Year in Review 2013

Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt

Welcome to our Year in Review 2013.

I am honoured to be Chair of the Board of

Directors, especially during a year in which so

many of our athletes excelled on the field of

play during the local, regional, national and

international competitions that make Special

Olympics such a unique organisation.

It is only through the tireless commitment of

our volunteers, coaches and the dedication of

our athlete’s families that our athletes are able

to demonstrate to the world the true meaning

of ability, and how they joyfully capture the

Olympic spirit.

What we do would not be viable without the

generous support of our partners, sponsors,

supporters and friends. Thank you.

Murton Mann.

Chairman, Special Olympics Great Britain

Supporters

Amway, Cash 4 Clubs, Chris Knott Insurance, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, Geoff & Fiona Squire Foundation, ITV, Microsoft, Royal & Ancient, Simpson Wreford & Partners, The Rank Foundation, The Westbury Hotel Mayfair, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust, The Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust, The Chapman Charitable Foundation, Marsh UK Ltd, The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation.

Board of Directors

Chairman: Murton Mann Vice-Chairman: Len Dunne Company Secretary: Karen Wallin, Chief Executive Honorary Treasurer: Ian Muir

Laura Smith, Keith Wilcox, Philip Nathan MBE, Jim Blair, Andy Reed OBE, Miles MacKinnon, Greg Silvester, Kathryn McColl

Honorary Board

President: Lawrie McMenemy MBE Vice President: Paul Anderson OBE Pat England MBBS, Georgina Hulme, Rosie Stancer

Premier Partner

Official Partners

Official Supporters Charity of the Year

Please send your comments or queries about this publication to

Andrea Zapata-Nalsen at andrea.zapata@sogb.org.uk

ContentsIntroducing Special Olympics Great Britain 4

Highlights of 2013 by Chief Executive 8

Sports and competition 10

National Summer Games 14

Developing our club and competition network 16

Helping athletes develop their skills 20

Volunteers 21

A growing recognition 22

Ambassadors 26

Sport and Health 28

Health Athletes Programme 30

Looking ahead 32

Introducing Special Olympics Great Britain

Where it all began

From a backyard summer camp for people with intellectual disabilities to a global Movement, Special Olympics has been changing lives and attitudes for 45 years.

It all began in the early 1960s, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. She also saw that many children with intellectual disabilities didn’t even have a place to play. She decided to take action.

She held a summer day camp for young people with intellectual disabilities. The goal was to learn what these children could do in sports and other activities – and not dwell on what they could not do.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s vision and drive for social justice eventually grew into the Special Olympics Movement.

Special Olympics is a global movement creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place - one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.

4

Our competition pathway

Special Olympics provides a unique competition pathway that enables its athletes to progress from local competitions to competing at a national or even international level. All Special Olympics competitions are ‘banded’ to ensure meaningful competition at all levels of ability. This means that athletes of any ability can be selected to represent their region at a national competition, or Great Britain at a European or World competition.

FOUNDED

54

Our coaches

Our coaches teach the skills and spirit that define a true athlete and help our athletes find their own strengths and abilities. They also show them how to build upon those strengths and improve every day.

Special Olympics GB coaches bring enthusiasm, commitment and a positive attitude to each training session and competition. They enrich the lives of our athletes in many life-changing ways. The skills and confidence an athlete learns through sports have a long and lasting effect. They can help an athlete succeed in school, in life, even in the workplace.

Special Olympics GB is committed to coaching excellence because it benefits both coaches and athletes. In a supportive learning environment, coaches work to enhance athletes’ sport techniques, tactics and fitness.

Our families

Families are the greatest fans of our Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics GB is a support network that brings families together in a caring, positive way.

At Special Olympics GB competitions and events, family members are among friends and can feel at home. They watch with pride as their child, sibling, cousin, grandchild, aunt or uncle find success and joy.

Our families also get the opportunity to be among people who understand what an intellectual disability is. Some families can even be surprised by discovering what their relative is capable of in the field of competition.

6

Our athletes

Our athletes are children and adults with intellectual disabilities and they are the heart of Special Olympics. They experience success, joy and friendship. They have the chance to learn and develop personal and social skills, while also having lots of fun in a safe environment!

In Special Olympics GB our 150 clubs offer year-round training and competition in 26 Olympics-type sports to 8,000 athletes.

Our volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of the Special Olympics GB movement. They are coaches, trainers, officials, event organizers, fundraisers and managers.

Our volunteers are all ages and their commitment can range from an afternoon to a lifetime. They help to bring out the champion in every Special Olympics athlete.

Special Olympics GB would not exist today - and could not have been created - without the time, energy, commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers.

76

Highlights of 2013 by Karen Wallin, Chief Executive

2013 has been an incredible year for Special Olympics Great Britain and I am very proud of the achievements of all our athletes, volunteers and staff.

