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Centre News and Events
Dragons Raise Over £20,000!
The top picture shows Daniel Steward of Bicester, gold Paralympic medal holder and a member of the British Paralympic Powerlifting set up, with one of the fourteen teams who took part in the first WheelPower Dragon Boat Challenge at Bisham Abbey, Marlow, on Sunday 27th April.
Daniel, 21, says "It was a great day out and despite the stormy start to the day, everyone had a fantastic time. It was a pleasure to be a part of the Challenge and great to watch the crews who had raised so much money also have a great time. The racing was good fun to watch as well as being very competitive for the teams taking part - there was less than half a second between the finishing times of the three crews in the final.
"First place went to Elga's Wet 'n' Wild team of Elga Process Water of Marlow, second place to the Hair Bear Bunch, from Wheel Get You There of West London and third place went to The Refer-On Dragoneers from the Refer-On business networking groups across the Thames Valley. There was even a prize for the best dressed crew which went to the Jack Sparrow's, from Qube Learning of Wallingford."
Madeleine Clarke of WheelPower says "WheelPower is on target to raise £21,000 from this inaugural event which will fund seven specially adapted sports wheelchairs and training for young athletes. I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part and who came along and made the day such a success. We're looking forward to next year's event already!"
Sarah Cole, Duty Manager at Stoke Mandeville Stadium led a team of nine in the event, raising over £500 for the Wheel Appeal. She says 'It was a wonderful day and we had lots of fun helping raise money for this wonderful cause. Though we did not win, we did not come last!! We cannot wait for next year, hopefully we can get more teams from Leisure Connection'.
If you were unable to attend on the day but would still like to contribute to WheelPower's Wheel Appeal which aims to raise enough money to provide 2012 sports wheelchairs for young disabled athletes by the time the Paralympics return 'home' in August 2012, please visit www.justgiving.com/bwsf.
Stoke Mandeville Stadium - the Olympic Lodge Hotel
Book your Olympic Lodge Room Online!!!
If you need accommodation in Aylesbury, The Olympic Lodge Hotel at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, along with Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre has had their accommodation booking facilities go 'online'. This enables guests to book directly with the hotel anytime that they wish.
To book, just go to www.olympic-lodge.co.uk and follow the links
Railex 2008 Show Preview
Over the Whitsun bank holiday weekend of the 24th and 25th May,
Stoke Mandeville Stadium hosts Railex 2008. This is organized by
the Risborough & District Model Railway Club and is one of the
largest Model Railway Exhibitions in the country.
It attracts nearly 3000 visitors over the weekend, last years' show
having a 7% increase on visitors over the previous year.
The quality reputation Railex has gained attracts people from all over the UK with visitors coming from as far afield as West Cornwall and Scotland in the UK plus at least two visitors this year from America.
Twenty of the very best model railway layouts fill the huge 20000 square foot hall. There are also demonstration areas where skills and tips can be learned from the experts. Add to this nearly fifty manufactures, societies and traders from the model railway sphere. So if you need advice or a product however obscure then it is likely you will be able to find the answer at Railex.
The vast majority of models on show have been constructed from raw components and kits rather than taken out of boxes, often the high standard of workmanship is breathtaking.
Although a massive show Railex has a very relaxed feel about it, even when busy. Wide gangways and good circulation areas provide easy viewing of all exhibits and demonstration areas and the stadium is purpose designed for disabled visitors.
For more information , please follow this link to our updated website, this lists everything about the show including exhibits, traders to parking and bus service information from the town centre.
The logistics of staging Railex are quite impressive as many of the exhibits are quite large and are transported to Railex in vans or in some cases small Lorries. Most of the setting up of the show is done on Friday with around 30 members of the R&DMRC giving up their weekend to make sure the show runs smoothly. The onsite Olympic Lodge is a major benefit as all 50 rooms are booked for those exhibitors travelling a long distance and who require accommodation. There are around 300 people including the organisers and model railway layout owners on site before any of the public are admitted.
Details and opening times:
Railex 2008
Stoke Mandeville Stadium
Harvey Road
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP21 9PP
Opening times
Saturday 24th May 10.30-17.30
Sunday 25th May 10.00-17.00
Prices
Adults £6.50
Senior £5.50
Child £4.00
Normally Sunday is less busy than Saturday and there is a special discount offer on Sunday only, allowing up to two accompanied children free entry with a paying adult or senior.
