Indoor fishing reaching Scotland

August 5, 2010 in All Articles, Community, EAZ, Social Inclusion by editor

Dreamstore’s Education Action Zone, angling’s fun indoor learning experience, has reached Scotland. First Monday of August saw a training day to introduce the first DEAZ to Action for Youth Development (AFYD) at St Ninian’s Parish Hall, in Paisley. A mix of young people, adults, AFYD volunteers and coaches spent an afternoon learning the scope of the activities and the possibilities offered to introducing people to angling.

Paisley’s AFYD leader, Ian Williams said:

“We had looked at the pictures on the Dreamstore website, but the actual experience and the potential for the Action Zone are very, very exciting. We can’t wait to get started. In fact, we will use it next week. It is great fun, and provides instant success. Delighted this has reached Scotland.”

Click on picture for more images from the Dreamstore training day in Paisley, Scotland.

 

Dreamstore would like to express its sincere thanks to the North British Hotels Trust for its generous funding in making the introduction of the EAZ into Scotland possible.  AFYD Paisley will operate a Game and Coarse angling version of DEAZ, while a second AFYD will offfer a Game DEAZ.

Under a big umbrella

May 19, 2010 in All Articles, Community, Disability, Small Grants, Social Inclusion by editor

Glamorgan Anglers Club has an active community programme, always seeking to broaden the offer at its waters for people of all ages and ability. The Club is very much focused on angling participation for all and has been particularly active finding ways to increase angling access for the disabled angler.  

The Club requested a small grant from Dreamstore, to cover the cost of five very large umbrellas.  The Browning umbrella is 2.5 metres wide when open, which allows a wheelchair user and helper stay dry from the rain or shaded from a hot sun.  Dreamstore is delighted to see that good use is being made of the umbrellas and that this small grant goes a long way to improving the angling experience for the disabiled angler.

Dreamstore Academy in Blairgowrie

September 20, 2009 in All Articles, Scotland by editor

The 2009 Dreamstore Academy has taken place in Blairgowrie High School.  Blairgowrie is the centre of Angling For Youth Development (AFYD), and many of the participants were gaining a coaching qualification to help in their local AFYD groups already in existence, or on the planning board for later in the year. AFYD participants included a number for Paisley and Renfrew which is developing rapidly. In 2009 AFYD hopes to engage around 500 young people in its projects and courses, and it is expecting to be able to double this number in 2010.

Also attending Blairgowrie were coaches for the Scottish Anglers National Association international youth and ladies teams.  Once again sea, coarse and game anglers worked together to help build angling’s engagement with young people and new anglers, with our tutor/assessor team including SFSA, SANA and BDAA members. This Dreamstore Academy course produced a further twenty people with SQA accredited coaching qualifications at Level 2 standards, to SQA mapped UKCC outcomes.

Dreamstore Day huge success for angling in Voluntary Sector

October 14, 2008 in All Articles, Dreamstore Awards, Dreamstore Day by admin

The first ever Dreamstore Day at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium Saturday 11th October has been hailed as a huge success. Around forty participants attended, from all over the country, attending a series of seminars and demonstrations. The Day included presentation of the Dreamstore Active Awards 2008 and a demonstration of the highly innovative Dreamstore Education Action Zone.

Short courses included, First Aid and Child Protection refresher courses, and Coaching Disability and Access Awareness by the British Disabled Angling Association. There was a special presentation on Voluntary Sector Funding by Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent which was greatly appreciated by Voluntary group leaders.

Inverclyde hosts second Scottish coaching Academy

September 20, 2008 in All Articles, Dreamstore Academy, Scotland by editor

 

Our second Academy was facilitated by the Scottish Anglers National Association (SANA) and held at the Sports Scotland National Centre, Inverclyde, near Largs.  While the first Academy had been predominately fly anglers, this second had a majority of sea anglers including the coaches for the International Youth Team and the Chairman of the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers (SFSA), Mike Horn (pictured below having a coarse angling coaching session).

One of the benefits of the Dreamstore Academy approach is the way in which different angling disciplines learn from each other and offer each other support.  In addition to SANA booking Largs and the tutor team including an SFSA Dreamstore Academy trained tutor, others on the coaching team included tutor/assessors from the British Disabled Angling Association (BDAA)

One of the most satisfying aspects of the development of the Dreamstore Academy course in Scotland an example of what can be achieved when angling works together for the benefit of everyone.

