VISIONAutumn 2018A visible difference through sport

Contents Page Acting Chairman’s Report Chief Executive’s Welcome In the News Have a Go Days Archery Cricket Fundraising Meet Ibz Superhero Triathlon See My Voice Find a Guide Volunteer Case Study What’s On Shooting Tenpin Send Us Your Story

Acting Chairman’s ReportI’m delighted to report that at the BBS AGM in early September, the charity’s elected Chairman Ken Nash had recovered sufficiently from his recent illness to return as Chair of BBS. It has been a privilege for me to stand in as Acting Chair of the charity for the past nine months, but I am very pleased that Ken is well enough to take up his role again. As Ken hasn’t been around over the past few months it made sense for me to write this report as my last act as Acting Chair. The big focus for BBS over summer 2018 has been on our multi-sport Have a Go Day events. Since the programme began, over 800 participants have taken part in the events. In 2018, we’ve held Have a Go Days in Cambridge, Cardiff, Liverpool, Oxford, London, Surrey, Brighton, Newcastle and Bristol following events in 2017, taking place in Northampton, Glasgow, Leicester, Coventry, Milton Keynes, Hereford,

Manchester & Birmingham. This programme has been a great success as demonstrated by the exceptional participation numbers. My congratulations to Logan Gray, Alex Pitts and all the rest of the team for the superb job they’ve done on this programme over the past year. Dave Gavrilovic,Vice Chairman of British Blind Sport

Chief Executive’s WelcomeDear Member As a member of BBS, it is highly likely that you are already living an active lifestyle and utilising the great services of our sport sections which are led by dedicated volunteers. However as you may have seen in the national press and media, there is genuine alarm about the growing obesity crisis, particularly focused on children and their inactive lifestyles. Headlines such as: • 80% of girls and 77% of boys are not active enough to stay healthy • 20% of children are obese by the end of primary school A scary announcement that the UK life expectancy has stalled for the first time since 1982 really brings home the message that we need to support our children to become more active. Sadly V.I. children are more likely to be less active than their sighted peers. The Millennium Cohort Study found that at the ages of 7 and 11, V.I. children were less likely than fully sighted children of the same age to be physically active and meet the CMO guidelines of 60 minutes of activity daily. So what can we do about it? British Blind Sport is committed to early intervention through our First Steps programme, our Have a Go Day events that are free for children and adults alike, as well as free child membership which offers participation opportunities for those living with sight loss under the age of 18

years. We want to build on our work and have recently put in applications to request funding for an 18 month and 5 year research programme. The short but in depth study will focus on the development skills of young children living with sight loss, whilst the five year research will run in parallel to our First Steps project to evaluate the impact of providing youngsters and their families with the tools to get active. We are keen to see young V.I. people reach their full physical health potential. As members who are already active, I’m sure that you will agree that the benefits to an active lifestyle are tremendous.

In the NewsMeet the Team

British Blind Sport are pleased to welcome three new starters: Cassie Dix, Sarah Baker and Tomas Allum.

Cassie Dix, Membership and Finance Support Officer

Cassie brings over 13 years’ experience of finance to the role which aids in supporting Alaina MacGregor, CEO, with the accounts. Cassie works closely with volunteers to ensure that the administration of memberships are handled effectively as well as answering any general enquiries.

Sarah Baker, Governance Officer

Sarah Baker joins the team to help with governance, classification, policy and to support with office administration. Her role includes reviewing policies, systems and procedures in line with Sport England and other accredited organisations to ensure that BBS is compliant in these areas.

Tomas Allum, Communications Officer

Tom brings a background in marketing within the sports industry to lead the function of marketing and communications. Tom works closely with the team to help raise awareness of the

work of British Blind Sport and ensure opportunities created to increase participation are communicated effectively.