The highlight of 2013 was our National Summer Games in August which involved 1,700 athletes competing in 12 sports over three days of competition. The 2013 National Games were planned and organised centrally by Special Olympics GB for the first time in its 35 year history, and their success was due to the outstanding support of everyone involved and not least our Sponsors & Supporters without whose generosity these Games could not have been staged. With special thanks in particular to our Games Partners: University of Bath, Sport England,

Coca-Cola Great Britain and The Coca-Cola Foundation. We also received incredible support for the National Games from many more companies and local suppliers. You can read more about this on page 14.

Our athletes are always the stars both on and off the field of play, and this year many of them were the focus of the media coverage that was generated around the Summer Games. We are very grateful to the BBC and ITV for the regional coverage they provided for our delegations as they prepared for the Games and during the Games themselves.

Volunteer employees from our Corporate partners

8

The support our athletes receive from their families is inspirational and we were delighted to welcome over 3,000 family members to Bath and Bristol for the National Games.

I would like to thank and acknowledge the outstanding support of all our official Special Olympics Great Britain sponsors including our Premier Partner National Grid, Official Partners Coca Cola GB, ABB and Coca Cola Enterprises. I would also like to acknowledge Domino’s, whose customers have been so generous in their donations through the Pennies promotion.

In addition to the 12 sports represented at the National Summer Games we held an additional 12 National Competitions in 2013. Our athletes also represented Great Britain in three international Special Olympics competitions, the World Winter Games in Korea, the Special Olympics Golf International Tournament in Macau and the Special Olympics European Tennis Tournament in Luxembourg. We are very proud of how our athletes performed and acquitted themselves as representatives of Great Britain.

Our World Winter Games delegation were welcomed at Downing Street in April

The external profile of Special Olympics Great Britain continues to grow and we were particularly gratified to be mentioned in the report by the House of Lords Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Committee: Keeping the flame alive: the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy. The report recognises that sport needs to be more accessible to those with disabilities – which is exactly what organisations like ours are doing. Through sport, Special Olympics aims to create a more inclusive society. People of all ages with intellectual disabilities are finding fun, fitness and friendship leading to greater confidence and self-esteem.

As a charity in the current economic climate we continue to work hard to generate the funds that enable us to run our programmes. In 2013 we concluded our Charity of the Year relationship with CMS Cameron McKenna, during which their employees raised £181,000 and we renewed three year terms with National Grid, Coca-Cola GB, ABB and Coca-Cola Enterprises.

2013 has been a great year for Special Olympics Great Britain. I hope that you enjoy reviewing our highlights and seeing what we have in store for 2014.

Ahead of the National Games the Flame of Hope Torch Run took place in the South West

98

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

Sports and competition

At the heart of any Special Olympics programme is our year-round competition pathway. We were delighted that during 2013 alongside our ninth National Summer Games – held every four years - a further 12 National annual single sport competitions were hosted across Britain. During 2013 we had the greatest number of local competitions for a number of years, demonstrating the strength of leadership at club level.

There was an increase in the number of local and regional football competitions from 2012 to 2013 thanks to our partnership with the Football Association (FA). 17 football events ran successfully in 2013 thanks to grants from the FA.

National Competitions

During 2013 National single-sport competitions included:

• Judo – Scotland

• British Swimming Championships

• Judo – England

• Figure Skating

• Kayaking

• Cycling

• Powerlifting

• Equestrian

• Open Water Swimming

• Learning Disability Tennis

• New Age Kurling

• Football (male 11-a-side and female 5-a-side)

1632 80 128

95

96

118

126

International LocalRegionalNational

10

27

2659

57

73

70

11

20

1

1411

29243

total

10

The Figure Skating competition was held in Dumfries and provided an opportunity to apply the scoring system that was first piloted at the event in 2012.

“The International Judging System is truly

inclusive and enables all competitors, with

and without disabilities, to compete on the

same rink, in the same competition. A number

of the international skaters from our pilot

event last year returned again to Dumfries –

a great testament to the quality of the event

and the success of the pilot that we ran on

the scoring system.” Marguerita Sweeny-

Baird, Chair of Inclusive Skating

This was the first year that Special Olympics swimmers took part in a national open water swimming competition. Eleven

Special Olympics athletes were among the 80 competitors. Open water swimming is gaining in popularity and Special Olympics wants to make sure that its athletes have the opportunity to compete in this challenging environment. Open water swimming has been included in the competition line-up for the 2015 World Summer Games.

1110

Inclusive Competition

In 2013 Special Olympics athletes also had the chance to take part in events organised by National Governing Bodies which provided opportunities for inclusive competition. These competitions were formally recognised by Special Olympics Great Britain as contributing to the competition pathway for Special Olympics athletes.

• Four Nations ParaBadminton

(Badminton Scotland)

• Four Nations ParaBadminton

(Badminton England)

• National Athletics Open Championships

(Mencap Sport)

• UK Disabled Open Golf Event

(The Golf Trust)

• Four Nations ParaBadminton

(Badminton Wales)

International invitational competitions

Athletes from Special Olympics Great Britain competed in three Special Olympics invitational events during the year. These events provide a stimulating opportunity for athletes to travel overseas as part of a delegation representing Great Britain. Being abroad and experiencing another culture as a member of a team, and still preforming on the field of play, can be a stretching experience for many Special Olympics athletes.

