Month: May 2025

26/05/2025

Lived Experiences Needed for New Research

The CPIPS Research Conversation Group would like to hear from you!

They are a team of researchers, looking at how range of movement information from Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway Scotland (CPIPS) assessments, can be used to improve decision making and care experiences, for children and young people with cerebral palsy.

If you are a young person with cerebral palsy and experience of CPIPS or a family member or carer with experience of CPIPS, then they would like to hear from you.

They are looking for people who would be willing to spend an hour of time talking about experiences with CPIPS and what you would like future research to look at. They would like to hear about:

How you think CPIPS data collected could be used to support children and families in treatment decision making?
And how you think this information could help change decision making processes for people involved in CPIPS?

To join the conversation group or find out more scan the QR code (in the below poster), follow this link or contact Kavi Jagadamma at: CPIPSProject@qmu.ac.uk

23/05/2025

RNIB Connect Radio: SDS National Exhibition Event Feature

[Listen to the interview here.]

Transcript for RNIB interview with Sam Gough and Laura Pilkington –

Amelia (Connect Radio Presenter): You’re listening to RNIB Connect Radio. On the 14th of June, Scottish Disability Sport are hosting a national exhibition to showcase opportunities for sports and physical activity disabled people can get involved in and share educational opportunities for people without disabilities to learn about inclusive practice and ways to make society more accessible. There will be opportunities to meet new people, try new activities and learn about schemes and organisations that can offer support. It’s taking place from 10am to 4pm at the University of Stirling and we’re joined today by Para swimmer and Scottish Disability Sport board member Laura Pilkington and visually impaired athlete and VI ambassador Samantha Gough.

Amelia: Hi Laura and hi Samantha, thanks so much for joining us.

Laura: Hello.

Sam: Hello.

Amelia: So, we’ll start with you Laura, how did you first get involved in Para swimming?

Laura: So I loved being in the pool when I was on holiday but just kind of mainly was in the pool during the summer but I wanted to get involved a bit more. So, encouraged by my PE teacher I joined a local disability swimming club and just joined it for fun but then after my fifth competition decided that I really like competing as well and was very competitive so kind of started on the performance pathway a couple of years left of that.

Amelia: Great and how about you Sam?

Sam: Yeah, so I went along to the SDS (Scottish Disability Sport) Parasport Festival many, many years ago and yeah I got to try lots and lots of different sports. Later on in the year I then went down to the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford where I got scouted for blind football and goalball at the time and I’ve done lots of other sports but just now just play blind football for England and also row for Great Britain. So, yeah, my journey really started at those Parasport Festivals and I wouldn’t be where I am today without that journey.

Amelia: Why did you both kind of, now that you’re further along in your professional sports journey, want to be ambassadors for Scottish Disability Sport and help other people discover new sports?

Laura: I think Scottish Disability Sport does such amazing work and without the opportunities that they’ve given me through swimming but also leadership opportunities through being on the Young Persons’ Sport Panel, being a mentor for the Young Persons’ Sport Panel, I don’t think I would be where I am today so I think it’s really important to sort of give back to the organisation and make sure that other people have these opportunities as well growing up.

Sam: For my journey I was excluded from sport because of my disability and my visual impairment so from that, kind of really hard experience growing up, I really want to give back and to you now work with people with visual impairments and encourage people with disabilities to get involved in sport. So, I’m kind of trying to, you know, use the experience that I’ve been through and change it into something positive and yeah kind of be an advocate for people with disabilities to know that they can take part in sport with a disability from my own lived experience.

Amelia: And this is a really exciting opportunity for people to join similar journeys as you or enjoy engaging with sports as a hobby so what are some of the activities that will be on offer at the University of Stirling (during the SDS National Exhibition Event)?

Laura: So, there’s going to be so many different opportunities at Stirling. So there’ll be sport and physical activity opportunities such as: Pickleball, Bowls, Cycling, Basketball, Health walks, Yoga, just to name a few but there’s much more than that. There’s also opportunities that aren’t just about being active – so [you’ll] be able to connect with others, different organisations that do disabilities and the Mobility Scheme will also be there.

Laura, continued: There’s also opportunities to speak to Paralympic athletes and learn about how they sort of go about their lifestyle and the different sort of performance pathways around as well as education and learning courses for people that are interested on how to make their practice more inclusive so it’s going to be a really big day there’s just going to be so much on it’s so exciting.

