Month: July 2025

29/07/2025

The Boccia Community in Rural Scotland

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

One of Scottish Disability Sport’s member branches, Perth And Kinross Disability Sport, have been working hard to ensure that they are providing opportunities for individuals to participate in sport throughout rural Scotland. One opportunity that they have provided is Crieff Boccia Club, this club caters for individuals throughout the region, providing inclusive opportunities, whilst creating a community spirit.

One of the coaches that has been an integral member of the club, has been Sam Medley. Having been with the club since it started, Sam has found her involvement to be very rewarding, commenting:

“It’s a great sport and it’s nice being able to see so many different people play it. This brings a lot of the enjoyment, and when you can see some of the players getting some of the things you are doing, that is just fantastic.”

With the boccia club being located in a rural area of Scotland, one aspect of the club that Sam has noticed to be particularly impactful, has been the social element.

“A lot of the players know each other. It’s not just about playing boccia, it’s about getting people together.” Sam explained. The community spirit of the club is something that Sam has really enjoyed seeing develop.

She said: “It’s that community because they all come together, and they all do something together. It is good that they get that opportunity, and that they can get to do something different.”

The club is held weekly, on Monday nights from 5pm to 6pm, at Crieff Community Campus who is always looking for new members.

The club has a real range of participants, from 14 years old to 75 years old. With a range of participant ages, ability and disabilities comes a range of motivations for attending.

One of the many motivations is the physical benefits that boccia can provide.

“We had one player with a physical disability and it’s been great seeing her, when she first initially came she couldn’t get the ball next to the V line*, and now she is getting stronger and she is learning techniques and improving hand-eye coordination. We are really seeing her improve and that is great,” Sam said.

“She gets a lot out of that (participating), you can see that she knows that she is able to do something that she hadn’t been able to do and she is absolutely delighted,” said Sam.

Sam’s son, Alex Medley, is a member of the Scottish Boccia Squad for the 2025 season. With Alex having the opportunity to come through the boccia pathway and perform at a national level within the BC2 classification, Sam has had an opportunity to watch how boccia can impact participants of all levels, from grassroots to high performance. This has motivated Sam to stay involved in Crieff Boccia Club as well as trying to help provide more opportunities in rural Perthshire.

Sam commented: “I can see the benefits of doing sport, for people who have disabilities, that is the bit that really motivates me at times because I think that sport should be for all.”

The community spirit that has been surrounding Crieff Boccia club, is not just one that is being noticed by participants. Sam reflected on how it has been impacting coaches, saying, “We had a young person coaching with us, and they were doing it for their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by volunteering.

“She got so much out of it. To begin with she was resistant and didn’t quite know how to interact with other people and how to do things. It didn’t take her long to find her confidence and seeing the relationships that she built with other people was really rewarding as well.”

This social nature of the club can further be seen by the willingness of parents to get involved.

“The parents are actually coming on board to help because we can’t always be there every week,” Sam said, before expanding: “It’s not just about playing boccia, it’s about getting people involved and seeing the positive aspects of participating.”

* The V line is the minimum distance the Jack ball has to be thrown onto the boccia court, measuring  1.5 metres from the start of the court.

If you would like to get involved with Crieff Boccia Club, you can email Graeme.Doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com to find out more information and to register your interest.

If you would be interested in finding out more about boccia opportunities in your local area, you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager. This manager will be able to provide you with information on how to get involved as a volunteer, coach, official or player.

Alternatively, you can contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, by email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

To keep up-to-date with all things disability sport across Scotland, follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, Instagram and X.

15/07/2025

Boccia Sessions Being Delivered Across Care Homes in Shetland

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Ability Shetland, one of Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) member branches, has been working hard to deliver boccia sessions to care homes throughout the island.

These sessions are being delivered by 67-year-old Avril Starmore. The way that boccia makes people feel is her favorite thing about coaching.

“It’s about seeing the smiles on their faces when they realise they can do something. I take a ramp for the ones that are not able to hold the balls in their hands to deliver a shot. So they put the ball on a ramp and they just push it down, and you should see the smiles on their faces when they get it into the right area,” said Avril.

Avril’s infectious enthusiasm for the sport has been wearing off on many of the participants.

