Cycling 

A session is now running weekly on Thursday evenings at 7.30pm in Smith's Field Athletics Track, Mountmellick.  All are welcome, Athletes and Guides alike.

Thanks to all who have helped out to date and we look forward to their continued support going forward. 

Centre Visits

I visited Oak House in Portarlington to offer some suggestions on activities that could be done both at the centre and elsewhere.

Some activities demonstrated were Kurling, Ten Pin Bowling and Badminton.

I was able to leave some equipment on loan at the centre and hopefully Oak House will be able to purchase some equipment themselves in the near future.

I also visited Rowanberry Day Care Centre in Portlaoise to offer some suggestions.

Some activities demonstrated in Rowanberry were Kurling, Boccia and Frisbee throwing.  I left some equipment on loan.

I am available to go out to the various day care centres to help with some ideas regarding physical activity programmes.  If there is any particular centres out there that would like me to pay a visit please don't hesitate to contact me T: 086-8372039 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  

Disability Activities
'Come and Try' Cycling Event. Smith’s Field, Mountmellick, November 2006
Cycling is a lifelong activity that can be done individually or in a group and Laois Sports Partnership organised a cycling “Come and Try it Day” for people with disabilities, on November 18th 2006 on the track in Smith’s Field, Mountmellick.

Denis Toomey from Cycling Ireland attended and had with him a few Tandem bikes and a Handcycle. We also had a Tricycle available for use on the day.
There were people with visual impairments, Cerebral Palsy, learning difficulties and physical difficulties present. Thankfully the rain stayed away and even though it was cold, everyone seem to enjoy the day and there were some very strong cyclists there, especially some of those on the Tandem bikes.

We had great support from family and friends on the day and a number of people came along with no connection to anyone taking part, just to help out, which was great - anything up to 20 people helped out.
Our hope is to try and get something going on a more permanent basis. There is certainly the interest amongst the cyclists and others helping out to meet more often.
The main issue is, of course, equipment. Tandem bikes can cost anything from €1000 up to €4000. So we have to put our heads together now to source some money to purchase a few of these. Alternatively, if anyone in the public knows where we might source some tandems either second hand or even on loan, we'd love to hear from you.

Dormant Accounts Fund Application
In June 2005, Laois Sports Partnership was the 1st of the Sports Partnerships to appoint a Disability Officer. The funding for this role came from the Dormant Accounts Funding and was for 18 months on a part-time basis. Following on from this initiative, all the other sports partnerships got together to put in a proposal for more Disability Officers to be provided around the country. In November 2006 it was announced that funding will be provided for 16 Disability Officers nationwide - €2m over 2 years (full-time basis).  As Laois’ original funding is now spent we have been very busy over the last few weeks filling out the most recent application form for the continued funding of our disability officer post. Hopefully we will have good news on this front in the near future.
 
Mountmellick Development Association - Enhancing Disability Grant
Garrett Culliton assisted the Mountmellick Development Association in a successful application for funding towards a 'Creative Arts Therapy Unit'. €500,000 was secured for the new arts initiative. The aim of this project is to establish a pilot Creative Arts Therapy Unit on an outreach basis for the midland region with a view to the service being mainstreamed. It is hoped that the model of service developed will be easily replicated throughout the country.
Garrett was among a wide range of partners that engaged in the development of this proposal and are committed to remaining as partners in the implementation of the service. These include the  Health Services Executive, Laois County Council, Disability Federation of Ireland, Midland Arts c/o Westmeath VEC, Mountmellick Development Association Social Inclusion, Midland Employment Support Agency, Laois VEC, Gandon Logistics (Rehab Group), Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary (Moore Abbey), Irish Wheelchair Association and National Council for the Blind of Ireland.
 
Disability Awareness Training
The development/implementation of a disability awareness course for clubs and other interested parties is on-going in conjunction with sports consultant Frank Fahey. This training will probably be held over 1-2 sessions, similar to the Code of Ethics/Child Protection training we currently provide. Details will follow shortly.
Please note: the training is intended to give people a broad understanding of the sometimes common sense approaches to communicating with people with disabilities. Its main purpose is to dispel the lack of knowledge (and subsequent fears) that people have about disability. It is our goal that clubs, facilities or community groups in Laois would appoint members as disability liaisons, just as they have chairpersons, secretaries, youth officers etc.