Message to Members:

PSFL

After a long and successful relationship, the Partially Sighted Football League has announced that from the 2018/2019 season forward, they will operate independently from British Blind Sport. For over 25 years, the PSFL has benefitted from British Blind Sport’s expertise in development and governance, ensuring consistent funding and that the league and their teams remain healthy and safe. Alaina MacGregor, CEO of British Blind Sport said, “We are proud to have supported the PSFL for so many years and they now have the infrastructure and confidence to be able to operate independently. We wish them all the best for the future and look forward to supporting the new-look PSFL.” British Blind Sport will continue to support the work of the PSFL and the FA to develop new grassroots opportunities for partially sighted football.

Have a Go DaysSuccess for our 2018 Have a Go Days! Following on from 2017, this year British Blind Sport have been delivering Have a Go Days all over the nation. These events have been set out to provide blind and partially sighted people with opportunities to try out local sports and physical activities available to them. This year, Have a Go Days were delivered in 9 areas across the nation: Cambridge, Liverpool, Oxford, London, Surrey, Sussex, Newcastle, Bristol and Cardiff. These events have benefitted over300 participants and introduced participants to over 15

different sports/activities, ensuring they’re all aware of how they can carry on in their sport of choice after the event. Without the funding of the Peter Harrison Foundation and the support from volunteers, local sight loss associations, county sports partnerships, local sports clubs and national governing bodies of sport, these events would not be possible. British Blind Sport would like to thank everyone who has been involved in our 2018 series of Have aGo Days. This edition of Vision is celebrating the success of these Have a Go days and shares some of the feedback from the Have a Go Day project. 92% of participants had fun at the event they attended 91% said they wanted to do more exercise 100% of participants felt safe at the event they attended 92% of participants said they would like to attend another Have a Go Day event

Here’s what some of them personally had to say… “I liked trying sports that were especially for visually impaired people. We might have a go at junior parkrun now!” Participant,Cambridge Have a Go Day “We had an amazing day altogether in the family. Both my four children and I had a great day. It was great to have both my V.I. children and their siblings involved as it made the day much more fun. Thank you for organising!”Parent, Surrey Have a Go Day “I had lots of fun. I was nervous at first but I was made to feel welcome and everyone was friendly and helpful. I am hoping to take up one or two of the sports I tried today more regularly.”Participant, Bristol Have a Go Day Keep a look out on the BBS website and in Vision for further

Have a Go Day events and updates. If you want to know what sport and physical activity is available to you in your area, please email our Participation Officer, Alex Pitts on alex@britishblindsport.org.uk.

ArcheryNATIONAL OUTDOOR ARCHERY TARGET CHAMPIONSHIPS British Blind Sport Archery would like to give thanks to both tournament sponsors, The Worshipful Company of Bowyers and Clickers Archery, for their continuing support, to the work party and all who helped out over the weekend, the Judges, Mr. Tony Goad and Mrs. Lisa Mason and Graham Rees-Evans for the results service. A weekend of mixed weather set the scene for this competition as records tumbled. As usual, welcome is extended to all the new archers who had previously attended the Indoor Championships in April. A full list of Scores and Records can be found on the BBS-AS website at www.bbsarchery.org.uk. A tribute to Norman Perry, who lived a remarkable life which had an impact on so many other blind people. Norman Perry, one of the founders of British Blind Sport Archery and Blind Veterans UK, sadly died on 16th April 2018 aged 98. After losing his sight whilst serving his country in World War Two, Norman returned home and found a passion in V.I. Archery. He founded British Blind Sport Archery in 1985, creating opportunities for other V.I. people to enjoy the sport. Norman Perry, you have been an inspiration to visually impaired archery and we thank you.

