The family no strings badminton session will run from Sunday 4 September between 6.00pm – 8.00pm, costing £4.00 per playing adult and £3.00 for under 16s. Sessions for adults (16+) run on Mondays between 2.00pm – 4.00pm, costing £4.00 per playing adult.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics Games, will be hosting an IPC Shooting Approved International Competition this August.

The is the 2nd time the event has been held in Britain and will run from the 29th to the 31st August, which will not only give the shooters the valuable opportunity to compete on home soil and in front of a home crowd but also help broaden the knowledge of disability target shooting across the nation. The organisations involved in this event aim to create awareness of disability sport and promote real talent and opportunities for disabled people.

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive for WheelPower the national charity and disability sports organisation for wheelchair sport added, “This will be a fantastic event. WheelPower is keen to see different sports showcased at Stoke Mandeville Stadium so that young and newly disabled people can enjoy a wide variety of sports. We hope that this event encourages disabled people to try shooting for themselves so that the sport can grow even further in the future.”

Ian Seabrook, Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s Business Development Manager commented, “We are thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic sporting event. We hope this event helps increase awareness of disability sport and encourages more people to come down to the Stadium and try out the great range of sports we have to offer.”

There are 77 shooters taking part in the World Cup from 15 different countries Shooters will be travelling from as far as New Zealand and Australia whilst there is a strong European contingent including Germany, Sweden, Serbia and the hosts Great Britain.

Pasan Kularatne, head coach and performance manager for the GB Team said “I am pleased that we are able to host this event for the second consecutive year and I am looking forward to it. The athletes of the GB Team are in good form and this will be a very exciting competition a year before Paralympic Games.”

The athletes representing Great Britain in this event include Nathan Milgate who made the final in his first ever Paralympic Games in Beijing, Di Coates, winner of an incredible eight Paralympic medals over a career spanning seven Paralympic Games and Beijing Paralympic Gold medalist Matt Skelhon. Matt said, “I am looking forward to the upcoming event it is a great opportunity to compete on home turf 1 year out from the games. It's great to have competitors coming so far afield. I am confident I will perform to a high standard and my training has been going very well.’

Lucy Crickmore, Major Events Consultant at UK Sport said “UK Sport is delighted to be supporting the IPC shooting approved international competition in 2011, following the successful delivery of the National Lottery supported IPC Shooting World Cup in 2010. UK Sport is committed to bringing world class sporting events to the UK ahead of 2012, in what we believe will be the most comprehensive pre-Games events programme ever staged by an Olympic host nation.”

There are two main categories for disabled shooting, SH1 which is disability not affecting the upper limbs, and SH2 where there is some upper limb impairment. SH2 shooters place their rifles on a spring loaded stand when shooting. The event will feature 10 metre target shooting in both rifle and pistol disciplines. The aim is to shoot as close to the centre of the target as possible, from the outside edge of the circle awarding the shooter one point to the middle scoring ten points. Target shooting is a highly technical sport that requires incredible concentration and consistency. The ten shot finals create incredible tension as scores are announced after each shot and the winner can often be decided by the last pull of the trigger.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the home of disabled and community sport and leisure in Aylesbury is celebrating after receiving a seventh Memorandum of Understanding from an International squad. The Slovak Paralympic Committee will be training at the home of Paralympic Sport from 28 May – 3 June 2012 in the run up to the 2012 Paralympic Games.

The Slovak Paralympic Squad will be using Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Guttmann Road to train its 100m, 200m athletes, its long jumpers, discuss, javelin and shot-putters as well as the support team, coaches and physios.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee said, “It is great that Paralympic Squads are planning training camps in advance of London 2012. I am sure that the athletes training at Stoke Mandeville Stadium will receive a very warm welcome and that they will enjoy training and acclimatising at the venue- the birthplace of the Paralympic Games.”

Peter Hamaj, The Sport Manager for the Slovak Paralympic Committee said "We were really impressed by the all of the facilities in the South East but Stoke Mandeville Stadium stood out for us as having of the best facilities for Paralympic athletes on offer. We are sure that our athletes will enjoy training at Stoke Mandeville Stadium next year and this will help prepare them for the London 2012 Paralympic Games"

Sue Saville, Managing Director of Tourism South East and Member of the South East Partnership said: "Tourism South East is delighted to have helped Slovak Paralympic Committee to reach an agreement with Stoke Mandeville Stadium for their training camp requirements for 2012. The South East is a great place to live and train; not only do we have world class training facilities, but we have some of the most beautiful and historic places to visit. Hosting National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, such as Slovakia to train here is a really effective way to show the world just how beautiful the South East of England is".