If coming by car It is recommended that all Railex visitors head
for the adjacent William Harding School (access off A413 Wendover
Road) this has ample free parking and is for the exclusive use of
Railex visitors plus is less than a five minute walk via a
pedestrian link to the exhibition.
Aylesbury is easy to get by car from most parts of central and
southern England if coming from the north use the M40/A41, from the
south M25/A41 and west A34/A41. Aylesbury is also served by a fast
and efficient Chiltern Railways service from London Marylebone,
Birmingham and the north.
Get Active - sport and physical activity for people with learning disability
Bucks & Milton Keynes Sports Partnership along with Stoke Mandeville Stadium are running 4 sport and physical activity taster sessions open to anyone with a Learning Disability. You don't have to be sporty just interested in having fun.
The project is aimed at providing opportunities for adults (16+) with learning disability to be more active through sport and physical activity. We want to use these events to try and find out what activities people would be interested in and give them a change to try some new activities.
There will be a range of FREE activities taking place at each
session including Badminton, Boccia, New Age Kurling, Cricket,
basketball, table top games and much more.
Plus your chance to find out more about Get Active Project.
Wednesday 7th May 1.30-4pm at Stoke Mandeville Stadium,
Aylesbury
Friday 9th May 1.30-4pm at Wycombe Sports Centre
Monday 12th May 1.30-3.30pm at Swan Pool, Buckingham
Thursday 29th May 1.30-4pm at Chesham Leisure Centre
For more information or to let us know you are coming, please call Patricia on 01296 585489 or email Patricia Moynihan.
Bucks & Milton Keynes Sports Partnership
Make A Splash
Here Now!!!
Starting w/c Monday 21st April 2008 (for a 10 week trial)
Swim Fit - An instructor led class designed to improve personal
fitness whilst developing stroke technique (Adults Only).
Monday 1pm > 1.45pm (2 lanes)
Friday 12.30 > 1.15pm (2 lanes)
For the price of your normal swim
Polo Fit - A fun, instructor led session that will use water
polo to improve fitness (Adults Only).
Tuesday 9pm > 10pm (full pool)
For the price of your normal swim
*Note - 'Adult Swimming' will not be on during the
trial.
Deep Water Aqua Fit - An energising class in deep water that
work every part of the body (Adults Only).
Tuesday 11am > 11.45am (full pool)
For the price of your normal Aqua Fit class
Let Me Play
Let Me PLay - Basketball Camp 2008 - 3 > 8 August 2008
Over the past 4 years, the Let Me Play Basketball Camps have attracted participants from more than 24 different countries. With an international coaching staff and an excellent mix of young people, this basketball camp is certainly one of the best in the UK. We are very proud of what we do so if you would like to see how good this camp really is, please feel free to contact us and ask for our promotional DVD - a link to their website is below.
Coaching Staff
We have a team of excellent and qualified coaching staff which
includes a mixture of professional coaches, professional and
ex-professional players and USA high school coaches. Most of our
coaches return each year with the addition of one or two that we
recruit. We are very proud of the high level of coaching experts we
have at this camp.
The Camp Programme
Our camp programme has been carefully designed by experienced
coaches and includes the following:
Daily stations that stress the importance of basketball
fundamentals.
Individual coaching.
League competition and playoff games.
Decision zone - learn what to do in pressure situations!
All-star game - the best 10 players on camp get to play against the
staff (which includes a few pro and ex-pro players!).
SAQ training - speed, agility and quickness!
Lectures and workshops on nutrition, sports psychology, performance
analysis and strength and conditioning.
1v1, 3v3 and hot shot competitions.
Awards: MVP, MIP, Best Defender, Camper of the Week.
An Assistant Coaches Programme for young and aspiring coaches (see
below for more details).
Facilities
The camp is run at the Stoke
Mandeville Stadium which is a sporting centre of excellence. The
state-of-the art facilities include 2 indoor basketball courts
(with wooden flooring), a 400 metre running track, weights and
cardio rooms, hotel and dormitory accommodation and a swimming pool
(available for everyone to use). The facility has stadium seating
so parents can come down and watch.
For more inforation about the camp, or should you wish to book, please follow this link: Let Me Play
Lord Coe and Ade Adepitan MBE
Lord Coe selects Stoke Mandeville Stadium for 2012
Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee today visited Stoke Mandeville Stadium to announce that it has been selected as an official training venue for athletes preparing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Stadium operated by Leisure Connection for WheelPower, has been included in the Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. The Guide will be released this summer and will promote facilities for preparation of international athletes in the lead up to the London 2012 Games.