• February 2013: seven athletes travelled to

South Korea to take part in the World Winter

Games in PyeongChang. Our Alpine Skiers

were among 2,800 athletes from 100 nations.

The ‘magnificient seven’ returned with 13

medals, six gold, four silver and three bronze.

• April 2013: three golfers attended the Special

Olympics Golf International Tournament in

Macau. Only four European golfers took part.

The competition was extremely fierce. Special

Olympics Macau provided an extended hospitality

programme for the competitors enabling them

to really experience the culture of Macau.

• November 2013: eight athletes took part in

the 2013 Special Olympics European Tennis

Tournament, a tournament organised by Special

Olympics Luxembourg & The Luxemburg Tennis

Federation. The eight athletes ranging in age

from 17 to 38 returned home with three gold,

two silver, three bronze and two 4th places.

GB delegation at World Winter Games 2013

12

Around 75 athletes from the ages of 8 to 53 took part in the East of Scotland Physical and Intellectual Disability Judo Open Championships 2013 in April which incorporated the Special Olympics GB National Judo Competition. It was the largest pan-disability Judo event in Scotland in 2013.

“We were delighted with the number

of competitors. We had the highest

number of female competitors that we

ever had for this event – around 20 –

and it was great to see the public come

along and support.” Jo Imrie, volunteer

coach for East of Scotland Judo

“ The Olympic spirit should be available to people every day and Special Olympics wants to be present and ready to play its part.”

12 13

National Summer Games

For our ninth National Summer Games 1,700 athletes from England, Scotland and Wales descended onto Bath and Bristol for three days of competition in 12 sports. The event was hailed a success by the 17 Heads of Delegation, the athletes and their families, and members of the public who attended.

This was the first ever campus-based Games. They were hosted in association with the the University of Bath which provided its world-class sporting facilities. Being able to accommodate all the athletes on a single campus contributed to the warm atmosphere of the Games and enabled the athletes to cheer on their fellow team mates taking part in other sports.

The success of the Summer Games was underpinned by the many Games Partners, Sponsors, Supporters, Donors and Friends. We received £437k in cash donations and sponsorships as well as £640k in-kind contributions.

Susan Boyle performing at the Opening Ceremony, Royal Crescent, Bath

Coca-Cola Great Britain and The Coca-Cola Foundation provided substantial support for the Games and generously donated prime advertising space at the iconic Piccadilly Circus advertising site, cross-track sites on London Underground, in print and on-line to promote the Games as well as providing over 27,000 bottles of water to refresh the athletes, coaches and volunteers. The Coca-Cola Foundation made a significant grant to the Games which helped to reduce the fundraising burden of the 17 regional delegations in support of their athletes and funded the Healthy Athletes Programme at the Games.

The world-famous Piccadilly advertising space was provided by Coca-Cola Great Britain to promote the National Games.

Global stars Susan Boyle and Claire Teal performed at the Opening Ceremony along with local singer/ songwriter Clyve who performed the Games anthem which he co-wrote with Jon Birch.

14

Over 3,000 family members and friends of the athletes registered to attend the Games and with the support of Lions Club International a Families Programme was provided. A highlight of the programme was the Families Night which Lions hosted during the Games in Parade Gardens, Bath.

The volunteer programme at the Games was sponsored by National Grid. Of the 560 volunteers recruited 121 were employees from our corporate partners with the largest team coming from National Grid.

The quality of our specially recruited Games volunteers and their ability to work together as an effective team contributed to the welcoming atmosphere of the Games and helped all the elements of the event to run smoothly.

Morrisons provided the 9,000 packed lunches for the athletes, coaches, volunteers and officials during the competitions and Coca-Cola Enterprises provided recycling stations across the venues as well as installing essential additional coolers on site.

Behind the scenes DHL provided logistics and transport support alongside Bath and North East Somerset Council who worked closely with us to ensure the smooth running of the Opening Ceremony and transport systems during the event. Sporting Hosts worked closely with us to develop our contact network in Bath and managed our hospitality programme for the Games and local company Touchstone were one of our Games sponsors.

The staff communications team received the support of our pro bono PR agency W Communications to manage the many media requests that came in from all over the country.

Many delegations had homecoming celebrations, including athletes from Plymouth & District who enjoyed an open-topped bus ride.

“ This was our first time attending national games… my son loved every second of it.” Pete, parent of Athlete

1514

Developing our club and competition network

During 2013 our network of clubs across England and Wales has continued to grow and develop. Our club leaders are continually challenging the coaches, volunteers and athletes to ever greater achievements both in their personal performances and in the opportunities that they provide for the athlete’s personal development.