Ian Seabrook, Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s business development manager says: “We’re thrilled to receive our seventh memorandum of understanding and welcome the Slovakian squad next year in the build up to the Paralympic Games. The committee was impressed with our world class training facilities as well as our accommodation, which is housed within the one site on Guttmann Road. We are looking forward to welcoming the Slovakian squad next year.”

Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Guttmann Road in Aylesbury is hosting a Swim School Gala on Saturday 23 July between 1.00pm – 4.00pm. The community event will welcome more than 50 children from across stage 7 – 10 of the ASA Swimming programme from 6-13 years old.

The Gala is open to all students of Swim School and they will be invited to come along and compete individually in a variety of races as well as competing in teams of four over 25 and 50 meters.

It’s hoped to stage 30 different races during the swimming gala and it will be assisted and adjudicated by Aylesbury Vale District Swimming Club.

Chris Hawkes, Swim School Co-ordinator at Stoke Mandeville Stadium says: “The end of term Swim School gala is always great fun and it’s great to see all the students show off their skills and we as teachers (and indeed their parents) can see how they have progressed. We are really looking forward to the gala.”

Swim School Teachers, Parents and families will be their supporting and encouraging everyone taking part.

British archers will be heading to the Stoke Mandeville Open in September full of confidence, after winning two gold medals and three silvers at the Paralympic World Championships in Turin.

Dani Brown made a successful defence of her compound individual title, while the GB men's compound team were also gold medalists. There were silvers in the mixed compound event, the women's compound team tournament, and thanks to John Stubbs in the individual men's compound.

Brown asserted herself as the world's best with victory over Russia's Stepanida Artakhinova of Russia, and won silvers with Stubbs in the mixed event, and with fellow compounders Pippa Britton and Sarah Beamish in the team tournament.

Stubbs, Richard Hennahane and Eric Thomas won a tense men's compound team final against Korea – always ahead, but having to fight off a determined challenge from their opponents, before finally securing the world championship with their last three arrows.

That gold medal made up for Stubbs' disappointment at losing the individual final to Switzerland's Philippe Horner, and later missing out on gold in the mixed team final, when he and Brown were beaten by Russia.

But two gold medals and three silvers was hailed as a great week's work by Archery GB Paralympic Head Coach Tim Hazell.

He said: "We've had a fantastic week, and returning home with two golds and three silvers is just superb. Dani has proved beyond doubt that she's the best in the world, while John was in great form, but Horner was just a bit better.

"But I was delighted that John finally got that gold in the team final, and I'm delighted for Richard and Eric. This is their reward for incredible hard work, not just during the week, but in the months leading up to this championship.

“I’m so proud of all our archers, it’s been a great team effort, and there were some emotional moments.

"Now we're all looking forward to coming to Stoke Mandeville in September, a venue that we all enjoy, and where we've been very successful in international events," said Hazell. "We're all looking to continue the momentum, and those who missed out on medals in Turin will be even more determined to make up for it at Stoke Mandeville, so it's a big week for us."

David Beckham announced the birth of his daughter, Harper Seven Beckham on Facebook in the early hours of this morning. Weighting in at a health 7lbs 10oz, Harper Seven joins David and Victoria Beckham’s three other children; Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

To celebrate the announcement, Harpers Fitness at Stoke Mandeville Stadium is offering a FREE Harpers Seven Day Pass to locals who log on to Facebook and Like or Comment on the Beckham’s announcement on the Stoke Mandeville Stadium page or retweet the announcement from Twitter ‘smstadium’.

Winners of the Harpers Seven passes will be able to use the swimming pool, take part in gym classes and use all gym facilities, as well as receiving expert advice on how to improve their personal fitness.

If your site isn’t on Facebook and you’d like to take advantage of the ‘Harpers Seven’ day pass, which is valid from Monday 11 July to Monday 18 July for seven consecutive days, simply contact your local Harpers Fitness to make an appointment.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Guttmann Road in Aylesbury is working in partnership with Badminton England to encourage more local people to play and enjoy badminton. The home of wheelchair sport and community leisure hub is launching a national badminton programme called – No Strings Badminton in a bid to promote badminton to adults and families. There are currently 535,000 adults playing badminton once a week in England and this initiative aims to increase this number to 605,000 adults playing at least once a week by 2013.

Research has shown that common barriers to participation in badminton include no partner to play with, exclusivity in clubs in terms of standard of play, commitments to annual club memberships and a general feeling of intimidation to play. No strings badminton has been created to help overcome these barriers to enable more people to get involved and enjoy playing.

The programme is a semi-structured pay and play opportunity for the casual badminton player. All ages and abilities are welcome and there is no commitment (no annual fees). There will be a playing partner guaranteed at all sessions as well as a co-ordinator to welcome new players and offer hints and tips.

Ian Seabrook from Stoke Mandeville Stadium says: “We’re pleased to be offering this new programme to the community. The sessions promise to be fun and friendly and will be suitable for all abilities. Badminton is a fun sport and we hope more people will come along and give it a go.”

