News
Meet Thakkar receives the Jack Petchey Achievement Award
Meet Thakkar, one of PACE’s dedicated volunteers, attended the Jack Petchey Award winners’ celebration event last night held at Greenford Hall. Meet joined PACE in 2023 and quickly became an integral part of the club, supporting members and the PACE Boccia athletes to achieve their best. One of Meet’s standout qualities is his ability to connect with the PACE members. He takes the time to get to know everyone, understanding their unique needs and preferences. This thoughtful approach has allowed him to build strong relationships with the members, who appreciate his kindness, empathy, and sense of humour. Well done Meet […]
Read moreHis Majesty King Charles meets PACE
On 7th December, PACE had the privilege of meeting His Majesty The King at Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre. PACE Founder, Krishna Birdy, Sunil, PACE Head Coach, Alex, PACE Boccia Coach and Reshad, one of the PACE International Boccia athletes were given the opportunity to showcase the incredible work PACE does plus demonstrate Boccia for The King, who even held one of our Boccia balls. PACE was invited to meet His Majesty because it had received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour a charity can receive in the UK, recognizing outstanding contributions to volunteering and community service. PACE, […]
Read morePACE deliver Boccia at Wheelpower Sports Festival
Earlier this month, PACE supported WheelPower, the national charity for Wheelchair sport, to deliver boccia at their Sports Festival held at the Aspire Sports Leisure Centre in Stanmore. The sports festival provided a fun-filled day of inclusive sporting activity for participants of all ages and abilities. PACE delivered a bespoke fun, competitive and challenging session, focusing on the core fundamentals of Boccia – how to improve your throwing technique and getting to grips with how to control the pace and power of the Boccia balls. PACE Coach, Alex Dukes arrived at the Sports Day event, set up a specially designed […]
Read moreMeet Thakka Receives the Jack Petchey Achievement Award
The volunteers here at PACE are an integral part of everything that we do from PACE Boccia, to the incredible trips, such as visiting the Olympic Village during the 2012 Paralympics, Science and History Museums to name but a few. None of this would simply be possible without the unwavering support of our volunteers. This tradition continues with our newest volunteer at PACE – Meet Thakka. Since joining PACE, Meet has provided crucial assistance in both the Multi Sports and PACE Boccia sessions and even helped devise and deliver a competitive Boccia tournament. Meet has shown an infectious, positive attitude […]
Read moreRotary club of Kingsbury and Kenton supporting PACE with a classical Indian dance performance
On the 16th of September, The Rotary Club will be hosting a fundraising event in Stanmore. This event will feature classical dancers from India putting on a performance, as well as singing and musical performances. The performances start at 3pm and take place at Canons Hall, 1-17 Wemborough Road, Stanmore, HA7 2DU. There is a charge of £15 per ticket to attend this event. Please see the flyer below or contact Krishna for more information.
Read morePACE A clinch Bronze in Super League Finals
The Super League and National Boccia Finals took place on Sunday, 16 July 2023, at David Ross Sports Village Centre in Nottingham. The finals marked the end of team competitions for the season – PACE A & B’s fantastic results to get to this position. After three Super League days, playing consistently good Boccia, PACE A finished in 3rd place, putting them in good stead for the finals tournament. All they needed was to win one game to avoid relegation, and all their games to be crowned Super League Champions. PACE A’s first game was against Paul’s Place Barbarians for […]
Read morePACE Athlete, Reshad, Joins the Boccia UK Transition Squad
The Boccia UK Transition Squad consists of highly successful, hand-picked athletes from each Boccia classification, who have been identified by Boccia GB coaches as candidates having potential to transition to Team GB in the foreseeable future. PACE is delighted to announce that one of its athletes, Reshad Saraj, has been selected to take part in this Boccia UK’s brand new, exciting initiative. Reshad will get to train with the GB team multiple times a year and enter international competitions, all designed to help him take a big step up in their development. He is understandably buoyed and energized by the […]
Read moreReshad Crowned BE Cup BC2 Champion 2023
The Boccia England Cup Finals took place this weekend at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. It is the biggest individual competition of the Boccia season for many athletes, who are all vying to be crowned the best Boccia player in the country and earn the right to compete in the GB Championships later in the year. Reshad Saraj was the soul athlete representing PACE Boccia this year. He has had a transformative season full of new experiences such as representing Team GB in Brazil and Poland, winning his first-ever international medal, as well as helping the PACE A […]
Read morePACE B Team: Tense Finish at London League Competitions
The Boccia Super League is the biggest, most prestigious league in the country, a competition the PACE A Team are currently competing in. The PACE B Team is striving to break through into the Super League. To do this, they have to come first in the London League for a chance to play in Sheffield in a tournament against regional champions. The League standings were very close at the end of the first day in April. All the teams – Hackney Warriors, Farnham Boccia Club, and Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) could still top the table, so the pressure was […]