“They really enjoy it. When you first go in, they say, ‘I’m not playing’. Then you play a few warmup games with them and by the time you are finished, they are asking, ‘oh when are you coming back, that was good, we really enjoyed that’,” Avril commented.

Both Avril and Ability Shetland have been working hard to ensure that opportunities are being provided in rural locations throughout the region. This commitment has seen Avril travel to some of Shetland’s outer islands, Yell and Whalsay. This has been made possible for Avril through the use of her Motability Scheme car and with the help of her sponsors Kay and Kay Transport.

Avril has also enjoyed seeing the competitive side of the participants come out. Avril said: “The first time, we play about with a few wee games and then we go into it a bit more. Then by the third or fourth game they are saying, ‘right come on, we want to get right into it.’”

Avril has also been finding creative ways of getting players interested, saying, “What I have been doing this summertime is a big competition – the red team against the blue team. Everyone got a medal and then the winning team got certificates to put up on the wall. We are now going to look to do it in the next term on the lead up to Christmas.”

There are also a lot of important physiological and psychological benefits for the participants.

“They are sitting there and they are moving, even if it’s just moving their arms, and they are all talking to each other,” Avril said.

The boccia sessions are also providing a unique social experience. “I’ve found there is a big difference, all of them are talking more,” said Avril.

“When I first started going, they just sat and looked at each other. Now they are talking to each other and talking to me, all whilst they are playing.”

These positive effects that Avril has noticed, are being reinforced by staff from the seven care homes she visits. “I went to one care home yesterday, and they said, ‘can you come back on maybe a Wednesday or Thursday as we have different groups then’,” Avril said.

Avril has also noticed how staff are always eager to join in too, saying: “If there is ever an odd number, there will always be a carer joining in.”

Avril has passed her Boccia Leaders Award and is now working towards her Level 1 Boccia Coach Award. She explained how she always does her best to make her sessions as inclusive as possible.

“I will have people saying, ‘I can’t play because I can’t see’, and I will explain how I can put bright orange and white markers on the floor to help them. We make it as inclusive as possible so that there is no one sitting out.”

Avril is due to travel over to the mainland later this month, for the Scottish Learning Disability Sports National Summer Games. Fellow Shetland volunteer, Charis Scott, and a group of boccia players will accompany her.

Avril explained how the group are all excited about having an opportunity to represent the island. “They are all really looking forward to it. Two weeks’ time and we will be on the ferry.”

Good luck to the whole team.

If you would be interested in finding out more about boccia opportunities in your area, you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager. This manager will be able to provide you with information on local opportunities to get involved as a volunteer, coach, official or player.

Alternatively, you can contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, by email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

To keep up-to-date with all things disability sport across Scotland, follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook and Instagram.

07/07/2025

Yoga Group Empowering Those Living with Multiple Sclerosis in Orkney

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

Yoga has many benefits for participants. From positively impacting their mental wellbeing and fitness, to providing a social environment, participants can gain a lot. These are some of the many reasons why the Orkney Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society) has been delivering sessions to individuals diagnosed with MS.

These yoga sessions have been delivered for a little over two years now and one participant who has been attending for the duration, is 35-year-old Graeme Mainland.

“It’s been really good. It’s made a big difference, especially the social side of it which is definitely the biggest benefit,” Graeme said.

He went on to explain: “After we have done the yoga, which should be the most important bit, we have a cup of tea together and an informal chat, and we all have a laugh, and we all have a good moan.”

Jane Rawle, a Yoga Instructor on the island, who has been enthusiastically delivering these sessions from the beginning, has also seen how the group has provided a social hub for participants.

“They have completely created their own community. They come and do their yoga and then afterwards, most importantly, they get their time together over a cuppa and they get to share a lot. Everyone is very trusting, the space is a safe space where they feel like they can openly share with each other and this has been created from day one,” Jane said.

These yoga sessions have been designed for those recently diagnosed with MS, to have an opportunity to come together as a community.

“It was for people that had perhaps been diagnosed within the last five/ten years, and were younger and had young families, who were still remaining in work full time or part time,” Jane explained.

This is certainly an aspect of the class that Graeme found to be particularly impactful. He commented: “I was quite recently diagnosed when I started the class, so the class was really good at helping me meet other people with MS.”