Laura, continued: For the sports they try to encourage people to try ones that maybe not done before to get a different opportunity but if you go along you’ll get adapted for your sort of experience and your needs within that and I think it’s going to be a really great day for everyone no matter the sort of level.

Sam: Yeah I think the whole day to kind of sum up, is to encourage and inspire. It’s to try and get young people and anybody with a disability to get active. Some people seem to think that if you’re disabled or have a visual impairment that you’ve got to go to the Paralympics and that’s just not the case – you can be active and have just as an amazing time as a Paralympian and there is other aspects of sport that isn’t just that competing at a high level, if that makes sense. So I think this this day is going to really show that you know you can inspire to be what you want to be and do what you want to do but also to meet and encourage people to take part in sport and to meet new friends and I think it’s going to be such an amazing event. I hope that makes sense.

Amelia: Yeah, yeah it absolutely does and for people that maybe are interested but a bit nervous, what would you say to encourage people to come along?

Sam: Yeah, I think, you know, just step out your comfort zone a little bit. And I remember being the shy little girl when I first went to these kind of events and didn’t speak to anybody and was really, really shy and just kind of stood by mom and dad’s side. And actually, if I could go back and really encourage myself to step out my comfort zone and to really, you know, enjoy it and, you know, take the opportunities as they come. Because they don’t come every day. And when you’ve got a day to try so many different sports, why wouldn’t you? And why wouldn’t you want to dip your toes into different sports? So, yes, I think it’s going to be a really, really good day. And I would encourage everybody to, you know, be brave, step out of their comfort zone and just enjoy it and make some new friends.

Amelia: Fantastic. And how can people sign up and attend?

Laura: So the main way to sort of sign up is on the Scottish Disability Sport website. There’s information on how to sign up and the link is there as well as all the social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). Scottish Disability Sport have been promoting it and sharing the link there. So that’s the main ways to find registration. Sign up if you’re available and hope to see you there!

Amelia: Great. Well, thank you so much, Laura Pilkington and Sam Gough for joining us here on RNIB Connect Radio. Thank you.

If you would be interested in finding out more about SDS and how sport and physical activity can support you, sign up to attend SDS’s first ever National Exhibition Event. The event is free and is being held at the University of Stirling on Saturday 14th June. The event will allow people from all over Scotland to interact with all elements of SDS in one place.

You can also find out more about what sporting opportunities are available in your community by contacting your Regional Development Manager. To keep up-to-date on all of the ongoing work, make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

20/05/2025

Clean Sport Week 2025: The Next Generation

The Next Generation: Protecting and supporting young athletes during Clean Sport Week, 19 – 23 May.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is committed to clean sport and will be supporting UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD’s) Clean Sport Week campaign from 19 – 23 May.

Clean Sport Week is UKAD’s national awareness campaign championing clean sport, education and anti-doping initiatives with sports across the UK.

This year’s Clean Sport Week theme is “The Next Generation”. To ensure the future of our sport is a bright and clean one, it’s vital that we support and educate young people on anti-doping and inspire them to become proud clean athletes. UKAD has teamed up with; TASS, SportsAid, and DiSE to discuss how the sporting community, family, friends, and those working with young people, can protect and empower young athletes.

A culture of clean sport is essential for the long-term health and wellbeing of athletes. Whether you’re a proud aspiring [player/athlete of sport] on your clean sport journey, a parent/ carer looking for the right tools to support your child in [the sport], a school or college wanting to teach your pupils about fair play, be sure to follow and get involved in Clean Sport Week.

We encourage anyone in our sporting community that would like to learn more about anti-doping to sign up to UKAD’s Clean Sport Hub where there are free education courses for athletes, students, coaches and practitioners.

Follow @ukantidoping on social media to see a range of educational and exciting content throughout the week. To find out more about UKAD’s Clean Sport Week initiative click here.

18/05/2025

The Mindful Game: Sport and Mental Wellbeing

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Ian Hepworth, a 54-year-old from Aberdeen, has experienced a remarkable journey through sport—one that spans volunteering and coaching across both national and international stages. Now serving as Chair of the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) member branch, Grampian Disability Sport, Ian has gained countless opportunities through his involvement. Yet, above all, the most profound impact sport has had on his life is the positive effect on his mental health.