Read moreSuper League Day 3: PACE A Finish 3rd
The Boccia Super League Day 3 took place at the weekend in Nottingham at the David Ross Sports Centre. This was the last round of boccia matches to determine where the teams in the Boccia Super League would be seeded ahead of the knockout tournament due to take place at the end of July. PACE A, sitting comfortably in mid-table coming into the competition, were looking to finish strong, vying for one final push to the top of the table, building off on what had been a highly productive and positive campaign to date. PACE A’s first match was against […]
Read morePACE Athletes Win Medals in South Regional Boccia Competitions
The South Regional Boccia competitions, the Heathcoat Cup and the BE Cup, took place on 26th and 27th March respectively, at the K2 Sports Centre in Crawley. Four PACE athletes participated across both of them: Alex (BC1) and Aiden (BC4) in the BE Cup and Chirag (BC3) and Mayella (BC2) in the Heathcoat Cup. On Saturday, Chirag and Mayella competed in the Heathcoat Cup. Hot off the heels of winning his first Boccia medal, a Bronze, Chirag was keen to capitalize on the momentum and strive for another medal. Quietly confident about putting on a good performance, he was aware […]
Read moreMayella receives the Jack Petchey Achievement Award
PACE is delighted to announce that one of our newest members, Mayella, has received the Jack Petchey Achievement Award. Mayella joined PACE towards the end of last year and has been a regular participant in the PACE Boccia sessions, training with the PACE Boccia Squads. Mayella has made an indelible impression in the group, has grown in confidence and is regularly voicing her opinion and ideas to the more senior athletes. She is also extremely driven and dedicated to her own improvement, reflecting constantly on her performance, and is always striving to do better. A fantastic attitude to have which […]
Read moreChirag claims first medal at the boccia Heathcoat Cup
On Saturday the 18th of February, up-and-coming PACE B Boccia athlete, Chirag Shah competed in the Heathcoat Cup East. Since joining PACE Boccia two years ago, Chirag has shown an incredible, dedicated work ethic to improve his game. From communication with his ramp assistant, purchasing his own boccia equipment, and responding positively to feedback from coaches. The progression Chirag has shown is evident for everyone to see at PACE these past 18 months. In sport however, medals and trophies are the true indicators of progress, and Chirag, we’re pleased to say, has achieved his first boccia medal, a bronze, at […]
Read moreBoccia Super League – Day 2
The second round of fixtures in the Boccia Super League – the most competitive teams-based boccia competition in the country – took place at the Brentwood Centre on 19 February. The Boccia Super League comprises of the top eight boccia teams in England. PACE A had three games and after a successful first round, they were keen to build on the momentum and move up the league table. The line-up consisted of Alex (c), Reshad, Aiden, and Habib, a strong line-up full of confidence, believing they could beat any team put in front of them. The first match against Boccia […]
Read morePACE Celebrates 2022
The PACE family, Members, Volunteers and Team Leaders, came together to celebrate PACE’s achievements for the year and look forward to what’s ahead in 2023. Team Leader, Harjit started proceedings with a 20-minute chair yoga routine followed by PACE Head Coach, Sunil, announcing the sporting awards achieved this year. Highlights included Reshad winning his first-ever international medal with Team GB and the Adult Sports Person of the Year at the Ealing Sports Awards. Alex, PACE A Captain, made his return to individual competition this year by competing in Boccia England ‘Back to Boccia’ friendly competitions and winning Gold! To […]
Read morePACE Boccia Athlete Wins Bronze at GB Boccia Championships
The GB Boccia Championships, the most prestigious and toughest competition in the Boccia season took place in October in Swansea hosted by Disability Sport Wales. To qualify for the GB Boccia Championships, a boccia athlete must either medal at the regional competition of his/her home nation (e.g The BE Cup) or be a ranked international athlete. Having clinched his first International medal in Poznan and gaining a world boccia ranking, being placed 30th, PACE Boccia athlete, Reshad Saraj, secured a place at the GB Boccia Championships. Reshad topped the group stages, winning two out of three matches and the superior […]
Read moreReshad wins bronze medal at the Boccia UK Championships
In October, the Boccia UK Championships, the most prestigious and toughest competition in the boccia season took place in Swansea, hosted by Disability Sport Wales. The event has been put on hold since it was staged in 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic so athletes were of course eagerly awaiting to jump back on the court and try to ensure a spot on the podium. To qualify for the GB Championships, you either have to medal at the regional competition of your home nation (e.g The BE Cup) or you are a ranked international athlete. This means that only the top athletes in the […]
Read moreQueen Elizabeth II 1926-2022
We are all deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty the Queen and offer condolences to all her family.