Lifestyle choice opened for John Grooms

July 16, 2007 in All Articles, Disability, Projects, Small Grants by admin

John Grooms Charity works to provide residential care and housing for disabled people, so they achieve greater independence, choice and freedom. Dreamstore was approached to support a Lifestyles Choices Project in Bedfordshire which aimed to develop a programme for disabled adults to become more involved in social, leisure, and educational activities outside their homes. In mid-July the BDAA organised a day for around 20 John Groom clients.

Scott Richardson, Project Manager for Lifestyle Choices, wrote a thank you and commented on the day:

“ On behalf of our clients who attended the disabled fishing day on 16th July, I would like to thank Dreamstore for its financial assistance that significantly contributed to a very successful ‘taster’ day.

The terrific weather, well-stocked swims (at Manor Farm Fisheries) and expert guidance from Terry Moseley and his BDAA team of instructors made it a fantastic day for our clients, from whom I heard nothing but positive comments.

Disabled fishing is an activity we would be very keen to develop, as our service encourages clients to engage (and ultimately independently continue) in social and leisure activities. Therefore, we are hoping to establish a self-sustaining disabled fishing group.

There are some obvious barriers in achieving this goal, primarily access.  However, with the involvement of Terry and the BDAA we are hopeful to overcome these and establish a disabled fishing group in Bedfordshire. I am sure it would be well supported.

Many thanks again for Dreamstore’s financial support and encouragement.”

Visit the John Grooms website.

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Penn Hall School

June 13, 2007 in All Articles, EAZ, Education Action Zone, Projects by admin

Penn Hall School is a Wolverhampton Local Authority Community Special School for 80 pupils aged 3 – 19 years.  The school is a designated Specialist SEN School offering high quality provision for pupils with physical and sensory needs. Dreamstore Education Action Zone was invited in to deliver its maths worksheets and to provide a fun learning environment for almost half the school.

This was the first time volunteers from Birmingham Midshires helped the EAZ, with Susan Stone and Leigh McDonald joining the British Disabled Angling Association team for the day. The day was an experience for everyone and a day is planned for an outdoor event for the pupils, probably spring 2008.

Penn Hall School Website

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The Sincil School

May 17, 2007 in All Articles, EAZ, Education Action Zone, Projects by admin

The Sincil School, Lincoln was opened in 2006 as a community special school catering for pupils with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties. The Dreamstore Education Action Zone was at the school for the day. Around 30 pupils at Sincil learned the basics of angling in the morning. The worksheets being used were later used for Maths classes.

A number of the older pupils then helped the EAZ team to provide a fun afternoon for the pupils of neighbouring SEN school Queen’s Park. Queen’s Park caters for pupils with learning disability. A number of the peer coaches again worked with the EAZ team when it returned for the outdoor event at the local Fenn Lakes 28 September. Again, pupils from both Sincil School and Queen’s Park were given the opportunity to take part in an angling event; this time with real fish.

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Calthorpe Specialist Sports College

March 20, 2007 in All Articles, EAZ, Education Action Zone, Projects by admin

Calthorpe Specialist Sports College caters for children with a wide range of educational difficulties, ranging from moderate, severe and complex needs. In addition, some may have specific physical, sensory, behavioral or autistic conditions, all of which may require additional adult support or specialised facilities.

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Wilson Stuart Festival of Challenges 2007

March 18, 2007 in All Articles, EAZ, Education Action Zone, Projects by admin

Wilson Stuart School in Erdington, Birmingham, opened its doors to the annual Festival of Challenges on 18 May.  The Festival of Challenges brings together SEN and mainstream schools to take part in a series of learning activities. SEN schools involved included Wilson Stuart, Hallmoor, Fox Hollis, Braidwood and Hodge Hill. Mainstream schools included Queensbridge School and brought young Sports Leaders from Bishop Vesey’s and Arthur Terry schools.

For the first time, the Festival included Dreamstore’s Education Action Zone. With the help and support of Sports leaders, the British Disabled Angling Association’s coaching team worked with over 70 pupils over the course of 6 hours. It was a great day and everyone had an enjoyable time, proving that fun and learning can be natural partners.

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