Stoke Mandeville Stadium is the birthplace of the Paralympic Games and the National Centre for Wheelchair Sport. The Stadium provides high quality, fully accessible training facilities for leading sportsmen and women.
The Stadium aims to support Olympic and Paralympic teams as they prepare for London 2012 by providing excellent training facilities, accommodation, catering and all the additional elements that an athlete will require to perform at their best.
The Stadium offers a number of Olympic and Paralympic Sports including: archery, athletics, badminton, basketball and wheelchair basketball, fencing, football, handball, handcycling, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball, shooting (air weapons), swimming, and powerlifting.
At the accouchement, Lord Coe said "We said that we wanted the London Games to be for athletes, and the facilities listed in this Guide will really help overseas athletes prepare well. It also provides a great opportunity for towns throughout the UK to get involved in our plans. The process we have been through shows a great spread of high quality facilities throughout the UK that can be used by elite level athletes. The new website will continue to be an asset to keep an up-to-date log of the elite facilities we have across the UK."
Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, the
organisation which owns Stoke Mandeville Stadium said "Stoke
Mandeville Stadium has become known as the 'home of wheelchair
sport' and the 'birthplace of the Paralympic Games' so we are
delighted that the Stadium has been included in the Pre-Games
Training Camp Guide. We are looking forward to seeing
athletes from around the World preparing for the London Olympic and
Paralympic Games at the Stadium".
Stoke Mandeville Stadium & Olympic Lodge Hotel gain prestigious standard for delivering service and business excellence
Stoke Mandeville Stadium and Olympic Lodge Hotel at Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, have become the first such hotel and leisure complex to gain Hospitality Assured - the prestigious internationally recognised industry-specific standard for delivering service and business excellence in the hospitality industry.
Commenting on gaining the Hospitality Assured standard, Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, said: "It's a wonderful achievement for all the team at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and the Olympic Lodge Hotel. As the national centre for disability sport, the Stadium provides athletes of all ages and abilities with the best facilities and service so that they can compete at the highest levels, and gaining the Hospitality Assured accreditation proves that this is the case.
"WheelPower provides accessible facilities at Stoke Mandeville Stadium - the 'birthplace of the Paralympic Games' - that include an Athletics Arena, Sports Hall, Indoor Bowls Centre, Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre. On-site accommodation in the Olympic Lodge Hotel and the Olympic Village is suitable for a wide range of disabilities and is complemented by meeting and conference facilities, as well as catering for events of all sizes."
The Hospitality Assured accreditation was undertaken by a team of independent UKAS (The United Kingdom Accreditation Service) assessors from MQA Ltd. on behalf of the Institute of Hospitality, which is the professional body for hospitality industry managers worldwide. It covered all aspects of the Olympic Lodge Hotel - with a capacity of 350 beds, including a dormitory area; catering and vending services provided in the Stadium; catering, vending and bar services provided in the Bowls Centre; and conferences and events run anywhere on the site.
Lynn Britten, Business Manager of Stoke Mandeville Stadium for Leisure Connection Ltd., said: "It is a magnificent achievement. Over the past 12 months, everyone has worked extremely hard to develop and improve the business. Gaining Hospitality Assured highlights the benefits of the Leisure Connection Quality Management System.
"Hospitality Assured dovetails extremely well with Quest (the UK Quality Scheme for Sport and Leisure) - for which we retained our 'highly commended' status in our recent assessment. The Hospitality Assured assessment covered accommodation, catering and conferencing, whilst Quest covered sport and leisure. Each quality award has similar values in that they give the customer and client an assurance of the quality they will receive when they visit Stoke Mandeville Stadium and the Olympic Lodge Hotel. We would certainly encourage all leisure centres with hotels, catering, and conferencing facilities, to attempt to gain the Hospitality Assuredstandard."
A STORM IS COMING TO TOWN
Tuesday 9th October saw the launch of
Wheelchair
Bob O'Shea Head Coach said" We have looked forward to setting up the club for the last six months and promoting the sport to all in the community".
If you are interested in joining Strom or would like to know more about the sport of wheelchair rugby in the south east of England and London please contact Alan Caron LWRC Development Manager on 07879861011.
To veiw the Storm website, click here
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