Read moreReshad Wins Bronze in Poznan
PACE is delighted to announce that one of its Boccia athletes, Reshad Saraj, has won a Bronze medal at the Poznan World Challenger Event 2022 which took place from 22nd to 29th August at the Poznan University of Technology, where the some internationally ranked athletes from across the world were competing. This was Reshad’s second international competition with the GB Boccia Team, having recently just competed in Rio De Janeiro at the Boccia World Cup competitions. Reshad, of course, is no stranger to pressure in his Boccia career, often producing his best results when facing immense pressure and being the underdog. This time, […]
Read moreReshad Receives Adult Sports Person of the Year Award
PACE is thrilled to announce that its Team Leader and Boccia athlete, Reshad Saraj, won the Adult Sports Person of the Year Award 2022 at the Ealing Sports Awards ceremony held last Tuesday at William Perkin C of E School in Greenford. Reshad was up against some stiff competition in his category from sports such as sailing, netball and boxing, all popular sports receiving many awards on the night. However, Reshad overcame the odds – a common theme in Reshad’s sporting career – and he was certainly a well deserved winner of this Award. “Reshad had been with PACE for […]
Read morePACE celebrates The Queen’s Award at Havelock
Last year PACE was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service at the historic Westminster Abbey – the first and only disability sports charity in London to have received one. Being honoured with The Queen’s Award was due to a culmination of 18 years of hard work and dedication from our team leaders and volunteers. In May this year, PACE Founder and trustee, Krishna and PACE Head Coach, Sunil, were invited for afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace, meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In June, PACE team leaders attended a special Church Service at Christ the Saviour’s Church […]
Read morePACE Officially Shortlisted in Five Categories in the Ealing Sports Awards 2022
PACE Charitable Trust are thrilled to announce that it has been shortlisted in five separate categories in the 2022 Ealing Sports Awards, taking place on 12th July at William Perkin C of E School. The nominees are as follows: PACE shortlisted for the Inclusive & Active Award PACE shortlisted for the Club of the Year Award Sunil Birdy shortlisted for the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award Reshad Saraj shortlisted for the Adult Sports Person of the Year Award Alex Dukes shortlisted for the Adult Volunteer of the Year Award Ealing Sports Awards are aimed at recognising the talents and achievements of […]
Read morePACE Boccia teams claim 1st and 2nd place in Super League and National League competition.
Over the last two weekends, PACE Boccia took centre stage in two league competitions: PACE A competed in the Super League 2nd Division, whilst PACE B competed in the South East National League, aiming to gain qualification to the National League Finals. The two competitions took place over separate weekend days in Surry and Bedfordshire. PACE B: The National League The PACE B team have bolstered their squad with two strong players, Chirag and Stephen, who have trained incredibly well since joining and both promise to bring much to the team for the rest of the season. Going into the day of […]
Read morePACE Athlete Selected for the Boccia UK Squad
PACE is absolutely thrilled to announce that one of our Boccia athletes, Reshad Saraj has been selected to represent Great Britain at the forthcoming Boccia World Championship in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Reshad will be the first PACE athlete to represent Great Britain. In his 13 year Boccia journey, Reshad has demonstrated enormous natural talent for the game, but perhaps more importantly, an amazing desire, work ethic and self belief to work towards one simple goal: to represent his country playing Boccia – the sport he loves. Speaking on his selection to the squad in his announcement on Facebook, Reshad wrote; […]
Read moreAlex Wins Gold Medal in Fantastic Boccia Comeback
Since the beginning of the year the Boccia circuit has slowly started up again with two friendly competitions, aptly named “Back to Boccia” in Sheffield and in Crawley already completed, with a third competition at the end of April in Hatfield on the horizon. These exhibition matches are a chance for players to get reacquainted with the competitive aspect of Boccia. Alex Dukes did just that and took the chance to dust off his Boccia equipment and step back on court after a two year hiatus thanks to the pandemic. It was certainly worth the wait as Alex won all […]
Read moreBoccia at the Beethoven Centre
PACE is pleased to announce that with the support of Costco, United Way UK and a2dominion, we will be delivering boccia sessions on Fridays at the: Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, London W10 4JL from 11 March at 1:30-3pm. These sessions will be accessible for all ability levels whilst also being highly competitive and, of course, fun. So, whether it is your first ever time throwing a Boccia Ball and you want to gain and develop your knowledge or you are an experienced boccia player looking for a suitable place to train, please contact Krishna@pacezone.org.uk to book your place. Please note […]
Read moreReshad Beats Current Paralympic Champion In Spectacular Fashion
In a huge upset at the Boccia UK Challenger Event in Scotland, Reshad Saraj has beaten the current BC1 Paralympic Champion, David Smith 6-5, wining three of the four ends to claim victory. David Smith is widely considered to be the greatest Boccia player of all time. Since the young age of 14 David Smith has dominated the sport. He retained his BC1 Paralympic title at the Tokyo games last year in a thrilling final. Reshad’s ultimate goal of course is to be playing alongside David Smith in the GB Squad at the next Paralympics so the pressure was on […]
Read morePACE Boccia squads announced!
The boccia season has begun, and PACE Boccia will be resuming training sessions after a two year absence on March 5th 2022. With PACE A competing in the Superleague, reinforcements have arrived at PACE Boccia, with BC3 athlete Habib Cham certain to boost the team with his calm demeanour and exciting, positive style of play. The team will remain captained by Alex Dukes, whilst Aiden Robinson will be returning to PACE A. The rest of the team remains unchanged, and the full lineup is… PACE A: Alex Dukes (c), Reshad Saraj, Jamie Keat, Ramandeep Mann, Habib Cham, Aiden Robinson. PACE B will […]
Read morePACE presented with The Queen’s Award
If all the volunteers in the country stopped work tomorrow our whole way of living would be at a standstill. This message was at the heart of the Deputy Lieutenant of Ealing’s speech at The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service ceremony and encapsulates perfectly the job our volunteers do. Without them they would be no PACE. The ceremony took place at the Havelock Community Centre in Southall, where our wonderful Team Leaders and volunteers took home their certificates and crystal awards presented by the Deputy Lieutenant for Ealing, who was in full regalia uniform. PACE volunteers were also awarded an […]
Read moreDale vs. Spartan Beast!