Nina Bridge, Regional Officer at BADMINTON England says: “No Strings Badminton is a great opportunity for people that have not played in years to come and give it a go. It’s a fun and friendly environment with a coordinator to take you through your first steps. I’m so excited we could bring these sessions to Aylesbury!”

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the home of disability sport and the birthplace of the Paralympic Games recently played host to a full programme of international competition at its facility on Guttmann Road in Aylesbury.

A week long Finnish Wheelchair Rugby Training Camp was concluded with a scintillating match against their GB counterparts and The 4 Nations Parabadminton Series 2011 English Championships entertained crowds.

On the Badminton courts a weekend of top-quality and exhilarating competition came to a thrilling conclusion after a full weekend of badminton was played and it was the English players who stole the show, winning an 23 out of the 25 Gold medals available and only missing out when Scotland’s Connor McFarlane took the Men’s Standing Half-Court Singles over William Smith (Nld) and Niall McVeigh (Ireland) overcame Andrew Martin (Kent) after a three game battle in the final of the Dwarf Men’s Singles.

Home advantage was evident in the Men’s Wheelchair singles, as both the Class 1&2 and Class 3 Gold medals were taken by members of Phoenix BC, based at Stoke Mandeville. Martin Rooke (Bucks) defended the Class 3 title he won at the Scottish Championships in February, triumphing 21-17, 21-13 over Meva Singh Dhesi (Mdx). Denny Vettom looked confident as he took the Class 1&2 Singles Gold for the first time, overcoming Owen Kilburn in straight games 21-16, 25-23. Vettom couldn’t quite secure another Gold as he and Phoenix club-mate Phillip Tew (Bucks) went down to Rowan Crossman and David Follett (Devon) 23-21, 21-12 in the final of the Wheelchair Combined Men’s Doubles.

Amongst the impressed on-lookers over the weekend were England internationals Sarah Walker and Andy Ellis, who as well as awarding medals and signing autographs were also called into action in the umpire’s chair!

Badminton England Disability Manager Tom Webster was delighted with the weekend’s events and said: “The Championships was a fitting conclusion to the domestic Parabadminton season, at a stunning venue for disability sport. The standard of play was exceptional and I’m sure everyone in attendance was impressed with the skill, athleticism and camaraderie on show. The atmosphere of the 4 Nations really is unparalleled. We had a record entry in the physical disability categories and it’s great to see so many new players on show. The game continues to grow, particularly through the hard work of coaches, players and the Inclusive Clubs to grow Parabadminton. The players’ focus will now turn to Dortmund and the German International Parabadminton Open in June, and I’m sure they will all perform with distinction.”

While in other areas of the centre Finnish Wheelchair Rugby team concluded its week long training camp with a match against the GB Wheelchair Rugby team in front of a crowd of more than 100 fans. It was an exciting and very close match and Finland narrowly lost 49 to 52.

Prior to the Wheelchair rugby match the team made use of the first class, specialised training facilities at the centre and spent at least six hours each day within the centre making use of the gym to build on the team’s fitness and the sports halls to work on technique and team play. The players and staff from Finland were pleased with the sporting facilities as well as the purpose built accommodation all within the same location.

Tommi Ojanen, Head Coach of Team Finland Wheelchair Rugby said: "My players and staff enjoyed a great training week with Team GB at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. During this week we trained and played hard in the start of preparation to European Championships 2011 and qualification to London Paralympic Games 2012. The closeness of accommodation and sport facilities made it easy to have an effective training week."

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium said: “It was great to welcome the teams and players to our centre for the training camps and the Parabadminton Championships. This weekend demonstrated just have perfect Stoke Mandeville Stadium is at hosting events, tournaments and training camps for the benefit of the athletes but also at creating a sense of community amongst disabled and able bodied people. There was a great atmosphere with members of the community cheering on our Paralympic hopefuls and International teams.”

The countdown to the ultimate sporting competition has begun - tickets have been bought, East London is being transformed and the capital is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the World's elite athletes. In 2012 all eyes will on Olympic legends Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, however little is known about the athletes competing at the Paralympics two weeks later. These athletes have the same training schedule, compete with just as much passion and are also considered the best in the World, they just happen to be disabled.

Twofour Broadcast are currently making a Channel 4 documentary, following the inspiring journeys of the sportsmen and women battling to become the stars of the Paralympics. The 10 part series will broadcast in a prime-time slot this autumn and aims to make household names of our GB team and raise the profile of the Games.

One episode will be dedicated to Wheelchair Rugby, 2012s most exciting no-holds barred, contact sport. It's the ultimate crowd pleaser, combining the best elements of rugby, basketball and american football - only with bigger collisions! Players have both upper and lower limb disabilities, but what they lack in function, they make up in aggression, speed and physical determination.

