NEWS RELEASE

Wednesday 19th November 2014

Gymnasts help to launch Special Olympics Suffolk

Gymnasts from Suffolk and Norfolk took centre stage at the launch of Special Olympics Suffolk on Sunday at Waveney Gymnasts Club, Lowestoft. The club, having hosted international gymnastics teams in the lead in to the London 2012 Olympic Games, offered a superb venue for this historic occasion. The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Lowestoft, as principal guests, together with a host of other guests, family, friends and spectators were treated to an excellent 3 hour gymnastics competition. This was the first Special Olympics gymnastics competition to be held in Suffolk. Results may be found at www.specialolympicssuffolk.org

The Chair of Special Olympics Great Britain, Murton Mann, said ‘On behalf of Special Olympics Great Britain I congratulate and thank all those who have been involved in bringing Special Olympics to Suffolk.

Rachel Baylis, Chair of Waveney Sportsability, said ‘We are incredibly proud to have hosted the Launch and gymnastics competition at Waveney Gymnastics Club which is now one of the leading gymnastics clubs nationally in the provision of coaching and competition for disabled people’

With athletics and gymnastics now involved, plans are underway to introduce more Special Olympics sports over the coming year. For further information or to have an informal chat either as a participant or to volunteer please contact either Terry McEntee on terrymcentee474@gmail.com  07775 557784 or Matt Abbott on matt@elatussports.co.uk  07846 510139

ENDS

Special Olympics Suffolk launches new website

 In the lead in to Sunday’s Official Launch Event at Waveney Gymnastics Club in Lowestoft Special Olympics Suffolk announces the launch of its new website www.specialolympicssuffolk.org

This will offer a vital communications channel for the people of Suffolk, in particular those with an intellectual disability, who want to take part in sports, both training and competition

Surveys have shown that a major barrier to participation is lack of knowledge about existing opportunities and increasingly web based information coupled with social media play a major part in not only sharing information but encouraging people to take part.

Special Olympics athlete and member of the Ipswich based Orwell Panthers Athletics Club, Oli Minns, says ‘I, and my friends, use the internet and social media on a daily basis. The Special Olympics Suffolk website will be an excellent way to keep in touch with what is happening, in particular competitions we can take part in not only in Suffolk but across the country’

Sunday’s Launch Event and Gymnastics competition in Lowestoft will be the first major event to feature on the site. It is hoped that through the site and a range of other means participation by people with an intellectual disability will increase over the coming years.

For further information or to have an informal chat contact either Terry McEntee on terrymcentee474@gmail.com 07775 557784 or Matt Abbott on matt@elatussports.co.uk 07846 510139

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE

Wednesday 5^th November 2014

Special Olympics launches in Suffolk

After months of hard work, the Special Olympics Suffolk Action Group, a team of dedicated volunteers, announce the Launch of Special Olympics, a first for Suffolk. This will bring new coaching and competition opportunities for people with an intellectual (learning) disability across the county.

The occasion will be marked with an Official Launch Event on Sunday 16^th November at Waveney Gymnastics Club in Lowestoft. The day will also include Special Olympics Suffolk’s first gymnastics competition. An athletics competition has already taken place in Ipswich in September and some of those athletes will be present at the Launch

Special Olympics Suffolk will not only promote opportunities for participation by people with an intellectual disability but also through coaching and competition provide a pathway to national and international competition with National and World Games on a 4 year cycle as for the Olympics and Paralympics

Crucial to success will be continued promotion and engagement through a wide range of partners such as education, the public sector, community organisations and the Suffolk media. Apart from being a participant, everyone in the community will have the opportunity to become involved in areas such as helping at a sports club, volunteering at an event or indeed contributing to behind the scenes organisation with activities such as fund raising, marketing and administration

Murton Mann, Chair of Special Olympics Great Britain says: ‘On behalf of Special Olympics GB, and from a personal point of view living here in our wonderful county of Suffolk, I would like to wish everyone involved in Special Olympics Suffolk every success. Congratulations and thank you to all those who have been involved in bringing Special Olympics to the county – the start of more opportunities for training, competition, personal development and fun for people in Suffolk with an intellectual disability and their families’

For further information or to have an informal chat contact either Terry McEntee on terrymcentee474@gmail.com 07775 557784 or Matt Abbott on matt@elatussports.co.uk 07846 510139

ENDS

To mark the Official Launch of Special Olympics Suffolk

The Chair of Special Olympics Great Britain and
Chair of Special Olympics Suffolk

invite you to

 THE LAUNCH EVENT

at Waveney Gymnastics Club, 101 Southwell Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0RR

on Sunday 16^th November 2014 at 11:30am

 The occasion will also mark the staging of Suffolk’s first Special Olympics Gymnastics competition at the venue with gymnasts from across Suffolk and the region

 Terry McEntee                                                                    Murton Mann

(Chair Special Olympics Suffolk)                                (Chair Special Olympics Great Britain)

RSVP

Please return to Terry McEntee

terrymcentee474@gmail.com (07775557784)

by Monday 10^th November