In the early hours on the 9th October, Dale will be taking on yet another fundraising event for PACE, the Spartan BEAST. Alex sat down with him to find out more. The Spartan BEAST consists of a 21 kilometre run, jam-packed with 30 obstacles such as travelling through ice cold mud puddles, monkey bars and scaling huge walls, all with the goal of raising money for PACE. All-in-all, I would estimate that there are about 30 obstacles from start to finish. And of course, you’re running as fast as you can to the next obstacle as you’re being timed. My target […]
Read morePACE collects the Queens Award for Voluntary Service at the historic Westminster Abbey
Monday 27th October was the day we have been waiting for, since the announcement that PACE had been awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. This phenomenal achievement was marked with a prestigious service at the historic Westminster Abbey, in Central London, where those who had been awarded a British Empire Medal, as well as the Charities that had been awarded the Queens Award, congregated to share in their successes, and the success of other organisations. Two members of staff from PACE were invited to attend the service, Krishna, our founder and trustee, along with Sunil, our head coach, swapped tracksuits for […]
Read morePACE is awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
PACE is delighted to announce that it has been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest Award a voluntary group can receive in the UK, the equivalent of an MBE for charities and social enterprises. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognize outstanding work by volunteer groups for the benefit of their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. This year, PACE is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive […]
Read moreMike Brace (Queen’s Deputy Lieutenant for London) Interview
In late November last year, PACE received the amazing news that it had been shortlisted for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award that can be given to a volunteer-based charity in the UK. With such a prestigious award up for grabs, there, of course, comes a long, rigid vetting process. Mike Brace – a former Paralympic medallist and current Queen’s Deputy Lieutenant for London was assigned to get a closer look at what PACE does. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to speak to Mike about his myriad of careers: being a Paralympic […]
Read morePACE Pals is growing with all-new Thursday sessions
Since PACE Pals began online in October 2020 and the response has been fantastic to see. PACE Pals is a weekly, hour-long session, where members can come together to discuss their favourite topics in a safe, positive environment. It was set-up to combat the negative consequences of lockdown, most critically, the effects of long-term isolation by providing an environment for our members to connect with each other during these difficult times. Now, PACE is delighted to announce a second weekly PACE Pals session! The first of which took place on Thursday, 4th March. “The aim of new PACE Pals sessions […]
Read moreFirst PACE Online of 2021: looking back on 2020
2021 is finally here! And we couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the new year with PACE online. This was the first PACE Online since the Christmas break – so as expected a lot of talk of family celebrations, including classic Christmas dinners – and whether they’re going out of fashion – and lastly, online Zoom calls, where many members connected with extended family in lockdown. Many photos were shared during this conversation they were lots of photos shared comparing each other’s Christmas banquets and every one of them looked delicious. After a 20-minute discussion of […]
Read moreTeam leader Dale goes pink!
Dale Jones, PACE Team Leader, has always been one to take on a challenge. As this year’s Spartan Race was cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Dale has explored how he can still fundraise for PACE, despite the disappointment of his cancelled event. Inspired by his children, and love for all things pink, Dale has decided to grow a moustache and dye it pink whilst taking his children to school. Help make Dale’s blushes worthwhile, by sponsoring him in his quest to fundraise for PACE! When asked about the event, Dale said… Over the past month I have been growing […]
Read morePACE Nominated for Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
PACE is absolutely delighted to announce that it has been nominated for the highly prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This Award was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation and is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups. PACE is honoured that all its volunteers have been recognised for the outstanding work they do and the services they provide for all our beneficiaries. Our volunteers are the very fabric of the organisation, and the opportunities they have given to the most vulnerable in our society have allowed them to change not only their lives, […]
Read morePACE Online #11 – Exercise, New Sessions and Halloween Preparations
October is well and truly upon us – along with the predictably grey and dull weather. The beginning of October also means that Halloween is only weeks away. PACE members recently spent the 11th PACE online session discussing ideas on how to celebrate the scary holiday in an online setting. Before this, the group discussed what they have been up to. The overriding sentiment is with the lack of PACE Multi-Sports session for over half of the year – combine this with the nation-wide restrictions – a few PACE members are starting to feel some negative effects of lack of exercise. […]
Read morePACE Online #9: Return of PACE Presents…”Stretching with Sunil”, plus battling with isolation.