After following the team for 6 months, our film will end with GB taking on Finland at Stoke Mandeville Stadium Thursday 12th May. We would like 150 enthusiastic supporters to experience this thrilling game, and help spur on GB to victory. Doors open at 2pm and the game will finish by 5pm. All supporters must be happy to be potentially captured on camera.

A promotional DVD is available upon request, for supporters who wish to attend knowing the basic rules of the game.

With Royal wedding frenzy reaching near fever pitch, Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury is joining in the celebrations by rolling out the red carpet and inviting all William and Kate’s within the Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville area to enjoy a complimentary membership and revel in their Royal namesakes.

Until the end of the month, all William and Kate’s within Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville will be able to take full advantage of Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s amazing offer and enjoy a free one week membership with full access to all of the facilities on offer.

Lynn Britten, General Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium commented, “With less than two weeks to go until the big day, we wanted to join in on the fun and celebrate this special occasion with the local community. We’re not sure how many William and Kate’s are out there but we hope to see as many as possible; and you never know, our local William and Kate’s may even find a love of their very own!”

England’s community of disabled badminton players are currently training hard as the most important tournament in their domestic calendar approaches; the 4 Nations Parabadminton Series - English Championships.

The 4 Nations takes part from13th-15th May and is expected to attract around 120 of the best Parabadminton players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to compete at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement and the spiritual home of disability sport.

This year’s championships at Stoke Mandeville, will hold particular significance for Denny Vettom. Denny is a member of Phoenix Badminton Club, a BADMINTON England Inclusive Club which trains and plays at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, and he is desperate to take home a gold medal from his home court.

Denny, 33, was inspired to take up badminton after a visit to the 4 Nations English Championships in Liverpool in 2009, and has competed in competitions across the UK and Ireland ever since. Always enthusiastic about sport, Denny has used a wheelchair since sustaining a spinal injury in a mountain biking accident. Badminton is now his main sporting passion. He comments, “Badminton keeps me fit and active, and most of all I enjoy being able to play and socialise with both disabled and non-disabled players at Phoenix BC.”

Currently training with his club three times a week, Denny is focussed on securing his first ever Men’s Singles Gold after winning the Mixed Doubles with partner Morag Johnson (SCO) at the 4 Nations Scottish Championships in February.

Phoenix Badminton Club now has seven wheelchair badminton players amongst their ranks, and Denny says that the friendly competition amongst the squad is pushing them to improve all the time, “Scotland was a really exciting tournament, especially for Phoenix Badminton Club taking home four medals. I’m really looking forward to the English Leg of the 4 Nations which is coming to Aylesbury in May and hoping to take home a few more medals for Phoenix!”

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for Stoke Mandeville Stadium comments, ”To host this event at Stoke Mandeville Stadium is a good sign of how Leisure Connection, WheelPower and Badminton England work together to develop Parabadminton in Buckinghamshire. We wish Denny and the rest of the team from Phoenix the best of luck in the competition.”

With National Fitness Week upon us there’s never been a better time to dig out your Lycra, clean up your trainers and get active! But, if like many, you’re feeling a bit intimidated by the thought of signing up to a gym, then look no further than fitness facilities at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury.

Celebrating National Fitness Week in style, Stoke Mandeville Stadium is giving away a FREE one day pass for people across Aylesbury to enjoy and see how Harpers Fitness can help them get in shape this summer.

This one day pass will allow guests to use the swimming pool, gym classes and all gym facilities, for one day, as well as receive expert advice on how to improve their personal fitness.

Business Development Manager Ian Seabrook at Stoke Mandeville Stadium commented, “This is the perfect opportunity for people within the community to come down to Stoke Mandeville Stadium and make the most of our fantastic facilities and not only enjoy the benefits of exercise during National Fitness Week, but hopefully on a regular basis.”

Phoenix Wheelchair Badminton Club struck gold at the Scottish leg of the Four Nations Championships in Edinburgh this month, as the team prepare for the English stage of the Four Nations Disabled Badminton Championship due to be held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Aylesbury in May.

Supported by Harpers Fitness at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, WheelPower and Bucks 2012; the Disabled Badminton Championships will see some of the best players in the sport battle it out to win gold.

The Phoenix players are based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and use their state of the art facilities to train.

Martin Rooke and Denny Vettom competed in Scotland on behalf of Phoenix Wheelchair Badminton Club and enjoyed some well deserved success. Martin participated in Wheelchair Class 3 and won a gold medal in the singles competition, defeating David Crossman of Devon Racqueteers.

