BLIND SPORTS AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER | July 2015 Blind Sports Australia July 2015 Promotion, Participation & Advocacy of Sports for the Australian Blind Community IN THIS ISSUE A Message from the CEO A Message from the CEO Page 1 In May Blind Sports A big thank you must go to Rob Apps Meet Your Board Member Australia sent a team for the help as Chef de Mission, and Member Database to the 5th IBSA World attending classification and team Page 2 Games in Seoul Korea events for the whole team. It was a In Sight of Dreams to compete in GoalBall really big job – thank you so much Member Updates: Blind Sports & and Tenpin Bowling. The team Rob. Recreation Vic Blind Sporting Association of NSW competed with great sportsmanship Blind Sports Australia has also been Page 3 and was enjoyed but the team and working with members to establish supporters who travelled. Sporting Wheelies & Disabled Association what initiatives and projects are Hall of Fame Scholarship &Mentoring being undertaken over the next year. Program On behalf of Blind Sports Australia I This information has been used in the Page 4 congratulate the whole team on a very BSA budgeting process and I will be in Morning Tea in Moreland touch with members shortly to successful tournament. Page 5 communicate how BSA will be The Tenpin bowling team had a very supporting both members and blind Association of SA Blind Sporting Clubs good tournament with the following sports in general this next financial Expression of Interest, Goalball Coach results: year. Page 6 . Gold Medal – Marilyn Luck WA Blind Sports Federation (Female all events – B1) Two initiatives that to put in your Australian Blind Bowlers Association . Silver Medal – Marilyn Luck diaries are: Blind Sports SA Vision Challenge (Female Singles – B1) . a blind football development day Blind Cricket Australia . Bronze Medal – Kinsley Williams to be held in Melbourne in Page 7 (Male all events – B3) August for representatives of the Blind Golf Australia . Bronze Medal – Kinsley Williams various blind football groups Blind Sports NSW Gala Day (Male Singles – B3) throughout Australia to come Page 8 . Bronze Medal – Marilyn Luck and together to share ideas of how to Rhian Patching (Mixed Doubles – develop the sport nationally and Goalball Australia B1+B2/B3) Page 9 internationally . Bronze Medal – Marilyn Luck, . a sports development forum for Blind & Vision Impaired Tenpin Bowling Justin Bettes, Kinsley Williams, member organisations in Other news – Blind Archery Rhian Patching (Mixed quartets) Melbourne the weekend of the Closure of the Nican Office 24th – 25th October for member Page 10 The Goalball team also competed organisations to come together Blind Sporting Council really well with the Women’s team to discuss how to develop blind New Sport Awards launched placing fourth and are a real chance to sports collegiately in Australia. Page 11 qualify for the Rio Paralympic Each member organisation will Games. The Men’s team fought hard be invited to have a BSA Board Members & Member and learned a lot. representative at that weekend Organisations Page 12 forum. PAGE 1 BLIND SPORTS AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER | July 2015 This year BSA is again conducting a Board. With strong leadership and sports – it’s easier than ‘Scratch and Win’ promotion stakeholder management skills Voula fundraising – it just requires the nationally. We ask everyone to is able to work with the new Board to information in the database. support this campaign and if you see 2. Corporate sponsorship: The BSA develop stronger relationships with sellers in shopping centres please go Board is working towards and talk to them as this assist building our key stakeholders for the benefit approaching Corporate Sponsors their understanding of blind sports, of all BSA members. She has a natural which will ultimately benefit our helps motivate them, and also please motivation to improve business member organisations through support the campaign by buying a pin models, lead teams and make a the provision of additional or key ring, and receive your free difference through consistently high funding. In order to successfully scratch card. team engagement and productivity. gain corporate support however, we need to be able to provide Welcome Voula! In October I will be attending the potential sponsors information Blind Citizens Australia national about BSA – how many members conference in Perth to deliver a we have, general demographical speech titled ‘Sport – the challenges Member information such as banded age for the blind and vision impaired’. I groups and state they live in, how will also be aiming to have a meeting Database many different sports they play with all blind sporting organisations etc. in Western Australia after this As previously advised, it is a conference. I would encourage all requirement of all National Sporting Stephen Barnes, CEO of BSA, will be blind sports to attend this