During 2013 we have welcomed 12 new clubs into the Special Olympics family. Our expanded network includes clubs that have been established specifically for athletes with intellectual disabilities and existing sports clubs seeking a more inclusive membership and competition opportunities for members with intellectual disabilities.

Based on the funds raised by CMS Cameron McKenna employees, a London Inclusion Officer was recruited in November 2012. Over the past year this role has helped to develop a delivery network model for the expansion of the reach and availability of Special Olympics clubs in the Greater London area. The model involves tapping into the expertise of local sports clubs and partners that want to offer more inclusive opportunities to their local community. The ‘delivery network’ ideally includes schools, colleges, adult disability groups, private partners and local authorities all running Special Olympics activities in their area.

The funds raised by employees of CMS Cameron McKenna have helped expand the opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to get involved with Special Olympics Great Britain.

Special Olympics GB and Mencap have established the English Learning Disability Sports Alliance to provide an integrated support network. Working in partnership with national governing bodies the Alliance will help to create new inclusive opportunities for disabled people to get involved in sport. The Alliance was officially launched at the first National Learning Disability Sport Summit held at the University of Bath during the National Summer Games. Around 50 representatives from 20 National Governing Bodies and 9 County Sports Partnerships attended.

“My hope is that the National Governing

Bodies of Sport, will end up with greater

knowledge and less nervousness about

engaging people with disabilities into their

sport. That rather than find reasons not

to engage, they will look to find solutions,

knowing that there is help available.” Barry

Horne, Chief Executive English Federation of

Disability Sport (EFDS)

16

Sports Development Grants

Through sponsorship support our clubs have been able to tap into a number of funding grants during 2013. Betfair provided £10k to support clubs running new or expanded competitions. 23 clubs have benefitted from these awards under the Cash4Clubs scheme with grants of between £250 and £500.

Over the past two years National Grid has provided funds to support new and existing Special Olympics GB clubs. Clubs can apply for grants of up to £2,000 to develop their provision of sports training and competition for members. Since January 2012, 36 grants totalling £41,360 have been awarded from the funds.

These grants have benefitted almost 1,500 athletes or unified partners.

“We now have a good idea of how we will run the competition in a professional way

and ensuring we can cover the costs. The grant has been invaluable for allowing us

to explore and become proficient in running this event, without the worry of how

we will meet the costs.” Janet Warrington, Special Olympics East Herts

7 PROGRAMME

ENHANCEMENT

GRANTS

27 CAPACITY

BUILDINGS

GRANTS

2 NEW CLUB

GRANTS

£3,600

£5,389

£32,371

1716

The 2013 Special Olympics National New Age Kurling Competition took place in October in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Similar to the Winter Olympic sport of Ice Curling, New Age Kurling is played on any smooth floor and the stones run on ballbearing ‘wheels’. The number of athletes participating at this year’s National competition was double last year’s event with over 50 entries.

The competition welcomed, for the first time, athletes from the North West and West Midlands Regions

“Fantastic team spirit and camaraderie was

evident. All of the Special Olympics athletes

demonstrated great drive and determination

throughout the competition.” Steve Peace,

National New Age Kurling Technical Advisor

“ Our final prize, which is still to be won, is the full integration and inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities into every community.”

18

Unified Sports®

Unified Sports is an inclusive initiative open to people of all ages, from youth to adults, where athletes with intellectual disabilities practise and play together on the same teams with people without intellectual disabilities. It was launched in Britain in February 2012 and 2013 saw some significant developments in the programme.

• 8 new unified sports teams playing football,

tennis, netball and basketball

• 100 new Unified players over half with intellectual

disabilities

• 1 Female Unified Football team drawn from

South East, Eastern and Greater London regions is

training monthly

• 2 new teams joined the Greater London & South

East Unified Football league

• 7 football teams now in the Great London & South

East Unified Football league

140 volunteers including around 40 athletes have now achieved their Certificate in Sports Leadership. The course is offered in partnership with Sports Leaders UK and is funded by Domino’s customers donations collected by Pennies, the electronic charity box.

Coaching development

As part of the Special Olympics family our coaches and club leaders have the opportunity for development through the international seminar programme. This year Special Olympics Great Britain was represented at the following events:

• Malta, Motor Activities Training Programme,

Coaches Seminar

• Netherlands, Open Water Swimming Seminar

• Belgium, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Sports

Conference

• Austria, Alpine Skiing Coaches Training Camp

Motor Activities Training Programme ®

The Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) is designed for athletes with severe or profound intellectual disability who are unable to participate in our competition pathway because of their skill and/or functional abilities. The MATP is designed to prepare these athletes for sport-specific activities appropriate for their abilities.

36 people with profound or multiple intellectual disabilities participated in the MATP exhibition event during the National Summer Games in Bath. The event was organised in conjunction with Three Ways school.

“We were thrilled to discover our daughter

was taking part. She took part in the Football

Kick and Bowling. Alice was treated like an

Olympian, the same as any other competitor.