Along with many of the social benefits, Graeme found the class to be helping him physically. This was something that he was searching for, after being impacted physiologically by MS. He said: “It’s definitely impacted my mobility and walking. The job I did before, I was a refuse collector, which involved quite a lot of walking and my MS was impacting my walking, so I had to stop in that line of work and go into a more office-based job.”

Throughout her yoga sessions, Jane aims to provide a range of exercises, delivered with a person-centered approach to ensure that it is meaningful for all.

Jane explained: “The class gives them ways that they can work out, for their own bodies. So, they feel stretched but not absolutely fatigued at the end.”

This approach has helped Graeme with his day-to-day life. “It’s been good to get different stretches that you can do. This has eased the discomfort, as my muscles can get quite tight and it helps with that,” he said.

The yoga sessions are delivered weekly on a Saturday and are held at the The Pickaquoy Centre, in Kirkwall, with between 4-12 participants. This group is always something that Jane looks forward to.

“It’s my highlight of the week and I keep saying it to them, they are such a fabulous group to work with,” said Jane.

Although they may have been unsure to start, this sense of enjoyment is definitely shared amongst the participants.

“With the yoga class we (the participants) have all spoken about it, before any of us attended the yoga class. None of us were sure about trying it, ‘I don’t know if it is for me’, type thing. But once you start going, once you get your feet over the door, the group we have got, it’s such a welcoming group and we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” said Graeme.

The group have been looking to try and find new and creative ways to be physically active and gain all of the benefits. With Jane being a qualified swimming coach, the group were able to hire a mobile sauna and had a sauna and swimming session.

This was something that Graeme enjoyed and found to be rewarding, an activity he has continued to do. He said, “It’s certainly really good going in the sea, and I have been doing a bit of sea swimming since then.”

Alongside the yoga class, the Orkney MS Society organise a range of events and activities, including their online art class. If you would be interested in finding out more about the yoga group, or other activities being delivered by the Orkney MS Society, contact georgecath@aol.com, or call 01856 872479.

To find out what sporting opportunities are available near to you, contact your Scottish Disability Sport Regional Development Manager, who can inform you about current clubs, classes and events throughout Scotland.

To keep up-to-date on all of SDS’s ongoing work. Make sure to follow SDS on Facebook and Instagram.

02/07/2025

Disability Pride Month: July 2025

Disability Pride Month 2025 is taking place throughout the month of July. This month is an opportunity for individuals with a disability to have a chance to come together and tell their stories. Disability Pride Month is about a lot more than showcasing what having a disability means. It is an opportunity to showcase the day-to-day struggles, achievements, bouts of resilience and life changing experiences that individuals with a disability often have.

Disability Pride Month follows the publication of the key findings from the first National Survey conducted by Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), in partnership with Queen Margaret University Centre for Health, Activity and Rehabilitation Research (CHEARR), which sheds light on the complex barriers faced by people with a disability when it comes to engaging in sport and physical activity—highlighting concerns around the benefits system, rising living costs, public transport and more.

Disability Pride Month is a time to advocate, celebrate and shared lived experiences from people with a disability living in Scotland. Furthermore, with one quarter of the Scottish population having a disability, SDS believes it to be very important to have a fair representation within staffing and via the Young Person’s Sport Panel (YPSP).

Last year (2024), members from the YPSP shared their lived experiences to help promote and raise awareness about Disability Pride Month. Recap on the interview below –

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

The Disability Pride Month flag is made up of different colours that represent a different disability. Yellow is being used to celebrate neurodiversity, cognitive and intellectual disabilities.

Yellow represents both Ruby and Grace, two members of the YPSP, and here they share a bit about themselves.

Ruby: Hi my name is Ruby. I am 17 years old, and I have Foetal Alcohol Syndrome which is also known as FASD.  This means I have a learning/hidden disability. I joined the Young Person’s Sports Panel to show people that they shouldn’t be ashamed of having a disability.  It makes you unique and different to everyone else.   I would like to help make a difference, not just in disability sport but in the wider community. My disability impacts my life with my reading and writing and understanding.  I sometimes need help and support. The most exciting thing that my disability has done for me is allowed me to be me.  I am a very sociable person and like helping people.  I do lots of volunteer work, which allows me to help people of all abilities.  I have won lots of awards for this and had the opportunity to meet lots of my sporting idols.