As we say goodbye to summer and hello to winter of 2020. A sense of normality is starting to return, with both primary and secondary schools resuming. Speaking of normality, the 9th PACE has come and gone, but not without unveiling a few exciting announcements. Stretching with Sunil PACE Presents is back! On Wednesday, September, 15th, at 11.30am, will be the debut of PACE Presents…Stretches with Sunil. Join us every Wednesday on Zoom, for a fully inclusive and accessible stretch, suitable for participants of all abilities! All you need to do is bring along a small towel, and a pillow or a […]
Read moreDale prepares for the Spartan Race in October
Dale Jones, team leader at PACE, has recently signed up to complete the Spartan Race, on October 10th 2020, at 09.30am. The Spartan Race is a minimum of three miles, with some courses lasting up to 26 miles. The course is filled with obstacles that participants will need to navigate their way through, in a test of skill, strength and endurance. The races are held across the world, including Canada, South Korea, Australia and multiple European countries. More information about the Spartan Race can be found here. Dale has been training hard for the race, and this will be his […]
Read morePACE Presents… “Poetry with Amrit”
Since their first session the PACE Presents… Poetry group have been hard at work creating their own Haiku poems – the subject of the first poetry lesson. A Haiku is a traditional Japanese poem formed around the use and sounds of syllables. And, of course, PACE members rose to the occasion, utilizing their newly found knowledge of Haikus and applying that knowledge to create their own personal. Some examples of which you can see below. After discussing each others’ Haikus, the group then moved on from Haiku poems and turned their attention to extended metaphors poems. Distilled to its […]
Read morePACE Online #5 – gardening, baking and revisiting a Bollywood classic
As we slowly progress further and further out of lockdown, start to slowly integrate back into society and try to adjust to “the new normal”. At the fifth PACE online, we continued to hear stories of venturing out to the high-street on public transport or the opportunity to finally go to the hairdressers to get a much-needed haircut. All while remaining vigilant and safe while the threat of the pandemic still remains. This is evident by what we hear from our members who are starting to go out far more frequently. They convey public transport has changed dramatically, becoming less […]
Read moreMembers discuss life after lockdown and more during PACE Online
As we say our final farewells to June and welcome July with open arms, we will probably remember June as a month in which scorching hot weather returned with a renewed purpose and sport made its grand return behind closed doors. These subjects and more were covered during our PACE online session, on June 27th 2020! In the days leading up to Saturday’s PACE online session, Liverpool were crowned Premier League Champions for the first time in 30 years – a first in the Premier League. But perhaps what will stand the test of time will be the fact that Liverpool […]
Read morePACE members’ complete Henna course with fantastic results!
At PACE, our members and volunteers are at the core of all that we do. Our newest service, PACE presents, was launched in mid-May – a range of online social, leisure and creative activities, over a four week period, starting with PACE Presents… An Introduction to Henna. Henna, otherwise known as Mehndi, is a process that often takes place before weddings, and strongly symbolizes positive spirits and good luck. Over the past month, a group of PACE members took part in our classes, and created and designed their own Henna inspired bookmarks, Mandala patterns and Henna name boards. Hosted by Kavita Verma – […]
Read moreA Poem and Cheesecake: PACE members show their creative skills!
As we say our farewells to May and begin to welcome June with open arms – the vast majority of the country is, by now, well-accustomed to working from home and finding new, innovative ways to adjust to a post-Covid-19 world. PACE, of course, is playing its part in this transition, hosting the second online MSL session, which took place this past Saturday at 2pm. Lasting for just over an hour – a grand total of 21 members and volunteers connected and exchanged their experiences about their lock-down routine. There was also the first much-needed stretch, led by Sunil Birdy, […]
Read morePACE Members Reconnect during Lock-down
As the UK continues its transition to a new way of life – lock-down, social distancing becoming the norm, not being able to see friends and family, as well as millions working from home, our way of life has been severely disrupted in almost every way. PACE services have of course been severely affected due to these restrictions. As isolation and mental health become more and more important and the lock-down continues, entering its second month this week – it is of the highest priority for PACE then to keep in touch with its members especially in these unprecedented times. […]
Read moreTwo easy ways to support PACE during the Coronavirus pandemic
PACE has recently signed up to two online services, that provide financial support for thousands of charities. Amazon Smile and Give As You Live both donate a percentage of the value of any online purchase you make, to a charity of your choice. Please share this amongst your network and encourage as many people as possible to support PACE and use these two websites when shopping online. AMAZON SMILE Amazon will donate 0.5% of the value of your purchases to PACE, for free! This is incredibly easy to access, and you only need to shop through Amazon Smile, and search for PACE Charitable […]
Read morePACE sessions – Coronavirus update
Dear Members and Supporters, In light of the current situation regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), PACE is following Government issued guidelines that all sports clubs should be following in the bid to contain the possible spread of this virus. The strict measures that have come into force mean that we have suspended all PACE sessions, competitions and our outreach work in the community until further notice. The health and safety of our members is of utmost importance to us. We would encourage all our members to adhere to the self-isolation measures in place and remain safe and healthy.
Read morePACE sessions – Coronavirus Update
Following the recent outbreak in Coronavirus, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) labelling it as a global pandemic, we have made the decision to cancel our PACE sessions until further notice. This will affect PACE Boccia and PACE MSL on the 14th of March. As the situation is ever-changing, we are awaiting further guidance before making a decision on when our sessions will resume.