Denny won silver in the singles Wheelchair Class 2 and also took home gold in both the men’s and mixed doubles.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, home of the Paralympics, is pleased to be holding the Harpers International Sitting Volleyball tournament; a triangular international series between Great Britain, Canada and the Netherlands on the 23rd -25th March.

Supported by Harpers Fitness at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, WheelPower and Bucks 2012, it will see some of the best sportsmen in the field battle it out to win the tournament.

Matt Rogers, the Great British Team Leader commented, “We are really excited about bringing International Sitting Volleyball back to Stoke Mandeville Stadium. This competition is the start of what will be the most important year in Great Britain’s Sitting Volleyballs history, where we hope to confirm our place in the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Our sport has grown rapidly in the past few years and we look forward to showcasing and sharing our sport with all those at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.”

Charlie Walker, a member of the British team commented, “Having trained at Stoke Mandeville Stadium both before and after I lost my legs I am really excited about representing my country for the first time on home soil at this iconic venue. The prospect of playing two great teams at the place where the Paralympics all started will be a dream come true for me and for the rest of the team.”

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium commented, “We are thrilled to be hosting such a prestigious event and can’t wait to welcome the three teams at the end of March.”

Kevan Baker in New Years Honours List

WheelPower, the national disability sports organisation and charity for wheelchair sport is today celebrating the news that its Chairman, Kevan Baker of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire was awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours List announced today.

Kevan Baker has been a paraplegic since a road traffic accident in 1979. Following his rehabilitation at Pinderfields Spinal Unit, Wakefield, Kevan became interested in athletics and especially discus. A competitor in discus in 4 Paralympic Games, Kevan has medalled in three and has also been a former World Champion and 4 times world record holder.

Kevan Baker became Chairman of the WheelPower – British Wheelchair Sport, in 1996 and is former Chairman of the organisations Sports Federation and Sports Management Committee.

President of WheelPower, The Hon Mark Vestey commented, “it is wonderful news that Kevan’s lifelong involvement and service to wheelchair sport and British wheelchair athletics as well as his own sporting achievements within the Paralympic movement have been recognised with this honour”.

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower added, “thanks to the dedication of volunteers like Kevan disability sport has moved forward during his time involved with WheelPower. Kevan was a key driver in the redevelopment in 2003 of the facilities at Stoke Mandeville Stadium which provide disabled people with a superb venue for training and sports events.

Whether it is chairing meetings, meeting and influencing sponsors and donors or being the figurehead for the organisation, Kevan has set an excellent example giving of his time to ensure WheelPower is represented where needed.

As a former athlete himself, Kevan has a great understanding of the important role sport plays in transforming the lives of young and newly disabled people.”

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics, was pleased to welcome the Tunisian National Paralympic Committee last week as part of their tour of the UK.

Members of the committee, Ahmed Belazi and Med Marwen Ghali, were visiting potential training sites ahead of the Paralympic Games in 2012. Stoke Mandeville Stadium is a firm favourite thanks to its world leading training facilities and impressive heritage as and role as the national centre for wheelchair sport.

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium commented, “It was an honour to welcome the Tunisian representatives to Stoke Mandeville Stadium last week. Over the last 12 months, Leisure Connection who manage the facilities on behalf of national charity WheelPower have been working closely with our partners Bucks 2012 Group and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to promote our region to international Olympic and Paralympic Committees as a suitable pre-2012 training camp venue. Our excellent facilities enable teams to train without having to travel between their hotel and the training venue, which is a massive draw for many teams.

The Tunisian Committee is expected to choose its UK training camp early next year.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics, is pleased to welcome the Papua New Guinea Paralympic Committee in the run up to the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Dr Kefu Ma, Chef de Mission of the Papua New Guinea Committee visited the South East region to view the pre-Games training facilities on offer and confirmed that the team will use Stoke Mandeville Stadium and Sevenoaks School in Kent as their training facility to prepare.

Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for Stoke Mandeville Stadium commented, “It is an honour to welcome the Papua New Guinea athletes to Stoke Mandeville Stadium. Over the last 12 months we have been working with our partners; Bucks 2012 Group and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), to promote our region to international Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s as a suitable pre-2012 training camp venue. Papua New Guinea will be one of many teams visiting our facilities to train and prepare for 2012.”

Dr Kefu Ma added, “I’ve really enjoyed visiting the South East region, especially Stoke Mandeville, which is well known throughout the world as the birthplace of the Paralympics. I was very impressed with the quality of sporting facilities here in the UK and enjoyed warm hospitality throughout my visit. I am particularly pleased that I was able to come"

The GB Disability team had more success on Friday at the IPC Shooting World Cup at Stoke Mandeville .

Di Coates won the gold in the R2 Air Rifle Standing event for women with Lotta Helsinger (SWE) in second place and Monica Lillehagen (NOR) taking the bronze.

