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Zak Skinner trains for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games

Zak's consistent training over several months has been impressive, and observing his development is truly motivational, and with support from his new team at Blue Carpet Sports Management, Zak is set to perform excellently in the Paris Paralympic Games, starting on August 28th 2024. Here are some words from Zak’s manager, Tom Bosworth: “With the season fast approaching the magnitude of the year’s preparation for the games have been turned up a notch. With a lot of the final hard graft being done now before we settle into a competition season. The training since the indoors season has been hard and testing but also very enjoyable. “Zak is in a really good place and excited to show his form in his early competitions. With one final training camp set out in Turkey this month to fine tune his training and get him ready to compete. We hope to see him competing at the end of May/June both in the long jump runways and in the 100m. “It’s an exciting time and he can’t wait to get out there now and get his road to Paris fully underway!” More exciting news comes in the form of Zak’s presence in upcoming documentaries that will feature on Channel 4. Some of Britain’s biggest track and field stars will be heading into the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer with Channel 4 cameras following their preparations and training. Two fly-on-the-wall documentaries, in partnership with The National Lottery, will provide a unique insight into the journey these athletes take and the sacrifices they make to be able to compete for Olympic or Paralympic gold. The series will explore what it takes to be a professional athlete heading to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Each athlete has a unique story to tell, and the series will follow their gruelling training sessions, championship battles and the challenge of trying to qualify for the Games. Viewers will be introduced to the high-performance support environment, enabled by National Lottery players, including coaches, nutritionists, physiotherapists, and psychologists. This team that sits behind every National Lottery-supported elite athlete will give a unique insight into the mentality and physicality of an elite sportsperson fighting to represent their country. The nine athletes set to take part in the documentary are just some of the over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme. The first episode, which is being made in partnership with the National Lottery, will focus on four Olympians. They are world and Olympic 800metres silver medallist Hodgkinson, the last two 1500m world champions, Kerr and Jake Wightman, as well as high jumper Morgan Lake. In episode two, five Paralympic athletes will feature – sprinter Peacock, wheelchair racers Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire, long jumper Zak Skinner and shot put and discus thrower Funmi Oduwaiye. Follow our Facebook page to get all the up-to-date information about our ambassador Zak Skinner’s involvement in this programme.

Introducing Steve Sherry - Compaid's New CEO

Steve Sherry CMG OBE has been in the sector for over 12 years providing vital support for people with disabilities and health conditions. He is passionate about communities and reducing social isolation. After Stephen Elsden's retirement this March, Steve is now leading Compaid as we deliver transport services and digital training services right across Kent to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Get to know Steve and his vision for the future of Compaid in this video: Join us in giving Steve a warm welcome to Compaid! We look forward to the future of the charity with his leading.

Morrisons Foundation Music Project brings lively music to our training centre

Our Music therapy offers vulnerable people the opportunity to use music to express themselves & explore their creativity, boost their confidence & sense of self-worth. Music brings people together & fosters partnership/group working, and can have a powerful impact on emotions, promoting emotional well-being which can potentially serve as a therapeutic outlet for some. Thanks to generous funding from the Morrisons Foundation, we were able to buy some specialised instruments and sound equipment. This will enable us to Provide a diverse range of musical activities to cater to different interests & abilities, by offering a variety of options, participants can find something that resonates with them and keeps them engaged. to enable those with mobility/dexterity impairments, to play a variety of instruments and blend sounds seamlessly to create beautiful compositions. The impact our sessions have had for some of our clients.... Before his brain injury, Barry was an active member of a band, indulging in a passion that brought him immense joy. Determined to reignite that flame, he's been committed to attending sessions despite the challenges. Through his determination, he's gradually reclaiming his musical skill, mastering chords and blending them with backing sounds to create astonishing sounds. Zara loves to sing and through our music therapy, we discovered that she has the voice of an angel. With the help of Jonathan, our Centre Co-ordinator, she recorded herself singing while he accompanied her on the piano. Zara has rediscovered a passion that she never thought she would enjoy again. Despite facing blindness and limited hand function, Samson has adeptly mastered bass guitar and some percussion instruments. With our trainers' support, he has blended these sounds using specialised equipment, resulting in an amazing musical composition. A few examples of how our sessions have inspired individuals to relive and enjoy their passion. Samson is blind and only has use of one hand, but with the guidance and help of our trainers, he has learned to play bass guitar and percussion instruments using an electric music board. He was delighted with the amazing piece of music he was able to create with our support. Stories of progress, discovery, and creativity such as these are shared every day in our Paddock Wood centre, and to our outreach team, who bring digital skills learning to people in the community who are unable to attend the centre. We are here to help people in Kent learn and thrive, and we can help you too. Click here to find out more about our digital skill service: https://www.compaid.org.uk/digital-skills/

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