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.

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, 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 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 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.

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.