Di who has competed in 7 Paralympic Games said, “I am fully focused in my attempt to compete in my 8th Paralympics in 2012. This event has given all of the GB team a taste of what it will be like to compete in a top level event on home soil”.

In the R1 10m Air Rifle Standing competition for men, Nathan Milgate came first with Werner Muller (AUS) and Norbert Gau (GER) in second and third place respectively.

The final British medal of the day was yet another gold, this time won by Rob McLeary in the R4 10m Air Rifle standing (mixed). He beat Victoria Wedin (SWE) and Tanong Chanan (THA).

This means that Team GB have won five of the possible 6 gold medals to date, and look forward to adding to this tally over the weekend.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics Games, will be hosting the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Shooting World Cup this October.

The is the first time the event has been held in Britain and will run from the 1st to the 3rd October, which will not only give the athletes the valuable opportunity to compete on home soil and in front of a home crowd but also help broaden the knowledge of disability target shooting amongst the nation. The organisations involved in this event aim to create awareness of disabled sport and promote real talent and opportunities for disabled people.

Esther Appleyard from Accentuate, one of the sponsors of the IPC Shooting World Cup said, “Accentuate is delighted to sponsor the Shooting World cup as part of our project Major Events. Accentuate is a transformational programme of 15 projects, inspired by the Paralympic Movement, which seeks to change perceptions and offer opportunities to showcase the talents of deaf and disabled people.”

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive for WheelPower the national charity and disability sports organisation for wheelchair sport added, “This is a fantastic event to be involved with. WheelPower is keen to see different sports showcased here at the Stadium so that young and newly disabled people can enjoy a wide variety of sports. We hope that this event encourages people to try out disability shooting for themselves so that the sport can grow even further in the future.”

Ian Seabrook, Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s Business Development Manager commented, “We are thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic sporting event. We hope this event helps increase awareness of disability sport and encourages more people to come down to the Stadium and try out the great range of sports we have to offer.”

Accentuate is funded by Legacy Trust UK which is creating a cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, SEEDA and the regional cultural agencies. Screen South is the home of Accentuate.

Lucy Crickmore, Events Consultant at UK Sport, said, “UK Sport is committed to bringing world class sporting events to the UK ahead of 2012, in what we believe will be the most comprehensive pre-Games events programme ever staged by an Olympic host nation. We are delighted that the IPC Shooting World Cup 2010 will be part of this programme.”

Lindsey Horton, from Tourism South East said, “We are very proud to be involved in this event. It sits very well with our aim to become Britain’s most accessible region in preparation for London 2012 including the improvement of facilities, levels of service and welcome for the disabled and their families and friends”.

There are around 75 shooters taking part in this competition from 15 nations around the globe including Thailand, USA, Poland and Great Britain.

The recent Shooting World Championships in Croatia showed the British team to be on great form, winning two silver and two bronze medals. Great Britain is now one of the most highly respected nations in Paralympic Shooting which gives the British team great confidence for the World Cup.

Pasan Kularatne, head coach and performance manager for the GB Team said “I am feeling confident about the World Cup and I am looking forward to it. The athletes are all training hard and I think it will be a very exciting competition.”

The athletes representing Great Britain in this event include Nathan Milgate who made the final in his first ever Paralympic Games in Beijing, Di Coates, winner of an incredible eight Paralympic medals over a career spanning seven Paralympic Games and Beijing Paralympic Gold medallist Matt Skelhon, who won three medals at the recent World Championships. Matt said, “I am very exciting about the World Cup. It’s a great opportunity to play against people in my own country and I have been shooting well in my training sessions so am feeling confident.”

There are two main categories for disabled shooting, SH1 which is disability not affecting the upper limbs, and SH2 where there is some upper limb impairment. SH2 shooters place their rifles on a spring loaded stand when shooting. The event will feature 10 metre target shooting in both rifle and pistol disciplines. The aim is to shoot as close to the centre of the target as possible, from the outside edge of the circle awarding the shooter one point to the middle scoring ten points. The athletes make it look incredibly easy, but the accuracy required to achieve a high score is extremely difficult to achieve with one slight wobble causing you to go off target.

The event also aims to get local people involved with a community programme including school taster sessions during the event and a volunteer scheme.

Ian Barham, Buckinghamshire manager for the 2012 games said, “We recruited local volunteers to support the event. The volunteers will receive pre-event training in a number of issues relating to event management and accessibility issues. If you are interested, a number of opportunities still remain to support this event. If you would like to be involved please contact Ian Barham on 01296 585184 or email ibarham@bucks2012.org

WheelPower, owners of Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of Paralympic Sport are celebrating 2 Years to the London 2012 Paralympic Games by providing young disabled people aged 12-18 with a chance to play sport at Time to Shine.

