About Us
The RBDSLF is a voluntary group supporting access for people with disabilities into Sports and Leisure. Geographically the forum supports people living in the borough of Rochdale including townships Middleton, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough. The forum meets approximately 6 times a year and comprises of Parent/Carers, Activity participants, Sports Coaches, Service Managers.
The forum aims to increase opportunities to participate by:
· providing promotional material that is accessible and reaches the right audience
· providing disability awareness training programmes to service providers
· providing support and advice to people accessing activities
· raising funds to support access to activities
· providing events and activities which encourage participation
· advising new and existing providers on developing access
The forum is open to anybody with any interests in this field and you are very welcome to come along to the meeting.
For meeting dates and venues please select here
The Team
Graeme Hill, Chairperson
Graeme has now been working in the disability field for over 8 years.
He currently works for Rochdale Gateway Leisure Ltd as a development worker prior to which he worked at centres that specialised in delivery of outdoor activities to people with disabilities in both New Zealand and Keswick Cumbria. His own main interests are climbing and kayaking. He also used to do a lot of Fell running which currently he is trying to get back into. He is very passionate about people with disabilities having equal choice and opportunity in participating in sports and physical activities.
Paula Duffy, Secretary
I was elected as Secretary in July 2009, hopefully to follow in the experienced and well practiced work of Julie Durrant. I am currently in my final year of my degree on the Sports Development course at Leeds Metropolitan University. I volunteered on the Sunsport programme from 2006 and then became a support worker, now I am Sunsport Coordinator for the scheme working alongside Graeme. Within this post I am acting deputy to Graeme on the scheme but I am also working very closely with the Sunsport Management Committee which is constituted by former and pre existing members of Sunsport. At weekends I work as a support worker on the Saturday scheme at Rochdale Gateway. Post University I would love to work within Disability Sport helping to progress and develop people with disabilities within sport but also personally and within communities to increase representation within Sport and Society. On a personal note I am keen sports person I will try anything, my main sport is football of which I play for Rochdale Ladies, I also enjoy attending the gym and having a good workout.
Anna Brookes, Treasurer
I live in the Heywood area. I am a parent of a teenager with disabilities. I became involved in the forum whilst looking for leisure activities for my son. I feel it's important to point out the forums activities are based on individuals enjoying themselves and socialising rather than on 'level of performance'. It simply doesn't matter whether you're good or not, just come and enjoy yourself would be my message. In my personal time I enjoy walking our Labrador and doing crosswords.
Dewan Choudhury, Deaf/Hearing Impairments Officer
An FA Level 2 qualified football coach; I have been coaching for over 4 years now to participants of all ages and abilities, in Rochdale. I got involved with deaf football when a group of deaf players approached me for assistance in setting up a deaf team, I currently coach and manage 'Rochdale Rhinos Deaf Football Club', which gives people who are deaf or have hearing impairments the opportunity to get involved in football. In terms of communicating with the players, initially I found it difficult, but the players are fantastic lip readers, which makes it easier. In September I will start a British Sign Language course at Hopwood Hall College, funded by RBDSLF, which will improve my ability to communicate with deaf people and further enhance my ability to coach deaf people.
Dave Potter, Visual Impairment Adviser
Dave has worked for RANS (Rochdale Additional Needs Service) since 1996 as the teacher of mobility education for the Team for Children with a Visual Impairment. Part of this role is to try and promote social inclusion and to encourage this he has founded and continues to run two clubs for visually impaired people and their friends and families - Rochdale Goalball Club and Rochdale Vipers Ten-pin Bowling Club, further details for which can be found in the Activities section of this website. His role within the RBDSLF is as the Advisor for Visual Impairment.