Cricket

Superb Sussex Retain BBS Cup The County Ground Beckenham 2017 BBS Cup winners, Sussex Sharks, faced 2018 BCEW National League champions, Metro, in the 40th annual final of the BBS Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Memorial Cup. After sending the Londoners in to bat, Sharks claimed two early wickets as Joe Harrison had Nick Ebbeck caught by Alex Towers and Andy Law well caught in close by Ian Morris. Matt Dean batted with authority, crashing boundaries with freedom, before in the 8th over firstly passing 50, then hitting his own wicket from David Daniels’s bowling, to leave Metro 77/3. A massive collapse followed with 3 wickets falling to Dan Field with the score on 83, caught by David Daniels, Alex Towers and Dan Field. Towers took his first wicket a run later, leaving Metro in trouble on 84/7. A batting partnership from Mark Russell and Hassan Khan dragged the score up to 122 before Field and Towers finished Metro off. Firstly the pair ran out Khan, then Towers claimed his second wicket before Field’s 4th wicket, caught by Tom Brooks, left Metro 126 all out. Field claimed 4-13, whilst Towers took 3-2. In Sussex’s innings, Rory Field had David Daniels caught by Rob Comber and Si Ledwith caught Joe Harrison off Amit Amin’s bowling, to leave Sharks 44/2. That was as good as it got for Metro as a brilliant 83 run partnership from Dan Field (45 not out) and Andy Dalby-Welsh (29 not out) led Sussex to an 8 wicket win. Dan Field and David Daniels were Partially Sighted and Total Man of the Match respectively. BBS Cricket would like to thank The Primary Club for their generous support, as well as Ben Green from Kent County Cricket Club and Anna Spencer from the County Ground Beckenham.

Fabulous Fundraisers

The Virgin Money London Marathon

On Sunday 22nd April, Team BBS took on the iconic Virgin Money London Marathon, raising vital funds for British Blind Sport. A huge thank you goes out to Abi, Colin, Dan, David, Gary, Jenny, Louise, Lucie and Paul. We couldn’t be more grateful for their dedication. Could you take on the greatest marathon in the world and raise money to support V.I. people in sport? If you are interested in running the Virgin Money London Marathon 2019 for BBS, simply complete the registration form at https://britishblindsport.org.uk/londonmarathon/ and we’ll be in touch.

Are you an Amazon customer?

Did you know, if you’re shopping at Amazon, you can support people with V.I. in sport by shopping through AmazonSmile.co.uk. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon - same products, same prices and same service with the only difference being that Amazon will donate to BBS every time you purchase through the AmazonSmile website.

Become a Friend of BBS

By making a regular donation to British Blind Sport you could improve a visually impaired person’s life. A regular donation of just £3 is so simple and easy to set up and will make a real difference. Please visit www.britishblindsport.org.uk/make-a-donation or contact us at fundraising@britishblindsport.org.uk or 01926 424247.

Extending a huge thank you to Henry Ison & Sons Funeral Directors.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude after a £750 cheque was presented to Lucy Beattie-Cooper,

Fundraising Manager at the BBS Offices by Elizabeth Armstrong of Henry Ison & Sons Funeral Directors. This money was raised by a promotional campaign they ran, in which they donated £50 for every person that signed up to a Funeral Plan in the Coventry area. Furthermore, Elizabeth has set-up a window display in Coventry to promote British Blind Sport and the work that is done to create more opportunities for V.I. people to get active. Their Kenilworth branch is also setting up a display. It’s not just financial donations that can help us to make a visible difference. If you think your company could help support our work, contact fundraising@britishblindsport.org.uk or 01926 424247.

Look out for the Christmas campaign!

Our Christmas campaign 2017 was a great success, exceeding our targets and raising £1,599.85 to support the BBS Youth Fund! We are aiming to raise over £2500 this year and for every £1 you donate, our generous corporate supporters will match your donation and double the amount we receive! Please join with us to help more children with V.I. this Christmas! We’ll be announcing further details very soon, so keep in touch via BBS social media and the BBS website. Could you fundraise for British Blind Sport? Contact Lucy Beattie-Cooper, Fundraising Manager: fundraising@britishblindsport.org.uk.

Meet IbzI live by the quote: “Disability does not mean inability” - Ibraheem Iqbal