Some 100 young people from the Olympic Boroughs of Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest together with children from neighbouring Boroughs of Havering and Bexley are joining children from Buckinghamshire to celebrate the Paralympic countdown at the three day sports event.

Martin McElhatton, WheelPower Chief Executive commented, “With two years to go to the Paralympic Games in London, Time to Shine is providing an opportunity to inspire young disabled people to take part in sport. For children with disabilities sport can be a fantastic way to lead a healthy lifestyle, have fun and break down the barriers in life. WheelPower welcomes the children from London to Stoke Mandeville Stadium and hopes that their experience here will inspire them to achieve their sporting dream just like the Paralympians will do in two years time in London.”

Ian Barham, Bucks 2012 Manager added, “We are proud of our Paralympic Heritage in Buckinghamshire and the welcome extended to athletes from London, the UK and around the world when they visit the birthplace of the Paralympic Games and create their own sporting memory. Buckinghamshire has a wide ranging programme linked to London 2012 including cultural and sporting ambitions to increase participation and awareness of disability sport while makiing the county the most accessible for athletes with a disability.”

Time to Shine is funded by WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport, thanks to the support of the 2012 Olympic Park Contractors matched in part by funding via Sport England’s Sportsmatch Scheme. In addition to providing two events in 2009 and 2010 for children aged 6-11 Time to Shine has funded an Activator role to support the Olympic Boroughs deliver their Olympic and Paralympic 5 Borough Sports Plan. This, together with Time to Shine events in the lead up to 2012 will aim to provide a long lasting legacy for children with disabilities in the Olympic Boroughs.

Ian Galloway, CLM Programme Director commented, “Time to Shine provides a unique opportunity for children from London to visit and be inspired by Stoke Mandeville. More importantly it gives them the chance to try sports they may not have had the opportunity to do at home and our hope is that we can create a legacy of sports provision across all Olympic Boroughs so that the legacy of London 2012 is a tangible one for children with disabilities with opportunities to take part in sport at all levels.”

Julie Kapsalis, South East Regional Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games and member of the South East Partnership, said: “The Time to Shine event is a fantastic opportunity for young people from the Olympic Boroughs to unite with their counterparts at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. This marks the start of the two year countdown to the opening of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and celebrates Stoke Mandeville as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. The next 24 months are a crucial opportunity to bring disability sport and its profile and participation into the spotlight.

Stoke Mandeville Institute of Sport and Education, SMISE, is celebrating after its first six training courses has helped qualify over 110 people in various training courses in disability sport in the past year.

Launched in 2009, SMISE is an education and training partnership between WheelPower, Bucks New University, Bucks and Milton Keynes County Sports Partnership and Leisure Connection. This programme helps disabled people or those wishing to work within disability sport get into this career field by offering sports education and fast track training opportunities.

Blair MacGillivray, Leisure Connection Regional Manager commented, “These courses have proven essential in helping people enter their chosen career path of working within the disabled sporting world. It is vital that such courses continue so that the future of disability sport is secured. We are thrilled to be able to offer such vital training programmes and hope to welcome more and more people as the courses continue.”

Carina Page, Sport Strategy manager at Buckinghamshire New University and Stoke Mandeville Institute commented, “Stoke Mandeville Institute of Sport and Education provides a unique learning experience that is bespoke and tailored for the individual needs. We offer high quality range of courses from basic disability awareness right through to sport specific courses and we provide a learning pathway and support system for our learners.

It is our overall aim to empower disabled people to play an active role in their continual professional development in sport and physical activity as coaches, leaders, officials and volunteers. In addition to this SMISE aims to contribute to a more coordinated, effective delivery system for disability sports education and training, working closely with employers, educational partners and key stakeholders to ensure the disability sport and leisure workforce is appropriately skilled and qualified now and for the future.”

Martin McElhatton, chief executive of WheelPower commented, “Stoke Mandeville Institute of Sport and Education aims to be a world leading provider for National Governing Bodies of Sport and Disability Sports Organisations to build capacity in the sector through courses across a range of areas including coaching, officiating, disability awareness and classification. Through increasing the workforce trained in all of these areas we can help grow sport for people with disabilities, ensure people with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in sport and provide pathways for those with talent so they can excel. SMISE also provides opportunities for disabled people to be involved in sport not only as participants but as coaches, referees and officials, volunteers and classifiers."

Stoke Mandeville Institute of Sport and Education aims to;

· Contribute to a more coordinated, effective delivery system for disability sports education and training. Providing a unique programme of education and training with a specific focus on disability sport.

· Provide a unique holistic programme of sport and leisure education and training opportunities. The institute has a specific disability focus creating accessible and inclusive learning opportunities for disabled people and those working or wishing to work in disability sport.

