National Sports Centre

The National Center for Disability Sport: Stoke Mandeville Stadium

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower said of the partnership:

“We have a unique partnership with Leisure Connection, which delivers wonderful opportunities to disabled people as well as our thriving local community. Leisure Connection understand that the facilities here at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and the opportunities provided by WheelPower can play a part in creating a lasting legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Stoke Mandeville is recognised as the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement and WheelPower aims to build on that heritage to ensure Stoke Mandeville Stadium continues to be a world leading facility to increase participation and celebrate the Cultural Olympiad.”

Stoke Mandevillle Stadium, the National Centre for Disability Sport and the Birthplace of the Paralympics, boasts the highest grade of facilities for our leading sportsmen and women. Leisure Connection manages this centre on behalf of and in partnership with WheelPower – the national charity for Wheelchair sport. We also manage the Olympic Lodge Hotel as part of this contract, which offers some of the best value accessible hotel accommodation in Buckinghamshire.

It’s been a busy 12 months for the team, hosting six international events as well as a number of community initiatives from the Sport Relief Challenge to hosting several disability sports camps, which gave local children the opportunity to overcome their disabilities through fun activities.

As well as flying the flag for the professional and Paralympic teams, Leisure Connection in partnership with WheelPower continues to be a local leisure hub for the community in the Aylesbury Vale and has celebrated an 8% uplift in swimming and a 4% increase in fitness usage.

It’s been a year of investment too, with £100,000 spent on improving the tennis courts, improvement to the gym and £20,000 spent on the launch of The Stoke Mandeville Institute of Sport and Education – a unique partnership between Leisure Connection, WheelPower, Bucks New University and Bucks and Milton Keynes Sports Partnership, which will provide a unique programme of sports, education and training opportunities for disabled people and those working in disability sport.

The aim of the institute is to enable disabled people to become involved in sport as athletes, coaches, administrators or officials and to increase the number of qualified coaches, officials, volunteers and classifiers available within disability sport. It is hoped the new facility will contribute to the legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The team (which includes WheelPower) has also spent time in Dubai to attend the Sport Accord event in a bid to raise the profile of the national sports centre and as a result the Stadium has received multiple enquiries to host 2012 Paralympic training camps – with more on the way.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium

Stoke Mandevillle Stadium, The National Centre for Wheelchair Sport, boasts the highest grade of facilities for our leading sportsmen and women. More information