Ibz was a healthy young boy who enjoyed sports and doing all things an active child would do, when, at 12 years old, he noticed his sight deteriorating. By 16 years of age Ibz was

blind. Ibz has overcome a barrage of challenges that came with losing his sight six years ago, including learning to walk with a white cane, touchtyping and the obstacles of playing the sports that he once enjoyed. Ibz recently competed in the National School Games, winning gold medals for both the 400m sprint and 20km tandem cycling races. Prior to this he played blind football for West Bromwich Albion FC, where he played at a national level and even attended England development camps. Graduating from the Royal National College for the Blind with three A levels and refusing to let his blindness stop him from following his dreams, Ibz has just begun his next adventure, studying Psychology at the University of Liverpool. Attributing some of his achievements to the work of British Blind Sport, Ibz said that “If it wasn’t for their initial and constant support, I may have not achieved the things I have today”. His friends also recognise the impact that British Blind Sport has had on helping him become “a confident and independent person”. Ibz and his team, Flying Blind, will be jumping through the clouds on the 23rd March, skydiving from 10,000 feet, with the objective of raising £2,500 for British Blind Sport. If you would like to donate to Ibz’s challenge or fundraise for British Blind Sport and want more information, please email fundraising@britishblindsport.org.uk, telephone 01926 424247 or fill in the contact form at https://britishblindsport.org.uk/fundraising/our-fundraising-superstars-2.

Superhero Triathlon - Laura Turner Earlier this year, I was asked by former GB Paralympian, Sophia Warner to be a Celebrity Team Captain for this year’s Superhero Triathlon, which took place in August at Dorney Lake, Windsor. 

Superhero Triathlon aims to encourage people with a disability to have a go at triathlon either as an individual or as a team. Triathlon made its Paralympic debut in Rio. Athletes are required to swim 750m, bike 20k and run 5k. As well as this distance, Superhero Triathlon offers shorter distances to make the event as inclusive as possible. If you fancy taking part, Superhero Triathlon has now confirmed a date for August 2019! Please visit the website for more information. Back in September I completed the Great North Run. What an incredible weekend! Very well supported by the people of Newcastle and South Shields. If you’re looking for a flat epic half marathon, this is the one! Finally, I completed the Swim Serpentine 2 Mile last weekend, organised by London Marathon Events, set in The Serpentine, Hyde Park. I’m not the fastest swimmer but, I did it and what a wonderful experience it was! We were given white swim caps so we could be easily recognised by safety canoes and all other swimmers were respectful. My focus for winter is track cycling events! Laura Turner

See My VoiceEarlier this year British Blind Sport launched See My Voice, a leadership programme for 11-18 year olds with a visual impairment. Approaching the end of the recruitment window for year two, now is an excellent opportunity to explain why it’s a great programme to be involved in: Supported: Connecting you with regular support from British BlindSport, other Young Leaders, partners and host organisations. Tailored: Personalised to the needs and wants of individuals –

so you shape your own path! Empowering: Enabling you to really influence sport for a more inclusive future. Educational: Learning to better understand volunteering roles and their benefits.

Reward and Recognition: Achieving a recognised qualification through your engagement. Be rewarded via certifications based on your level of physical activity(Live), development (Learn) and volunteering in practice (Lead). Are you ready to STEER towards a more inclusive sporting future? Applications for the next intake close soon, so if you are interested in finding out more about the programme or would like to apply, email lijana@britishblindsport.org.uk or call 01926 424247 now.

Meet David, See My Voice Young Leader Earlier this year, young leader, David, was selected as a case study bySport England. Through his involvement in See My Voice, he has developed a new sense of confidence in volunteering through sport. David has grown tremendously throughout the duration of his sports leadership programme, with each volunteering experience increasing his confidence in his own abilities. David has been volunteering in an array of roles in his local community: from running taster sessions to writing match reports, and even assisting his V.I. cricket and disability football teams. When asked why he got involved David said, “I want to make a

difference both for others and myself. Sport has always been very important to me and volunteering has meant I have been able to do something I love, whilst encouraging and helping others to have new experiences or build on their skills.”