meeting. Organisations, such as Blind Sport the only person with full access to the Australia, to have a database of its David Blyth, Chair of Blind Sports database (member organisations will Australia and Gary Sargent BSA Board members. In our case, BSA therefore be able to access their members in member will also be in Perth for the requires details of members the database if they wish to). meeting. registered with our Member Organisations. Information will not be passed on or Lastly, I would like to thank BSA Board used for marketing purpose. The member Melissa Martin for putting The funding we receive from the information will not even be passed together this newsletter. Australian Sports Commission (which onto the ASC – they may want generic we pass on to our member information about sports but not full Stephen Barnes, CEO organisations) and our accreditation information or access to the as a National Sporting Organisation is ceo @ blindsportsasustralia.com.au database. at risk if we do not have a completed database. It is up to each member organisation to ensure that ALL their members Meet Voula Kent Dredge has been asked to AND volunteers (Directors, Pilots, manage this process on our Caddies etc) are in the database. Karantzas behalf. As a member organisation, you can however, put the Thank you to all Member information directly into the Organisations who have sent through One of our database if you would prefer. details thus far. Phase One of the new Board entry will have been completed at the Apart from the requirements above time of publication of this newsletter. Members the database has two other major Please continue to send your details Voula Karantzas is benefits for BSA and its members. through to Ken Dredge so that we can another of the four new Directors ensure we have a thorough database. 1. Insurance: having accurate who joined the BSA Board in member information, whereby December last year. Voula brings a we do not double count people strong background in logistics supply that may be part of several sports Blind Sports Australia chain, procurement and project or organisations, will reduce our A Foundation Member of the management. She has a broad range public liability insurance & Australian Paralympic Committee of experience in industry, consulting personal indemnity insurance dramatically. This financial A.B.N. 68 008 621 252 and volunteer organisations, which saving will result in money that adds great value to her role on the can be invested back into our PAGE 2 BLIND SPORTS AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER | July 2015 I commend Ben Felton for this He is 100% committed in helping In Sight of wonderful organisation, and someone who has never completed a congratulate the In Sight of Dreams marathon to achieve their goal. Dreams Foundation for the dream that they Call us on 9822 8876 or email info @ have to provide opportunity for blindsports.org.au for further The In Sight of Dreams Foundation people with disability. information. st was launched in Sydney on the 1 June 2015. Below is a transcript of a speech Victorian Disability Sector Awards Fiona Scott, MP for Lindsay and Board The 2015 Victorian Disability Sector Member of The In Sight of Dreams Awards celebrate the achievements Foundation, made in Parliament of individuals, teams, organisations regarding the Foundation. We and businesses assisting people with congratulate all those involved in the a disability to achieve their personal launch of this fantastic Foundation. goals. I rise today to announce that on the Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria are Monday, 1 June, the In Sight of proud to announce we have been Dreams Foundation came to life. This What have our nominated as a finalist in the is a wonderful charity that was the ‘Excellence in Improving Participation brainchild of local man Ben Felten. It Members been Award’. was begun with the noble aim of providing people with a disability up to? The Awards Ceremony will be held on with hope, inspiration, mentoring 21 July at Federation Square. and life skills. I commend the vision Blind Sports & of the board, which includes: Stephen The Awards are a joint initiative Barnes; Pamela Habek, who today Recreation Victoria between National Disability Services becomes an Australian citizen; Kevin and the Department of Health & Would you like to run a Marathon? Magee; Nadia Kentera; Leo Felten; Human Services. Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria and, of course, Ben Felten. I would By Susan, Blind Sports Victoria have a volunteer who lives is the also like to acknowledge the work of Richard Glover and Stephen Toomey, Caulfield area and is keen to who have done so much work on a volunteer his time to assist a blind or Blind Sporting pro bono basis. vision impaired runner to complete a Association of NSW marathon. If you like to run, are Ben Felten is an exceptional local committed and have always wanted Multi-Sports Gala Day man.