I never dreamed my daughter would be a part

of a team. ” Mother of MATP participant

1918

Helping athletes develop their skills

School Ambassador Programme

Special Olympics Great Britain is utilising the knowledge and expertise of the Youth Sport Trust to increase the number of young people who benefit from its year-round sports training and competition.

Through financial support from AMWAY UK generated by the company from several employee and distributor fundraising initiatives, funding was secured for an initial 12 months to dedicate a member of staff to help develop a Youth Engagement Programme and enhance its impact across the country.

One of the programmes that got underway in 2013 was the training of Special Olympics athletes as School Ambassadors. Additional funding from Mattel will ensure that during 2014 each of the School Ambassadors will be joining a Paralympian and undertaking at least two school visits each.

Young Athletes Programme®

Children from the age of eight are able to compete in Special Olympics competitions but being involved with sporting activities can be of great benefit to the physical and mental development of younger children. The Young Athletes Programme (YAP) is a unique sport and play initiative for children aged 2 – 7 with intellectual disabilities. Mattel Children’s Foundation has been supporting the roll-out of the programme.

During the summer term of 2013 Bath Opportunity Pre-School followed the structured YAP materials for seven weeks. As they practice their sports skills, the children gain motor skills like balance, flexibility, strength and coordination.

“It’s been a brilliant seven weeks. The

structured programme provided by the

Special Olympics has worked well for our

children, who all have additional needs, and

they have really enjoyed it. It has also inspired

our staff to be more creative and provided

great ideas for physical activities, and it has

also encouraged families to get their children

more involved in activities regardless of their

needs”. Michelle Kimberley, Bath Opportunity

Pre-School Manager.

We were delighted that Special Olympics Sandwell also launched its own YAP programme at the end of 2013 with an introductory event for young children and their parents.

20

Volunteers

Without the dedication and support of our volunteers, the weekly sports training and coaching that our athletes enjoy and benefit from could not take place. We have 4,000 volunteers giving of their time to provide the network of opportunities that is so vital to our athletes.

The planning and delivery of the 2013 National Summer Games would not have been possible without recruiting additional volunteers. The online process to register volunteers was opened early in 2013 and by May we had reached our target of 500. We eventually recruited 560, including our Lions International volunteers and around 120 volunteers from our corporate partners: National Grid, ABB, Coca-Cola Great Britain, Coca-Cola Enterprises and CMS Cameron McKenna. We are particularly proud that around 10% of our Games volunteers had intellectual disabilities.

21 training workshops were provided for the Games volunteers and 96% of them attended. Induction materials for volunteers and their specialist Games roles were developed and are now being shared with other national Special Olympics organisations. Over the period of the Games we had a 98% retention rate for our volunteers.

Ongoing support is provided to the volunteers at a club and regional level and five volunteer induction training days were delivered during 2013.

“A huge thank you for making volunteering

at the Special Olympics National Games Bath

2013 so enjoyable…I am so pleased I was

able to help, I love running so you were spot

on with the job you gave me. Many thanks

for making the last four days so special, we

have all made friends for life. I can’t wait to

help at the next event.” 2013 National Games

Volunteer (with intellectual disability)

In 2013 Gordon McCormack OBE retired from his Special Olympics GB national commitments after 34 years of service. Gordon’s first involvement with the Movement came in 1979 when he was asked to arrange an event for adults with learning disabilities in Meadowbank.

Over the last 30 years Gordon has taken on various roles at National and International Games. He was Games Director for the European Games in Strathclyde in 1990 and for the National Summer Games in Glasgow in 2005. He was Head of Delegation for Special Olympics GB at the World Games in 1999, 2003 and 2011. He was awarded an OBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours for services to Special Olympics and disability sport.

2120

A growing recognition

We are particularly pleased with the level of recognition that our athletes, clubs and volunteers have received during 2013.

The 12 athletes chosen as the focus for the Coca-Cola Great Britain photography campaign in support of the National Summer Games featured on the video shown on the London Underground and in Piccadilly Circus. Their images were also used on bus stop posters around their home towns.

Niall Guite, beside the Coca-Cola Great Britain poster promoting the 2013 National Summer Games

“ It was great to meet everyone in the

media centre and everyone who works for

Coca-Cola. People were really friendly and it

was an experience I’ll never forget. I really

enjoyed doing all the media work it made me

feel like a movie star for a bit !!!”

Thomas Mellor, Athlete

“I enjoyed seeing my poster in Beverley lots

of people told me and my family how well I

have done and wished me lots of success.”

Mary Nolan, Athlete

A number of athletes that competed at the National Summer Games appeared in television feature pieces ahead of the event.

