A programme designed to keep disabled people physically active during the coronavirus pandemic has been recognised for its positive impact, taking home the Coaching for an Active Life Award at this year’s UK Coaching Awards.
The prestigious annual celebration of Great Coaching, which showcases the diverse work of coaches, projects and organisations making a huge difference to the health and happiness of the nation, was held virtually on Thursday, 3 December.
Scottish Disability Sport’s ‘Be Active, Be Well’ programme was created to ensure participants with a disability were able to stay active, to encourage the physically inactive to become active and to combat social isolation during the pandemic.
Working in partnership with the Scottish Association of Mental Health, individuals were encouraged to take part in daily activity sessions, including yoga, wheelchair-based activity, stretching and HIIT, as well as weekly mental well-being sessions.
Reacting to the news, Scottish Disability Sport CEO Gavin Macleod, said: “We’re really honoured to be the recipient. It’s a prestigious UK-wide award and is a testament to the work undertaken by staff at SDS.
“The Be Active, Be Well programme really encapsulates how we’ve tried to reach out, connect and support participants that are shielding or were struggling during the lockdown period. We have good working relationships with the governing bodies, coaches and the volunteers, so encouraging them to get involved [in the programme] was relatively easy.
“The satisfaction for me is that a programme we’ve put in place in Scotland has been recognised on a UK level.”
Reflecting on this year’s awards, UK Coaching’s Director of Coaching Emma Atkins, said: “Our heartfelt congratulations to Scottish Disability Sport and all of our winners and finalists. What you’ve all achieved in this extremely difficult year is superb.
“You and the rest of the 3 million coaches in the UK have gone beyond the call of duty to make sure your participants didn’t lose momentum with their sport and physical activity goals and ambitions or weren’t isolated from the social-side of activity.
“You realised that for your participants, and indeed yourselves, coaching and staying active isn’t just a hobby or a past-time, it’s a way of life that deeply affects mental and physical well-being.
“We applaud you for your efforts, your inspirational resilience and the way you conducted yourself without fuss or fanfare.
“As we move towards Christmas and the new year, our message to the British public is don’t forget to thank your coach for the positive impact they’re having on yours and other people’s lives. Be kind, support one another and stay connected – we’re here for the coach.”
Winners on the night were:
Awards for Coaches:
Children and Young People’s Coach of the Year
Tom Bowen-Hall (rugby union) (Wiltshire, Melksham)
Community Coach of the Year
Prina Karia (badminton) (East Midlands, Leicester)
Changing Lives Award
Scott Burns (rugby league) (Greater Manchester, Wigan)
Talent Development Coach of the Year
Emma Collings-Barnes (swimming) (Devon, Tavistock)
High Performance Coach of the Year – supported by UK Sport
Peter Rome (wheelchair fencing) (West Midlands, Coventry)
Young Coach of the Year – supported by Sport Wales
Amy Moulton (gymnastics) (Somerset, Yeovil)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Donald Park (football) (Scotland, Lochaber)
The Coaching Chain
Marcus Rashford (football) – Colin Little, Dave Bushell, David Horrocks, Eamon Mulvey, Louis van Gaal, Maria Kelly, Neil Harris, Paul McGuinness, Stuart Leicester, Tarun Kapur and Tony Whelan.
Awards in Support of Coaches:
Coach Developer of the Year
Sarah Green (netball) (East Midlands, Nottingham)
Transforming Coaching Award
ECB – Cities Programme Team
Coaching for an Active Life Award
Scottish Disability Sport – Be Active, Be Well