Be Your Best - Disability Sport

Optua's Suffolk Disability Sport Academy project aims to encourage more disabled people to take up sport.

In 2012 the Paralympics comes to London and this provides a great opportunity for disabled people across Suffolk to get involved.

We launched the Disability Sport Academy to develop new opportunities for disabled people to take part in and train for disability and Paralympic and disability sports.

We've already run a series of fun and exciting Disability Sport Showcase Days, helped to set up new clubs and sporting opportunities, and helped people to find disability sports they want to take part in on a regular basis. We can also help you if you want to get a disability sport coaching qualificaton.

Please follow the links on the side menu and below for more information or call 01473 836770 or email sdsa@optua.org.uk.

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Suffolk Disability Sport Guide

We now have a comprehensive guide to disability sport clubs and opportunities in Suffolk. Please follow this link to access the guide.

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Disability sport coaching bursary scheme

We can help provide funding for people who want to get qualified as a disability sport coach. A Disability Sport Coaching Bursary scheme is being run by Optua in partnership with Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Sport.

For more information and to download the applications forms click here.

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Disability Sport Events

Our next Disability Sport Showcase Day is taking place in Ipswich on Saturday 24th July. For more information click here.

For more details about regular clubs and activities go to our disability sport clubs page.

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Disability Sport Showcase Days

For more information on previous Disability Sport Showcase Days click here.

You can also look at the evaluation reports from these events, with statistics about the events and quotes from people who came to them.

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Disability Sport Academy launched in Essex

For more information click here.

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Disability Sport Newsletters

We publish regular newsletters about the Disability Sport Academy and other disability sporting opportunities in Suffolk.

You can download the newsletters by following this link.

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More information

If you want to know how to get involved with a particular sport or if you are aware of a club or sports centre where you can take part in disability sport please contact us on the number or email address below. You can also contact Optua Leisure for more information about the Suffolk Disability Sport Academy.

Since we launched the academy in 2005 we have had a great deal of positive feedback and our plans seem to have generated a lot of excitement. Our vision is for a Disability Sport Academy in Suffolk which supports clubs with improvements to facilities and coaching, brings new Paralympic sports to Suffolk and acts as a signposting service to link disabled people to clubs who can give them that chance to go for gold.

Optua is still keen to hear of any sports clubs or organisations who would be interested in being involved. Anyone interested or who would like to know more about opportunities to take part in paralympic sports in their area can contact Optua Leisure on 01473 836770 or email leisure@optua.org.uk

We would like to thank the West Suffolk Local Strategic Partnership, the St Edmunds Trust and the Suffolk Strategic Partnership Board for their long term support of the Suffolk Disability Sport Academy and all the many organisations and individuals who have provided funding or their time to support our work.

The Suffolk Disability Sport Academy is designed to encourage and support disabled people in Suffolk to try out paralympic sports and possibly reach the standard required to take part in the London 2012 Paralympics. Optua is not directly affiliated with the British Paralympic Association or the London 2012 Olympics in any way. The use of the word 'Paralympic' is purely descriptive and should not be interpreted as an official endorsement of our academy by those organisations.

For more information on the launch of the Disability Sport Academy in 2005 click here.

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