Many of our clubs have been very successful in raising the profile of Special Olympics in their local areas:

• Special Olympics Bradford was one of the charities

to benefit from the funds raised by Lord Mayor

Khadim Hussain’s Appeal

• Special Olympics Sunderland received a grant

awarded by Sunderland Echo and the Big Lottery

Fund following their success in a readers vote

• Sharon Langley, BSG Marlins, won the award

for Contribution to Inclusive Sport at the South

Gloucestershire 2013 Sports Heroes Awards

• Special Olympics Exeter & District – which was only

launched in 2013 – received the Community Group

of the Year Award at the Pride of Exeter Awards

• Special Olympics Plymouth & District received the

Community Group of the Year Award at the Pride

of Plymouth Awards 2013

Paul Gray, Special Olympics Exeter & District and Alan Stockdale, Special Olympics Plymouth & District with their Pride Awards

22

Through Pennies, the electronic charity box, we have continued to benefit from the donations of Domino’s customers. This support has greatly contributed to the success of Special Olympics Great Britain over the last three years and we are delighted that our relationship will continue into 2014. In 2013 over £125,000 was donated by Domino’s customers, which supported development of our Motor Activities Training Programme, our sports leadership training and expansion of our London delivery networks.

Evan Cycles customers’ donations are supporting our cycling programme

Almost 50,000 of Evans Cycles online customers chose to make a donation to Special Olympics Great Britain during 2013. Over £5,500 was raised and this is being used to fund the purchase of Evans bikes and expand the opportunity for more people with intellectual disabilities to enjoy the fun and freedom of cycling. This year cycling projects for intellectual disabled people have been set up in Crawley, Slough and Surrey.

2322

TOTAL* INCOME in 2012 £1,924,527

Alongside the support that our clubs depend upon in their local communities, at a national level we seek to engage with companies and charitable individuals that align with our ambition to create a more inclusive society.

We were particularly pleased to be able to raise the in-kind and cash support that was required to run a successful National Summer Games in 2013. This was the first time that the charity was totally responsible for all costs associated with the event. The additional support that we received from our existing partners was greatly appreciated.

Trust and Foundation

donations and grants

19%

Awareness and

promotional activites

9%

Public Sector funding**

0%

Governance costs5%

Corporate partnerships

24%

Individual, community

and corporate donations

57%

Competition events,

conferences and training

72%

Currently our work is primarily funded through individual, community and corporate donations

** NB Special Olympics GB received £191k grant from Sport England in 2013 for its National Summer Games and is currently making an application to the Inclusion Fund to support further development projects in 2014

* Special Olympics Great Britain produces annual consolidated accounts which include all it’s branches which fundraise independently. Income for Head Office in 2012 was £1,364,071.

72%

14%

9%

5%

Fundraising events and activities14%

Expenditure (relating to year end 2012)

Voluntary income (relating to year end 2012)

24

24%

57%

19%

0%

24

60 equestrian athletes from nine Special Olympics GB regions gathered at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, for the Special Olympics 2013 National Equestrian Competition. The event was supported by Riding for the Disabled.

The riders, divisioned by their ability and age, competed in dressage, prix caprilli, working trails and horse care & knowledge.

“Participation in the year-round training

and competition that Special Olympics

GB provides really helps to improve

the confidence and self-esteem of our

athletes.” Nancy Peters the Equestrian

Technical Advisor for Special Olympics GB

“ We were delighted with the strength of the competition that was on show and by the determination, courage and sportsmanship of our athletes.”Nancy Peters the Equestrian Technical Advisor for Special Olympics GB

25

AmbassadorsSpecial Olympics Great Britain is fortunate in having such committed Ambassadors who champion the cause of disability sports and help raise the profile of the charity.

During 2013 additional Games Ambassadors were recruited to support visibility of the National Summer Games. They are all Olympic athletes with special links to the City of Bath: Jason Gardener MBE Olympic Gold Medalist, Jo Pavey 4-times Olympian and Heather Fell, Olympic champion. Our thanks go to them for helping to make the National Summer Games such a success.

Colin Salmon became an official Ambassador of Special Olympics Great Britain in August and appeared on the ITV Lorraine programme with Special Olympics athlete Charlotte Cox. Colin also performed at the Opening Ceremony of our National Summer Games to read his poem ‘No child’.

Towards the end of 2013 Nicole Scherzinger became an official Global Ambassador of Special Olympics.

John Amaechi OBE NBA Basketball Legend

Osvaldo (Ossie) Ardiles Football Legend

Shaun Baker Extreme Kayaker

Armand Beasley Beauty & Fashion Guru

Graham Bell British Ski Champion &

BBC-TV Presenter

Darren Campbell MBE Sprinter, Olympics Champion

Anna Hemmings MBE Canoeist, world Champion and

Olympian

Georgina Hulme Special Olympics Athlete

Chris Kamara Former Football Player, Manager and

current Sky Sports Presenter

Lawrie McMenemy MBE Football Legend

Katharine Merry Sprinter, Olympic Champion

Colin Salmon Hollywood Actor

“ We are committed to continuing to inspire people to run Special Olympics events every day in this country. Securing long-term funding to develop our programmes is key to the health, fitness and inclusion of the 1.2 million children and adults in this country with Intellectual Disabilities, and their families.”