Inspired? Sign up to this year’s See My Voice programme before applications close!Visit: https://bit.ly/2Cl7xGbContact: 01926 424247

Find a Guide In the last edition of Vision, the Find a Guide database was announced in partnership with England Athletics. This edition shares with you some important updates regarding the Find a Guide service from start to finish. British Blind Sport and England Athletics have been diligent in ensuring workshops are organised in areas where there is a demand from the V.I. community to have guide running services present. In a bid to better serve V.I. runners, project partners England Athletics have organised and delivered 19 Sight Loss Awareness and Guide Running Workshops this year. This means, to date, over 1000 people have attended a course to help guide V.I. runners to start, get back to or stay running. Over 200 of those that have attended courses this year have been invited to join the Find a Guide platform, which already hosts over300 guides for you to match up with. So if you haven’t yet been successful in pairing up with a guide, your chances have nearly doubled! This platform has also been revamped and as such, Find a Guide is now hosted by Run Together, increasing the functionalities and better connecting you to opportunities in your local area.Whatever your ability, Find a Guide will help match you with a suitable guide runner.

 Visit www.findaguide.co.uk to find a guide runner near you! To support you in your training, please consider purchasing a tether to ensure your safety when out running with your guide. Additionally, you can also purchase ‘Guide Runner’ bibs, available in two sizes, at £10 per item. Providing there is high demand, this offer will continue in the new year with the addition of ‘Blind Runner’ bibs to the range. Visit the BBS website for more details.

Volunteer Case StudyGary Perryman, local volunteer deliverer for V.I. Guide running The importance of volunteers to British Blind Sport cannot be underestimated. Many of the events and services delivered at British Blind Sport are only made possible by the efforts of the volunteers, who willingly give up their time to actively make a difference to the lives of people living with a visual impairment. Last year, Gary Perryman – a Colchester based runner - delivered a taster event for blind and partially sighted people, giving them the opportunity to try running with a guide at the University of Essex’s Colchester campus. Supported by BBS and Tiptree Road Runners, Gary’s event was hailed a big success, attracting volunteers from local running clubs and local people from the V.I. community running with a guide for the first time. One guide runner who attended the event said that he found the session “rewarding, enlightening, humbling and a privilege to be involved in” highlighting the impact that Gary and his fellow volunteers had made in delivering this event. British Blind Sport needs more volunteers like Gary! If you are thinking about setting up your own local event, would like to explore the volunteering opportunities at British Blind

Sport or to register your interest in becoming a volunteer, get in touch at info@britishblindsport.org.uk or 01926 424247.

What’s On The events page on the British Blind Sport website is populated with events and activities from both BBS, partners and other organisations to help BBS members find opportunities to get active in the UK. Here are a few things coming up this year:

British Blind Sport Events

Read about all British Blind Sport Have a Go Days on page 8.For more information email British Blind Sport at info@britishblindsport.org.u k or call 01926 424247.

Goalball UK

This is an easy game to play and has male and female participants of all ages.For more information you can email enquiries@goalballuk.com, telephone 03302 020281 or visit www.goalball.org.uk.

Para Cycling opportunities

To find a list of the upcoming Paracycling opportunities from British Cycling visit http://www.britishblindsport.org.uk/events/ or for more information contact Paul West: email paulwest@britishcycling.org.uk or telephone: 01612 742021.

Superhero Series Winter Wonder Wheels 2018

Anything goes at this festive sports event. Cycle, walk, run, push, be pushed, or anything in between around a spectacular lake. 1k, 5k and 10k routes available. 2nd December 2018 Dorney Lake, Windsor, SL4 6QP.For more information, and to register visit http://www.activityalliance.org.uk/get-active/events/4311-superhero-series-winterwonderwheels-2018

Tennis

A full calendar of Visually Impaired Tennis Tournaments and events can be found on the Tennis Foundation website.Visit: www.tennisfoundation.org.uk/play-tennis/blind-visually-impairedtennis/

Tenpin

The BBS/Primary Club finals day takes place on Friday 16th November at the Rotherham Superbowl. This event is only open to bowlers that have competed in the Primary Club Summer League. The BBS/Westfield Health Trios League will start in November. Entry forms have been sent out to all existing teams that take part in the current leagues. However, if there are any other clubs that would wish to start bowling in these leagues, please email your details to clark.tony@Hotmail.co.uk.

Visual Impairment Sports Day with Scottish Disability Sport

For participants aged 10 years +, this free event is an opportunity for people living with visual impairments to experience athletics, bowls, cycling, football, goalball, judo, swimming and tennis. 17th November 2018, 11.00am – 4.00pmSt Paul’s High School, 90 Gillburn Road, Dundee DD3 0EHFor more information visit: https://www.scottishdisabilitysport.com/event/visual-impairment-sport-day/To register, email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or telephone 01313 171130.

