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Stoke Mandeville
29.1.09 Bucks Herald Faulty equipment bars disabled swimmers from the home of
Paralympics Reproduced in full
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/Faulty-equipment-bars-disabled-swimmers.4928780.jp
By Anna Dowdeswell
DISABLED swimmers have not been able to use the pool at
Stoke Mandeville Stadium - the home of the Paralympics - for six weeks after
the hoist was removed. The stadium, run by Harpers Fitness,
was set up to be used for disabled people, but since December 17 some members
of the Aylesbury Area Disabled Club, who need to use the hoist to enjoy a swim,
have had to stay at home. And they will have to wait until February to get back
into the pool.
Roy Carter, chairman of the club who runs the swimming, said: "Since
December 17 they have withdrawn the use of the hoist to lift people into the
water. "(Harpers) have said it's been taken away because of health and safety,
but it doesn't take that long to rectify what's gone wrong. This is not good enough for a stadium which was built for disabled
people. I've got people who have had strokes and had lost all hope and it's
made a difference in their lives. They're just staying at home. Swimming is
probably the best exercise a disabled person can get and it's a bit of
socialising as well."
A spokesman from Harpers said they will aim to replace the hoist next month.
"We would like to apologise to any customer who has not been able to use
the pool at Stoke Mandeville Centre recently," he said. "We have been advised by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency that a new
safety strap was needed for our hoists and that we should withdraw them from
use until they were fitted. We have been told the new design straps will be available at the
beginning of February and we're doing everything we can to ensure we get them
installed and the hoists in operation again as soon as possible."
18.9.08 Stoke Mandeville Stadium criticised for
'run-down' facilities Reproduced in full apart from photo http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/sport/Stoke-Mandeville-Stadium-criticised-for.4508176.jp
One of
Aylesbury Vale's most talented young athletes has been forced to switch his
training to Milton Keynes because of the run-down throwing facilities at Stoke Mandeville
Stadium. Sam Ridgway, 15, who is ranked number four in the South East and 27th
in the country at the under-17 hammer throw, has become disillusioned with
waiting for the world-renowned stadium to fix the hammer cage, which has been
out of action since the Spring.
The
discus cage is also said to be in a poor condition with netting hanging loose
around its sides. Sam, a 6ft5 Waddesdon pupil, had been at the Vale of
Aylesbury Athletics Club for two years, but he has now moved to the Marshall Milton
Keynes club so he can have access to the better facilities that he needs to
continue improving in his sport.
His
father, Adrian, of Far Furlong Close, Aylesbury, said: "They (the
stadium's management) have been promising to repair the cages all year. It has
left athletes in a terrible situation. Stoke Mandeville Stadium, which is
managed by Leisure Connection, was contacted, but they failed to comment.
LC failing to respond to bad
news has been reported frequently on LCW. In terms of public relations avoiding
the press often means fear of being further embarrassed, such as being unable
to justify events. LC’s website
for the Stadium claims “a venue of the highest quality”.
The website also refers to the British Wheelchair
Sports Foundation. Somehow the change of name to Wheelpower in 2005 seems to
have escaped LC’s notice. PB
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