26

Jason Gardener MBE at the Opening Ceremony of the 2013 National Games

Heather Fell, promoting the 2013 National Games in Bath

Prior to become an Ambassador Colin Salmon attended the Special Olympics reception at the House of Lords, February 2013

Jo Pavey (left) joining the Torch Run in Exeter ahead of the 2013 National Games

Tom Hawkins and Sophie Dalglish joined Nicole Scherzinger for the photoshoot to announce her role as a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics

2726

Sport and HealthSport and health are intrinsically linked – engagement in sport can not only lead to better athletic outcomes, it can lead to improvement in health, quality of life and life expectancy. The Health and Wellbeing Committee of Special Olympics Great Britain is working to ensure that our athletes benefit fully from their involvement with the Movement.

In March 2013, the UK Government published

its three year Confidential Inquiry into

premature deaths of people with learning

difficulties. This showed that 37% of the

deaths of people with a learning disability

were considered avoidable. It was reported

that people with an intellectual disability

experience delays in diagnosis, delays in

treatment, lack of basic care and poor

communication by health professionals.

Compared with the general population, men with a learning disability die on average 13 years earlier, while women with a learning disability die 20 years earlier while under the care of the NHS.

Special Olympics operates a Healthy Athletes programme worldwide to provide health screenings for athletes taking part in competitions.

Through its Healthy Athletes programme Special Olympics has the largest health database in the world relating to people with intellectual disabilities. In the UK we believe there would be huge benefit in interfacing the personal health & wellness record for each Special Olympics athlete with the national UK General Practitioners online database system (NHSNet).

We are in discussion with Mencap and the British Institution of Learning Disabilities to find an effective way forward and ensure that, at a minimum, this most-disadvantaged group receives annual health checks and effective follow-up where required.

The NHS offers a free Learning Disability

Annual Health Check to all 1.2m people

with learning disabilities in Great Britain. In

2011 only 48% of the 1.2m people got their

Annual Check. Not getting an Annual Check

is a significant contributor to the premature

deaths.

Athletes competing at the Games were offered general healthcare checks covering body mass index measurements.

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In June 2013, Tim Shriver spoke at a Parliamentary Round Table discussion hosted by Gerry Sutcliffe MP and attended by fellow MPs, Cabinet Office and representatives of national sports organisations. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the ongoing barriers to participation in sport by those with intellectual disabilities.

During 2014 we will continue to engage with Government to improve awareness of Special Olympics and the benefits it brings to people with intellectual disabilities, and to gain significant investment in the growth of the Special Olympics network across Britain.

“ We are not a sports movement in search of values that it can convey to people. This is a social revolutionary movement that uses sport to effect significant social change.” Tim Shriver, Chairman Special Olympics International

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66% required referral to their GP for hearing loss

Healthy Athletes Programme

Thanks to the financial support of The Coca-Cola Foundation, during the National Summer Games we were able to offer all the competitors a ‘best in class’ Healthy Athletes Programme. Competitors were offered dental, hearing and feet health screenings along with a general healthcare check covering blood sugar, blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate and body mass index measurements. Health promotion and nutrition information were made available in a fun and engaging way. The aim is to effect long-term behavioural change and support athletes to lead healthier lives.

Based on the data collected at the Games in Bath we are delighted to find the foot health of the athletes has improved.

“Regular annual health screening delivered

to a consistent high standard is key to

reducing the number of needless premature

deaths among people with intellectual

disabilities in Britain.” Dr. Stan Shepherd,

member of the Special Olympics GB Health and

Wellbeing Committee and the Special Olympics

International Medical Advisory Committee

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“In addition to the benefits of screening

programmes for athletes, the benefits for

volunteers was immense, especially for

students. They would not normally have the

opportunity to assess so many people with

learning difficulties and it was an opportunity

to develop their communication skills, clinical

skills and teamwork.”

Wendy Stevens, Clinical Director

Healthy Hearing

“All of the data collected at the National

Games in Bath showed a positive trend

compared to findings from previous Games.

We were delighted to find the foot health

of the athletes had improved. One of the

biggest improvements was in footwear fit,

it has been reported to be as high as 60% of

athletes having the wrong size of footwear

where the Bath Games showed only 19%.”

Mandy Abbott, Clinical Director Fit Feet

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1,045 screening checks provided

...of the athletes screened ...

HAD GAIT ABNORMALITIES

HAD BLOCKED OR PARTIALLY BLOCKED EARS

HAD GUM DISEASE

HAD BONE DEFORMITIES

77.6%44.2% 40.6% 16.9%

Growing our network

London is set to be a key area for development thanks to a three-year project funded by a grant from the Mayor of London’s Sport Legacy Fund and funds raised by CMS Cameron McKenna employees. The aim will be to increase the number of people with intellectual disabilities living in London engaged in regular sport. The target is 2,500 people by December 2015 and to develop 52 Special Olympics competitions across 16 London boroughs over the next two years.