· Support and build the existing capacity of local and national disability sports organisations and clubs to increase the quantity and quality of sports provision at the grassroots through to elite level sport. Develop and deliver courses that raise the awareness of the needs of disabled people within sport and leisure, to give deliverers the skills to include disabled people in their sports activities.

· Empowering disabled people to take a more active role in sport and physical activity by recruiting and training disabled people to be tutors, coaches, officials, volunteers and classifiers within a variety of sports and activities.

SMISE wishes to work with employers, educational partners and key stakeholders to ensure the disability sport and leisure workforce is appropriately skilled and qualified.

If you wish to find out more information about SMISE, the types of courses available or become an education delivery partner please contact Carina Page, Sport Strategy Manager on 07920 150 465.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium, birthplace of the Paralympics and national centre for disability sport, will be welcoming the Saudi Arabian Paralympic Committee to their state of the art training facilities in preparation for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Ian Seabrook, Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s Business Development Manager commented, “We are really looking forward to having the Paralympic team on site in the run up to the 2012 Games. It will be fantastic to get an insight into how an international squad train and work together in preparation for such an important sporting event; something that will be an inspiration to us all. We wish them every success.”

Dr Nasser Al Saleh, a member of the Saudi Paralympic Committee and Secretary General of the Saudi Special Need Federation said “We are thrilled to have secured our training camps at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. The Stadium combines world class facilities with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere which we believe will only enhance our pre-training.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium welcomed more than 500 children from across Buckinghamshire on the 26th June for the Bucks Youth Games; a festival of sport for children in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Both primary and secondary children from across the county were able to try their hands at lots of different sports and get some great tips from sporting heroes Danny Crates, Paralympic Gold Medallist, Bobby White GB Handball Team Goalkeeper, Andrew Daniels GB sprint canoeist and Georgina Callingham from the Paralympic Target Shooting Squad, who were on hand throughout the day. Stoke Mandeville Stadium also welcomed special guests Wenlock and Mandeville, the official 2012 Olympic and Paralympic mascots.

Organised by the Bucks and Milton Keynes Sports Partnership (Bucks Sport), the Games has been granted the prestigious London 2012 Inspire mark, the badge of the London 2012 Inspire programme which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the London 2012 Games, and which aims to inspire young people to become a member of a local sports club and overall enjoy sport.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, commented, “Projects like the Bucks Youth Games are enabling people in Buckinghamshire to make positive life changes.”

Blair MacGillivray, Regional Manager of Sport England commented, “‘It was a great privilege for the Leisure Connection team at Stoke Mandeville Stadium to host this major sporting event and to welcome all of the sporting heroes including Wenlock and Mandeville on their first stop before their exciting UK tour.”

Mary McAnally, LOCOG Member for the South East of England and the Deputy Chair of the South East Partnership (SEP), added: “This has been the 2012 mascots’ first visit to the South East, and what a fitting occasion they have found in the Bucks Youth Games and Stoke Mandeville. Together with the sporting champions, Wenlock and Mandeville have inspired a new generation of disabled and able-bodied young people and their communities to participate in sport under the Olympic and Paralympic values.”

The Games are not just about the young participants. This special event highlights the variety of ways everyone can get involved in sport and enjoy it. The team coaches and managers, Local Authority sports development officers, competition managers, event organisers and volunteers, and hundreds of guests, parents and spectators, all contributed to the success of the Bucks Youth Games.

Pictures kindly supplied by Amy Watters - www.amywatters.co.uk

Pictures will be available to download form the Bucks Sport website - www.buckssport.org

Stoke Mandeville Stadium is celebrating in style after Business Development Manager, Ian Seabrook was crowned Champion of the Year, in the recent Hospitality Assured Awards, which recognise efforts to constantly improve service and business in the hotel and leisure industry.

Beating off competition from various other hospitality and leisure managers across the UK, Ian was commended on his hard work and dedication throughout the year, maintaining Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s enviable reputation as a world class sporting facility and national home for disability sport

Ian commented, “It is a great honour to accept this award. In two years time, the world will be looking to the UK as the two largest sporting events on Earth kick off; we will be welcoming visitors from all parts of the world and have a massive opportunity to leave a positive legacy. Hospitality Assured can give every part of the service industry a firm basis to ensure that each and every visitor leaves our shores with an experience that they will happily remember for the rest of their lives, something that I’m positive Stoke Mandeville Stadium, WheelPower and Leisure Connection can consistently deliver.”

Richard Millman, Leisure Connection’s CEO commented, “This is a fantastic achievement for Ian and his team at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. The award is a clear example of Ian’s commitment and enthusiasm in ensuring that everyone enjoys a world class service when visiting the Stadium, whether they are a top athlete or regular gym-goer.”

The award winners cover a cross section of the hospitality industry, from hotels and conference centre environments to leisure centres and facilities management providers.