Caithness.org News Bulletins -  November 2002

Thurso Index

CHARLIES NEW CHALLENGE
A top athletics coach has taken up a new three-year post to promote sports development for people with a disability in the Highlands.  As Highland Disability Sports Development Officer, Charlie Forbes will play the key role in developing a network of co-ordinators to promote local sports
opportunities.

Working closely with Highland Disability Sport and the voluntary section, Charlie will begin his work by establishing what already exists by way of sports activity for people with a disability and help identify a programme of activities for the new year.  He hopes to travel throughout the Highlands to meet coaches and school sports co-ordinators to encourage greater involvement with people with a disability.

Charlie will be based at Drummond School, Inverness, and can be contacted on 01463 232262. His post is funded by The Highland Council, the Social Inclusion Programme, Highland Health Board, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, sportscotland, Royal Mail and Highland Disability Sport.

As a teenager Charlie was a promising footballer and spent two weeks on trial with Aberdeen FC, but his real love is athletics and he has been actively involved with Inverness Harriers since 1985. He is also team manager with the Scottish senior athletics international team.  He is also an active competitor
on the veteran athletics circuit.

Charlie said: My role is to get out and about and ensure that people with a disability - junior and senior sporspeople - get equal opportunities to sporting activities. My diary is already filling up with appointments to meet people, who can help me put in place a Highland wide network of coaches who can encourage people with a disability to take part for the first time in a sport or provide the support for established athletes to represent the Highlands or even Scotland at top international events.  I am really looking forward to the challenge and would be delighted to hear from anyone with an interest in this important area of sports development.