Read morePACE Athletes Secure THREE Gold Medals At Hatfield
The Hatfield BE Cup Regionals and Heathcoat Cup competitions took place on the 8th and 9th of February at Hertfordshire University in Hatfield. A grand total of 5 PACE Boccia athletes competed across both events – and proving to be one of the most successful weekends in PACE Boccia’s history Mitchell entered the BE cup in good form after his performance in Sheffield, earning 5 points towards his qualification to the BE cup finals – all he needed was 2 more points to qualify. However, Mitchell’s ambitions went far beyond qualification points, he was aiming to finish in the medals […]
Read morePACE Members Celebrate Success at Jack Petchey Awards
At PACE we are always inspired by each and every one of our members as they strive to be the best they can be – whether that is outside of PACE or at our MSL and Boccia Saturday sessions. Throughout 2019, in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation – who have been one of longest running supporters of PACE since our inception in 2004 – five of our members received the Jack Petchey Achievement Award for making a positive contribution and impact to PACE as a whole. “Jack Petchey Achievement Award winners are young people who have gone above and beyond to […]
Read morePACE at The Army Engagement Evening
PACE was recently invited by the Army Engagement Group to an evening reception. The aim of this evening was to promote greater awareness and understanding of the Army, particularly amongst communities who may not be fully aware of all that the Army has to offer. One of our coaches, Alex Dukes, represented PACE and attended the event at the Greenford Town Hall for a chance to learn about the various different aspect of the British Army – from the Navy Cadets from school age of 11 – 16, to hearing first hand experiences from Army veterans of 20 years on […]
Read moreMitchell and Aiden Awarded Bronze Medals at Hawks Academy
Mitchell and Aiden Robinson were presented and awarded with their Teams and Pairs bronze medals they won back in December 2019. The Robinson brothers were training hard at the Hawks Academy at Hatfield in preparation for key competitions: the BE and Heathcoat Cup. Hawks Academy Head, Dan Bentley presented the medals to the pair and commended their brilliant performance at the competition. The Teams and Pairs competition is in it’s third year, taking place in the middle of December in Sheffield. The event consisted of four games: two of which were against Scotland’s National athletes who fielded three separate teams. Mitchell […]
Read moreMitchell Robinson gets one step closer to the BE Cup Finals at the Sheffield qualifiers
As we settle into a new year and decade – the first PACE Boccia and MSL session of 2020 took place last weekend to great success. However, these weren’t the only sporting events that were taking place that weekend. The first qualifier for the BE Cup Final was held at Ponds Forge Sports Centre, Sheffield. Mitchell Robinson made the long journey to Sheffield to get his 2020 Boccia campaign underway and to the best possible start. Similar to last year, players need 7 points to qualify for The BE Cup Finals. Points are collected based on their position at The BE Cup […]
Read moreWelcome 2020! – A Thank You Message
A massive HELLO to everyone and a Happy New Year to all our members, volunteers and supporters. As we enter a whole new decade. PACE finished 2019 with a bang – winning a coveted MTM Award and successfully hosting our Annual PACE Awards. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to PACE’s many successes throughout 2019. As we look forward into the future, 2020 promises to bring more highly competitive Boccia competition from our athletes at PACE Boccia, where both the A and B teams are looking to gain promotion in their respective leagues. Preparations have already begun for our two annual fundraising events, […]
Read morePACE Win MTM Award for Excellence and Achievement
PACE is thrilled to announce it has been awarded the MTM Award for Excellence and Achievement in recognition of the fantastic work PACE has delivered in the community, through all our volunteers and coaches, past and present, since PACE begun way-back in 2004. The MTM Awards were created to give a platform to the Asian, Black and Ethnic Minorities, showcasing their potential, excellence and achievements in Business, Community, Arts and Entertainment. It is the only awards ceremony of this type in the South West. Some of the senior PACE Team Leaders went to the ceremony, along with the Head of […]
Read moreCongratulations Aiden
Congratulations to Aiden Robinson, the latest PACE member to receive the Jack Petchey Achievement Award. The Jack Petchey Award recognizes those young people who have made a positive impact on their organization and their personal development. Since joining PACE in 2017, Aiden has definitely made an incredible difference to PACE. In his two years at PACE, Aiden made his Boccia debut in the PACE B Team where he exceeded expectations, settling in quickly, working well within and adding another dimension to the team – especially in attacking play. After an immensely successful first season, Aiden was moved to the PACE […]
Read morePace4PACE: Thank you
A big THANK YOU to everyone who took time out of their weekend and attended the annual pace4PACE Fun Run 2019 at Perivale Park Athletics Track. Participants had the choice of doing 2k, 5k or 10k and some even decided to extra laps of the track once they got going. Thank you also to all the people who provided the delicious refreshments which were much appreciated, especially after ten laps around the track. If you would like to support the work PACE does, the donation page is still open – any donation, big or small will be much appreciated and […]
Read morePACE shortlisted for Two MTM Awards!
PACE is absolutely thrilled to announce it has been nominated in two categories for the MTM Awards which celebrate the excellence and achievements of businesses and grassroots community groups across the Asian, Black and Ethnic Communities. National Award for Excellence and Achievement – PACE National Role Model Award – Krishna Birdy PACE has been recognized for the role it has played in the community, supporting the most vulnerable in society to access a range of sports and physical activity programs by ensuring active participation, improving the quality of life of its beneficiaries and challenging negative attitudes towards disability. All this […]
Read morepace4PACE 2019 confirmed!