Having grown up in Australia, Ian became familiar with mental health challenges early in life, having personally experienced depression. From a young age, he found solace in lawn bowls—a sport he took to enthusiastically, reaping the psychological benefits that regular physical activity can offer.

However, when Ian moved over to Scotland he didn’t join a club or continue to play the sport. “The biggest mistake I made, was not joining a bowling club when I moved over to Scotland,” he said.

“I waited around four or five years before I joined a club and suddenly, I was made to feel so welcome into the club, I think the transition and moving across to Scotland would have been a lot easier.”

Throughout his life Ian has been a keen volunteer and has devoted a lot of time and effort to ensuring that individuals have as many opportunities to take part in sport as possible. Through his volunteering, Ian has found himself coaching a lot of learning disability bowls and is currently the Head Coach for Learning Disability Bowls Scotland. This work that he has done in bowls, has resulted in Ian being involved in boccia and subsequently becoming the Chair for SDS member branch Grampian Disability Sport.

Ian recognises the role that sport is playing in his life, saying: “Sport has become very important and a facet of everyday life for myself.”

Ian believes that his experiences navigating mental health, has helped him when he is in his volunteering and coaching roles. “It’s certainly something I do in a coaching environment, making it that safe space, that if someone wants to talk, they feel okay to do that.”

He continued to say, “For me, it brings a lot of understanding to the board.”

Ian has found the sport of bowls to be very mindful, saying: “For me it’s a focus. When I am on that bowling green, when I am stood on that mat, I am thinking about what I am going to do next.”

Ian recognises the positive impact getting active and playing bowls can have on his mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore, sport has helped Ian create an identity throughout his ongoing challenges with mental health. “I’ll never let it control who I am, even if it is part of who I am,” said Ian.

Furthermore, Ian enjoys the social aspects of playing bowls. “The club that I bowl at have been quite supportive, they are good at saying ‘you’re not yourself today, do you want a quick chat? How’s things?’. If it wasn’t for the friendships, the conversations that I have with people at bowling clubs and within other sports, I wouldn’t always have that focus.”

Ian is now pleased to see clubs, coaches, organisations and volunteers identifying new and creative methods to introduce individuals into sports, with a possibility for them to be impacted both psychologically and physiologically. He said, “Something I could have definitely seen helping myself, are the boccia and blether sessions.”

Ian reflected on his journey with mental health and the transformative role sport has played in his life.

He said: “Mindfulness and mindset go together. I think that can be really powerful and I think that is one of the reasons why sport brought me through depression.”

“Sport keeps me going, it gives me focus.”

13/05/2025

A Light in the Dark: Alan Izzard’s Fight Through Sport

“It’s like stepping out of the darkness and into the light.”

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Alan Izzard, a 54-year-old archer from Angus, Tayside, found a renewed sense of purpose through sport. A former member of the British Armed Forces, Alan’s life changed dramatically following a severe leg injury sustained during service, which eventually led to a below-knee amputation in 2022. Once an active and competitive individual, he faced not only the physical challenges of reduced mobility but also the psychological toll of PTSD, anxiety and depression. In 2018, while seeking new ways to stay engaged and active, Alan discovered archery—a sport that has since become a powerful tool in his recovery, helping him rebuild confidence and improve his mental well-being.

Alan explained what it was like when he stopped taking part in exercise due to injury: “I was a runner, my specialty was 800 metres,1500 metres, 5k,10k and things like that, and when that got taken away from me through injury, I lost some of my identity.”

Alan continued to explain how a chance encounter helped change his mindset around Para sport activities. “Somebody said to me, ‘you’re pushing your chair well’. They then said, ‘have you ever thought about doing adaptive sports?’.”

This conversation resulted in Alan trying out multiple Para sport activities, as he felt a sense of acceptance and belonging. “He didn’t see me as somebody in a wheelchair, he just saw me as a potential athlete and that was massive for me,” said Alan.

Alan and his family soon recognised the importance of sport and the benefits gained from being physically active. Alan explained, “There would be times when my wife would say, ‘right we’re going for a drive’, just to get me out of the house. She would literally drive me to the archery range, she would say, ‘you’re getting out in your wheelchair and you’re going to do some archery’.”

“I can guarantee you, when she would turn up, I would be like, ‘can you give me another hour or can you give me another half hour’, it was massive, absolutely massive,” Alan said.

Alan was selected to compete in the Warrior Games – a competition that takes place between members from the American Invictus Games training squad and other nations.