ShootingNSRA Blind/V.I. Air Rifle League News Update Charlie Blow of the NSRA Board of Management and his wife, Viv took over running the Blind/V.I. Air Rifle League in 2016.

They have managed to run a summer and a winter league each year, running both unsupported and supported competitions. The unsupported leagues have had between two and three divisions of four shooters, each shooting 9 rounds of ten shots. The supported leagues have had up to 16 divisions of six shooters, each shooting ten rounds of ten shots. In addition to welcoming four new clubs to the leagues: Somerset Sight, Manx Blind Welfare, Gainsborough Rifle and Pistol Club and Grantham Target Shooting Club, Charlie and Viv would like to congratulate everyone for the high standard of shooting demonstrated in both the supported and unsupported competitions. Unfortunately, they were unable to organise the Blind Air RifleChampionships which are usually run at Aldersley in April, but hope to run the competition again next year. As well as new Clubs, there has been a development of the acoustic sight equipment. As the Swarovski sight is no longer being produced, the Eco-Aims VIS500 Audio Aiming Device presents itself as the best for air rifle shooting. This equipment, produced by Eco-Aims Oy in Finland, will be supplied through the National Small-bore Rifle Association and can be used with standard 10 metre air pistol targets, instead of the special targets needed by the bulkier Swarovski sight. The Eco-Aims sight produces an audio signal as the Swarovski sight does, but is less bulky and easy to use. The entries for the winter league are coming in with plans to have the competition running by the end of October, once leagues have been constructed and competition stickers issued.

TenpinDates For Your Diaries

16th November 2018 Primary Club Pairs /Hay-Moffat Trophy - SheffieldMay 2019 (date tbc) BBS / Westfield Finals Day –Sheffield

Splits and Pieces Do the Biz

BBS Tenpin has faced some real challenges over the last 12 months, mainly because of the closure of our most favourite and user-friendly bowling venues. However, thanks to the fantastic efforts of the Committee, scorers and very supportive membership, we have come through just about unscathed, and stronger for the challenge. Despite the ups and downs of the last year, the BBS Westfield Trios took place on a lovely warm Saturday in May at Barnsley Bowl. It was our first time at this venue, and we enjoyed every minute of it. The twelve qualifying teams from the Trios league, came together to compete for the BBS Westfield Health Championship 2018. Running along side this the main tournament, the Brenda Moore Memorial Trophy took place, with 12 teams taking part in that too. This was split into two sessions, half on Friday evening, and the other half at the same time as the Westield Trios. These two tournaments bring together virtually all bowlers from teams scattered across the UK. This combination has been working very well for the trios from the BBS League since it was trialled two years ago. The Trios final was played over two leagues of a 6 game round robin handicap format, with the corresponding teams in each league playing each other in the final game in a battle of places. During the day the lead changed a number of times. The BBS / Westfield Trios was won by Splits and Pieces (Taunton). The Brenda Moore Memorial was won by Fylde Viscounts (Blackpool). In the evening, the awards dinner was held at the Copthorne Hotel (Bramall Lane). Awards for the League trophies were presented, along with the trophies for the Finals Day themselves. The BBS Tenpin AGM took place on Sunday 13th May, with the existing Committee being ratified by the membership to continue their service for a further three years. A big thank you to the membership for their continued support. Tony Clark - Tenpin Chair

Send us your story At British Blind Sport, we love to hear about members activities and celebrate your success. Add your voice to the stories by sharing your experiences with us! Do you have an interesting story to tell? Have you achieved a sporting goal or started something new? Contact BBS and help inspire others though sport.

Where to find us Like us on Facebook at British Blind Sport Follow us on Twitter at Brit Blind Sport To find out more about British Blind Sport;Visit www.britishblindsport.org.ukCall 01926 424247Email info@britishblindsport.org.uk  Registered Charity Number: 1168093Company Limited by Guarantee Number 10009918