pace4PACE 2019 has been confirmed! The event will take place at Perivale Park Athletics Track, Stockdove Way, UB6 8TJ. Choose your challenge of 2km, 5km or 10km and fundraise for PACE! Donations and sponsorships can be made online here. Registration forms for the event can be found here. PACE members, their friends, families and all supporters of PACE are welcome to attend the event. To take part in run; Fill out the pace4PACE 2019 registration form and encourage your friends and family to register. Promote and share the pace4PACE fundraising page. Alternatively, click “Start Fundraising” to register and create your own unique fundraising page, so you can track what […]
Read moreSACA Charity Bike Ride 2019 Support PACE
PACE are delighted to announce that the SACA Charity Bike Ride 2019 which took place on 20th-21st July chose PACE as one of its beneficiaries this year, raising crucial funds for an accessible mini-bus which PACE members, particularly our Boccia Teams, will be able to use when travelling to competitions. The SACA Charity Bike Ride 2019 from Birmingham to London involved a grueling two day challenge where more than a 100 bikers covered 130 miles. The committed riders set off early on Saturday morning from Birmingham (Smethwick) continuing through Coventry, Daventry and Milton Keynes reaching its centennial milestone, Luton. On […]
Read morePACE Achievements on Display at Gunnersbury Park Museum
The National Paralympic Heritage Trust are currently showcasing an exhibition at Gunnersbury Park Museum sharing the story of the Paralympics and Dr Guttmann. The displays also feature some Paralympians that live in the area and PACE are delighted to be represented in this exhibition. It is a fantastic honour to be given a platform for more people to see the wonderful achievements of our members. The Gunnersbury Park Museum is free to visit, so please do go along and show your support. The exhibition will be on show until 1st September 2019. There will also be a talk held at […]
Read morePACE Awarded Project of the Year 2019 by A2Dominion
A2Dominion, a residential property group with a social purpose, hosted their seventh Annual Awards Ceremony on 14 June at the Renaissance Hotel on Bath Road in London to celebrate and recognize the valuable contribution made by their residents and partners to the success of their projects. This support has enabled A2Dominion, over the past year, to engage with over 4100 health, well-being and financial inclusion projects as well as helping people with employment support and apprenticeships. PACE is delighted to have received The Project of the Year Award in recognition of its community involvement, providing adapted sports and physical activity […]
Read moreArinze wins Jack Petchey Award
PACE are pleased to announce that this month Arinze has been awarded the Jack Petchey Achievement Award. The Jack Petchey Foundation was set up by Sir Jack Petchey CBE to inspire and celebrate young people. Since 2000, over £124 million has been invested in programmes to benefit young people aged 11-25 across London and Essex. Jack Petchey has always been an incredible partner for PACE since 2006, and the foundation played a huge role in helping PACE and its members be recognised for their achievements. Since arriving at PACE in late 2018, Arinze has made a huge impression across both […]
Read morePACE B win the East Boccia League!
Congratulations to PACE B – who have been crowned the champions of the Boccia East league, after winning the competition with 4 out of 6 wins, and a superior points difference to their rivals. PACE B have had a series of challenges to overcome this season, including being moved to another league, significantly increased travel times, the costs incurred for this additional travel, and the uncertainty of playing new opponents in an unfamiliar league. Despite this, the team have played fantastically well, whilst also knowing when they should be looking to attack and maximise points. This has proven to be […]
Read morePACE athlete medal success at the UK Boccia Championships
Congratulations to Reshad Saraj, who has finished in 3rd place at the UK Boccia Championships 2019. Hosted at the Forum Sports Centre, in Antrim, Northern Ireland, the UK Boccia Championships was an opportunity for Reshad to add to his medal collection at this level, where he won a silver medal in 2018. Reshad started off the day strongly, qualifying from his group winning two out of three games, scoring plenty of points and advancing to the knockout stages, which started early on Sunday morning. Reshad’s semi final was against Claire Taggart, the number one ranked BC2 in the country, and a […]
Read morePACE Volunteer takes on Tough Mudder!
Thank you to Dale Jones, who has completed the Tough Mudder for PACE on May 4th, and smashed his fundraising target! Dale decided to take on this challenge to raise money for PACE, where he has been attending as a volunteer, and a team leader, since 2011. Dale said the following about PACE, and how his perceptions on disability have changed… I was nervous at my first session, I didn’t know what to expect and had never worked with disabled people before. I soon came to realise that this mindset was perhaps my disability. I thought these people may be […]
Read moreJapanese Art Classes run by Jack Petchey Winner – Reika
Congratulations to Reika Kaji, who has won the first Jack Petchey Award at PACE for 2019. Since joining PACE, Reika has had a significant impact on our boccia club. She has freely and willingly given up a large amount of time, to support our athletes with their training in Southall, as well as making long trips to Nottingham and Gloucestershire to support PACE A on their journey in the Super League. Reika uses her boccia knowledge and experience to encourage and motivate all our athletes, whilst providing sensitive and considerate encouragement to our members. Her loyalty to the club is fantastic, and […]
Read morePACE win four medals in successful Boccia weekend!
The second of three qualifying rounds for the BE Cup Finals and Heathcoat Cup Finals took place on the weekend of 23rd February, at Hertfordshire University. The BE Cup For the BE Cup specifically, an athlete needs to accumulate seven points across the three BE Cup Rounds competitions, to qualify for the finals, where a higher placed finish within the BE Cup rounds will accrue more points. Reshad After winning a gold medal at the Sheffield competition a few weeks ago, Reshad was looking to build on his momentum and add some competitive match play into his training for the BE Cup Finals in […]
Read morePACE athlete win first Gold medal of 2019!
