Hailsham News discovers what it takes to enable the severely disabled to enjoy skiing – which is what Ian Edwards has been doing for the last four decades of his life…
The Southern Ski Club for the Disabled (SSCD) is a registered charity that was set up to give new opportunities for the disabled and is headed up by 74-year-old Ian Edwards, a man who has dedicated most of his working life to ensuring local disabled children and adults get to enjoy ski life.
His work has now been recognised as he receives the BBC Unsung Hero Award South East for his selfless dedication.
Every Saturday at the Knockhatch Ski & Snowboard Centre, Ian gathers a team of volunteers who give the opportunity of a lifetime to those who want to ski but cannot wear traditional ski equipment due to their disability.
Ian told Hailsham News: “It’s not an easy thing at all to achieve. In America is called adaptive skiing, and that’s what you have to do, you have to adapt. You don’t adapt the person, you adapt the equipment.”
He added: “We have a lad that’s come down here, his toes are inward that much that he simply wouldn’t be able to wear normal skis. So, the findings had to be mounted on the skis, so that they face forward, but his feet are still in his normal, comfortable position.”
“Another lad who comes here spends most of his time in a wheelchair, but we’ve made an upper chair just to get him up the slope. Then he stands in what I can only describe as a zimmer frame on skis. That enables him to ski down, but it takes three skiers to get him down.”
Ian says he gets paid in smiles and seeing tears in the eyes of the parents when they see their children skiing is priceless. It’s clear that Ian gets real joy and giving these unique opportunities to the local disabled is what keeps the charity as strong as it is.
However, it is reliant on volunteers giving up their time not only to help on the slopes but also to organise the training events, sort out equipment and also build the specialist equipment that is used on the slopes.
Ian said: “The problem we have is the number of disabled wanting to ski is growing and growing. We’re having anything up to 14 or 15 people turn up to these sessions, and that’s still growing.”
“Tonight, for example, we’ve only got eight qualified guides, and then three or four skiing helpers to service all those people. We’re having to use the parents and guardians who are non-skiers to fulfil the non-skiing roles. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
The BBC Unsung Award was presented to Ian recently by BBC South-East Presenter Juliette Parkin who visited one of the sessions at Knockhatch. He was selected by a panel of judges including British skeleton athlete Matt Weston from Tunbridge Wells.
The BBC stated through Mr Edward’s nationally recognised programme, he has trained almost 4,000 volunteers at other clubs to deliver accessible ski instruction, as well as organised ski trips abroad. His work has impacted the lives of an estimated 19,000 people.
There is an urgent call for volunteers to help the work of the SSCD to ensure it carries on offering these uniques experiences. Ian summed up: “ I’m desperate for more people. Anyone can come along and work side by side with a qualified guide, and if they like what they do and continue, then they can take the training and become a qualified guide.
They can come out and help on holidays abroad as well.”
Anyone interested in getting involved can contact Ian via the charity’s website at http://sscd.org.uk.
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