Whilst competing in the Warrior Games, Alan travelled to Tampa Florida and Las Vegas, competing against a team made of ex US Air Force personnel. Alan said, “I’ve been very fortunate to go and do that and to come back with medals on both occasions.”

Whilst on home soil, Alan has started competing in Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) National Championships. In November 2024, Alan entered the National Archery Championships and won silver in his category.

“It was quite surreal really,” said Alan.

“At the end, I was just packing up, having a drink, and then the announcement came out. I was pretty shocked that I had actually done that well. It was a nice surprise on a day that I wasn’t feeling absolutely good, it was really, really nice.”

Reflecting on the impact sport has had on his life, he said: “Without sport, my previous 40 years of being a sportsman and serviceman, they sort of disappeared. Then the adaptive sports came in, and then I started feeling a bit more like I used to be.”

He continued to say, “It gives me a bit of inner peace when I am doing my sports.”

He went on to say: “It’s like stepping out of the darkness and into the light.”

If you would be interested in finding out more about SDS and how sport and physical activity can support you, sign up to attend SDS’s first ever National Exhibition Event. The event is free and is being held at the University of Stirling on Saturday 14th June. The event will allow people from all over Scotland to interact with all elements of SDS in one place.

You can also find out more about what sporting opportunities are available in your community by contacting your Regional Development Manager. To keep up-to-date on all of the ongoing work, make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

12/05/2025

David Jarvis on Healing, Hope and Happiness

“Sport is one of the many keys to happiness.” – David Jarvis’s story of sport and mental health.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

David Jarvis (43 years-old from Aberchirder, Grampian) took up a career in the British Armed Forces. However, whilst he was on active service he had several injuries including being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This resulted in David being medically discharged.

Once he had been discharged, David took sport back up with a hope of being able to exercise and strengthen his knee joints, an injury that took place whilst on active service, as well as gaining some mental benefits from being active.

“I took up cycling in 2015 after several months of depression and I was struggling to find something to do,” David explained.

“As a squaddie my normal roles were running, weight carrying, marching with Bergens (army rucksacks) on my back and all that kind of stuff, it was my bread and butter. To be stopped from doing it was something I found challenging.”

Once David had been discharged from the army, he sought guidance from Help For Heros who, “essentially directed me to the Invictus Games.”

Once David had started with the Invictus Games, he found the process of challenging himself and working towards a goal to be significant and meaningful. “The Invictus Games was the next step for myself getting my motivation back,” said David. However, it wasn’t long into David’s journey in the Invictus Games, when he faced a new challenge: “It was going well and I was getting the most out of it but then the type one diabetes threw a massive curveball. Long story short, it nearly killed me.”

It was after this that David concluded that he was going to focus his efforts on one goal: “I decided if I’m going to keep going, I am going for the top spot or I am not going at all. So, it was gold or nothing and that was the point that I went, ‘right I am going to win my cycling time trial event’,” David said.

Flashforward and gold was his: “It was kind of like the flood gates opened when they put the medal on me,” said David.

The moment was made extra special with his family being there: “He (Prince Harry) got my daughter over the security barriers; she came running over and we had a cuddle in front of the world media.”

Today, David has taken up swimming again, after having stopped to focus on cycling during the Invictus Games. He is already feeling both the psychological and physiological benefits. “Swimming… it does make me feel better about myself when I am doing it. I don’t feel so vulnerable about my injuries.”

After entering into a Para swimming event in Fraserburgh and performing well, David has taken the next step and was part of Grampian Disability Sport’s swimming team: “I am actually joining Team Grampian at the National Swimming Championships.”

David reflects back over his last few years and is extremely grateful for all of the opportunities that he has been provided with through sport and physical activity. Consequently, David is keen to give back to the sporting community.

“I could tell you that sport means a lot to me personally – and I do various things myself – but I think the better way to demonstrate what it means, is what I try and do in my local community because I recently took over the running of the community gym in my village (Aberchirder Community Gym),” he said.

“I want to try and create opportunities, just like people created opportunities for me, because I want people to feel like they can do more.”

He continued to say: “I took over the gym because I have a real passion for fitness in general, not just the physical aspect, but the mental aspect as well.”

“Sport is one of the many keys to happiness.”

To find out what sporting opportunities are available near to you, you can contact your Regional Development Manager. To keep up-to-date on all of the ongoing work, make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.