On the weekend of January 26th 2019, PACE athletes, Reshad Saraj and Mitchell Robinson competed in the first of three preliminary rounds of the BE Cup 2019, which took place at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, in Sheffield. This season qualifying for the finals has been altered slightly. Boccia England has introduced a points-based system, where the higher you finish in the qualifying rounds the more points you earn. You need seven points to qualify for the finals, and instead of going to one competition you have the option as an athlete to enter three, in Sheffield, Crawley and […]
Read moreHappy New Year to all of the PACE family
Wishing all of the members, volunteers, friends and fans of PACE the most wonderful 2019.
Read morePACE Receives Award from Sawyer Fielding Ltd
PACE was delighted to welcome Natasha Lamptey, who on behalf of Sawyer Fielding Ltd, presented us with a very generous donation supporting our work at our recent Annual Awards ceremony. Natasha told us that her Director, Dan Knowles, had asked her to nominate a charity and choosing PACE was a ‘no brainer’ because of the opportunities it provided for some of the most vulnerable members of the community. This award will be used towards supporting our key activities and PACE is very grateful for this tremendous contribution. Thank you to all at Sawyer Fielding for supporting PACE.
Read morePACE Young Leaders!!
A group of 10 young members and volunteers have completed the PACE Adapted Sports Leadership Training, equipping them with the skills to adapt activities and make sport accessible. These volunteers will build on their experience at PACE where they will gain practical experience and support to deliver their own inclusive mini-game. This project was made possible by the Jack Petchey Foundation’s Silver Award scheme, which provided the funding to deliver training and resources. Attendees can also attend two additional follow up sessions, where they will work with PACE coaches to build on their skills. Congratulations to the PACE Young Leaders!
Read morePACE presented with an Award by ECIL for Creating Exceptional Inclusive Sporting Activities
The Ealing Centre for Independent Living (ECIL) hosted the first ever Ealing Access and Inclusion Awards taking place at Ealing Town Hall. The event was created to celebrate the important work people, businesses and charities do to help Ealing become more accessible and inclusive for everyone. PACE was recognised by ECIL for its continuous efforts in and around the Ealing community to help promote the inclusion and active participation of young disabled people in sports, leisure and social activities by being awarded for Creating Exceptional Inclusive Sporting Opportunities. This award highlights the opportunities PACE has opened for its members over […]
Read morePACE Receive Two Awards At Ealing Sports Awards 2018
Congratulations to PACE and one of our Team Leaders, Saad Ahmad, on receiving the Inclusive and Active Award and the Adult Volunteer of the Year Award respectively at the recent Ealing Sports Awards 2018 ceremony which took place at the William Perkin C of E School in Greenford. The Ealing Sports Awards, sponsored by Everyone Active, were aimed at recognising the talents and achievements of Ealing’s multitude of sports clubs, inspirational volunteers and fantastic sporting individuals. After receiving nominations in five of the nine categories, PACE and all its members were recognized for their work, ensuring active participation in sport and […]
Read moreA BIG THANK YOU to all pace4PACE 2018 participants
A big THANK YOU to all of the PACE runners, rollers and strollers who took part in the pace4PACE 2018 fun run. Thank you also to the fantastic team of volunteers that made the event possible. The donations page remains active until August 18th.
Read moreEaling Sports Awards Nominations
PACE are delighted to announce that we have received nominations across five categories for the Ealing Sports Awards 2018. The Ealing Sports Awards are aimed at recognising the talents and achievements of Ealing’s multitude of sports clubs, inspirational volunteers and fantastic sporting individuals. This is the second year that the awards are taking place, they are sponsored by Everyone Active. The club, it’s founder, our head coach, one of our team leaders and young assistant coaches have all been nominated in what we hope will be an Ealing Sports Awards dominated by winners from PACE! The awards that we have been […]
Read moreBE Cup Finals Review – PACE take BC2 gold!
On the 19th to the 20th May the EIS hosted the peak of Boccia competition in England, the BE Cup finals. While most of England were keenly observing a royal wedding, the boccia athletes that had gained qualified through their regional competitions were battling it out for the BE Cup trophy, and and the title of BE Cup Champion. PACE Boccia were represented in three of the four classifications at the competition: Alex Dukes (BC1) this was Alex’s 6th appearance in succession at the BE Cup Finals and he was aiming to be amongst the medals once again, after claiming the bronze medal in last year’s […]
Read moreSuperleague Day 3 review
On 22nd April 2018, the PACE A team continued their Boccia Super League Campaign. The super league is a four day competition, featuring the top six teams in the country. Currently, PACE A are in the relegation zone and are amongst the favourites to go down. The standard of play in the league is exceptionally high and PACE A have not picked up many wins in their debut Superleague season so far. Day 3 pitched PACE A against arguably the strongest two teams in the competition, Southern All-stars and Paul’s Place, both are former champions of the Superleague. PACE A […]
Read moreHeathcoat Cup Finals 2018 review
The Heathcoat Cup Finals 2018 were held on the weekend of the 21st of April, at the University of Hertfordshire. This year PACE Boccia had a four athletes qualifying for the competition due to their performances in the Heathcoat Cup rounds in February. PACE Boccia fielded four athletes across three classifications. Jamie Keat Competing in the BC3 category, Jamie Keat got off to a strong start by beating Jamie Brown 5-4 and Ashley Wright 6-2, placing him first in his group and qualifying for the semi-finals. Unfortunately, Jamie lost an incredibly tense semi-final match 4-3, against experienced athlete, Lee Croker. Jamie still had a chance […]
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