Paralympics

World class rowing centre opens in Caversham

 altAPRIL 29 – A MAJOR new training facility to help Britain’s rowers to train for the 2012 Olympics and named after the sport’s two greatest names was opened today. The £13 million Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake and Sherriff Boathouse in Caversham near Reading was officially opened by Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent (pictured).

Another sponsorship deal for UK Athletics

altMAY 8 – BRITISH ATHLETICS has benefited from the London Olympic “effect” by signing another major sponsorship deal just a month after getting £50 million backing from Norwich Union. Vonage, an Internet telephone company, have signed up to become the official telecoms sponsor to UK Athletics and will set up Team Vonage to financially support a group of elite stars tipped for success in 2012.

Reddish elected new chairman of the BPA

May 27 - Tim Reddish (pictured), a former swimmer, was elected as the new chairman of the British Paralympic Association in the run-up to London 2012 at its annual meeting today.

He replaces the outgoing chairman Mike Brace.

Reddish competed in the Paralympics in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney before stepping into the role of national performance director for disability swimming at British Swimming in 2003.

Over the last three years has also been the chairman of the board for British Paralympic Performance Services Ltd (BPPS) - a division of ParalympicsGB.

Ann Cutcliffe was re-elected to the position of vice-chair having first taken up the role in 2004 having formerly been team manager of the Para-equestrian dressage in Sydney in 2000.

The board will then be made up of treasurer Paul Masters, a qualified accountant who worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers for 23 years.

He has been treasurer of Disability Snowsport UK since 2002.

These members will be joined on the board by re-elected trustees Jon Morgan, from Disability Sport Wales, Richard Callicott, from the British Volleyball Federation and Jon Amos, from the British Weightlifting Association, plus returning  member Sue Wolstenholme, from the Tennis Foundation and new trustee Annamarie Phelps from the Amateur Rowing Association.

ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane said: “I would like to welcome Tim into the position of chairman and look forward to working with him in the run-up to the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games.

"It’s superb to see that we have such an experienced group of board members to take us forward in the next Games cycle; however it’s also refreshing to see new faces on our board.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike Brace for all his hard work as chairman over the last eight years - his dedication and enthusiasm for Paralympic sport is an inspiration and he has been a pleasure to work alongside.”