Through the rollout of its delivery network model Special Olympics Great Britain plans to progress the development of its training and competition pathway across the country allowing more athletes with learning disabilities the opportunity to compete in their chosen sport.

Target locations outside of London for 2014 are Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Kent, Nottingham and Sheffield.

Target London boroughs for 2014

Looking ahead

We will continue to seek investment to broaden the reach and impact of our valuable programmes that:

• Empower people with intellectual disability to

become more independent and integrated into

society;

• Ensure people with intellectual disability develop

skills vital to lead a happy and healthy life;

• Educate wider communities about intellectual

disability, to breakdown prejudices and overcome

social exclusion;

• Identify and target long term chronic illnesses and

health conditions that result in premature deaths and

bear significant cost to the NHS and welfare budgets.

European Summer Games September 2014

In September 2014, 50 Special Olympics athletes from across England, Scotland and Wales will be joining 1,950 athletes at the European Summer Games in Antwerp, Belgium. The British athletes will be taking part in seven of the sports competitions: athletics, aquatics, badminton, cycling, artistic gymnastics, judo and table tennis.

www.so2014.com/

Richmond Kingston Wandsworth Merton Hounslow Ealing Hillingdon Harrow

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World Summer Games July 2015

The next World Summer Games will take place in Los Angeles in 2015. Selection of the delegation of around 250 athletes, coaches and staff will take place early in 2014. During the year the clubs and regions will be busy fundraising to ensure that all the selected athletes have every opportunity to prepare well and perform to the best of their ability at the Games. 7,000 athletes from 170 countries will be taking part in the Games. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have pledged their support as Honorary Chairs of the 2015 World Summer Games.

www.la2015.org/

National Summer Games 2017

The process of nominating the host city for the 2017 National Summer Games of Special Olympics Great Britain is already underway and it is hoped that the location will be confirmed by June 2014.

Legacy in the South West

Following the 2013 National Summer Games in Bath and Bristol, Special Olympics is especially focused on developing the Games legacy in the South West.

The Coles-Medlock Foundation is helping to kick-start the legacy programme. Focus areas are Bath, Bristol, Barnstaple, Swindon, Cornwall and Somerset

We expect three new clubs to be accredited to Special Olympics Great Britain in spring 2014 with a further three clubs by the end of the year.

Volunteers

A key goal for 2014 is to achieve an ongoing involvement by 50% of the 2013 Summer Games volunteers. There are opportunities to get involved in volunteering at a club level or in supporting delivery of regional or national competitions. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the ethnic diversity among our athletes and volunteers we are progressing a relationship with the Hindu Network within CMS Cameron McKenna.

Volunteering with Special Olympics Great Britain provides our corporate partners with opportunities for personal and team skills development. We will be working with our corporate partners to better measure the impact of volunteering on employee engagement and development.

Thanks to a new corporate funder, Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management, we are able to fund a part-time Volunteer Development Manager who will be starting early in 2014. Thank you also to The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust for funding the Volunteer Support Programme.

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Motor Activities Training Programme®

During 2014, 15 volunteers will be recruited and trained to become our MATP Leaders. The MATP Leaders will then deliver workshops around the country to those clubs seeking to provide activities for people with profound intellectual disabilities. The target is to host 45 workshops during 2014. The Motor Activities Training Programme is of benefit to people with multiple or profound intellectual and physical disabilities.

Healthy Athletes

During 2014 Special Olympics GB will continue to develop a Healthy Communities programme to deliver a long-lasting health legacy from the 2013 Games. The objective is to bring the health outcomes of Special Olympics athletes to the same level as the rest of the GB population.

In June 2014, we will deliver a pilot annual health promotion event and the target audience will be people with learning/intellectual disabilities, not already taking part in Special Olympics, from local regional associations, societies, special schools, etc. It is envisaged that the event will run for one day on a weekend and facilitate and encourage participation by health volunteers.

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“ We are here because the prejudice has not ended; the stigma has not gone away. The barriers to good access for healthcare, barriers to recreation, barriers to inclusion still remain and parents continue to confront stigma in this country and around the world, everywhere they go.”

Tim Shriver, Chairman Special Olympics

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Corinthian House, 1st Floor,

6-8 Great Eastern Street, London

EC2A 3NT

Tel: 020 7247 8891 Fax: 020 7247 2393

Email: info@sogb.org.uk

Thank you for your interest in Special Olympics Great Britain.

If you want to get involved, or need more information, please visit our website:

www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk

If you want to keep in touch with ongoing developments you can join our on-line community via Twitter and Facebook.

f facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsGB

t @SpecialOlympicsGB

You can help us improve the opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to

benefit from our work by donating to Special Olympics Great Britain via Give as you Live

www.giveasyoulive.com/join/sogb or Text your donation to 70070 (SOGB14 £10 or

whatever donation you wish to make).

Registered as a Charity in accordance with the Charities Act 1960 No. 800329