Grace: Happy Disability Pride Month! My name is Grace, and I am going to be talking a little bit about my experiences as a disabled young person. I have autism, a neurodevelopmental condition (also referred to as neurodivergence) which means that my brain works differently. It impacts most of my life, and I struggle with: emotional regulation, processing information, sensory issues, anxiety around uncertainty and social situations.

As an autistic person, I mask a lot. Masking is when a person attempts to hide their autistic traits, to fit in or be more accepted by society. This means that from an outside perspective it might not look like my disability impacts me in day-to-day life – but it does. The main ways my disability impacts me in day-to-day life is by needing a lot of support from people to help manage my emotions and learn to be independent. I also get really tired a lot of the time. Because I spend a lot of my time masking, feeling anxious, or getting overwhelmed by everything going on around me, I get drained pretty easily – so I need a lot of time to rest and recuperate.

I wasn’t diagnosed with autism until I was 16. This means that I spent most of my teenage years thinking something was “wrong” with me, or that I wasn’t “trying hard enough.” Getting my autism diagnosis brought up a lot of emotions – relief, confusion, anger – and it was a lot to get my head around. I had to show resilience when dealing with my diagnosis and working to accept my autism. It was hard to cope with all the things that changed after my diagnosis, however it also allowed me to advocate for myself. Whilst autism is a disability – one that can make my life harder – it is also something I am proud of. Autism makes me who I am, and I take pride in my identity.

I wanted to join the YPSP because I knew how positive sport has been in my life. I wanted to promote inclusion in sport for autistic people, and I am also passionate about equality for women and girls in sport. I have been successful in this so far by being a part of the “awareness raising” subgroup and posting of social media throughout “women and girls in sport” month. I have really enjoyed my time on the panel so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come!

Red represents physical disabilities.

Charlotte (YPSP member): Hey, my name is Charlotte and I am 18! My disability is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Functional Neurological Disorder. This basically means that my brain is not communicating with my right leg and I have pain in my right hip and my leg is extended out in front with my foot at a 90° angle.

I am part of the events subgroup (in the YPSP), and we are in the process of planning our own event! I joined the panel to have a voice in disability sport and start my coaching career as having a disability was quite new to me. I am a wheelchair user with my right leg supported out. Having my disability can impact my day-to-day life, as if I am going out coaching and my parents aren’t around to help drop me off it means I need to get lifts off people, as public transport is not that accessible for me! I find ways around this by planning my day so I am in one area all day and can wheel from building to building for coaching!

I became disabled 3 years ago and did not have a clue what to do with myself! But since then I have had lots of new and exciting opportunities. For example, going to Lords cricket ground, in London, with my old high school to take part in a table cricket final! I also have become a valued member of FVDS supporting clubs, activities  and events. I have also joined the committee as the social media/comms rep, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and promoting all the wonderful events and activities on social media! Becoming Young Volunteer of the Year 2023 was such a great surprise. Working with Cricket Scotland and Cricket Forth Valley to develop myself as a coach and gain qualifications to become a cricket coach has allowed me to teach others table cricket and help them on their journey. Volunteering with Falkirk Active Schools supporting lunch time and after school clubs and events has been a great opportunity, as has Helping Falkirk Active Schools and Active Stirling with summers camps and developing relationships with the children. Just gaining valuable skills and knowledge to become a better coach and help others enjoy sport has been great. I have had the privilege of attending SDS events and supporting the amazing team and getting stuck in wherever I am needed to help the event become a success. These opportunities have also created lasting memories and friendships with people I volunteer, support and coach with. I recently qualified as a Sport Education Tutor thanks to an opportunity through the panel and I’m looking forward to starting this and helping others achieve their goals and potential.

Green represents sensory disabilities –

William (SDS Communications Apprentice): Hello, my name is William and I am the communications apprentice (now Communications Officer) here at Scottish Disability Sport. I became completely blind as well as deaf in my right ear when I was 19. This happened after a sudden illness. At times being Visually Impaired can be very hard. I especially find this to be the case when focusing on my independence. Due to myself being completely able bodied before I lost my sight and hearing this has a been a big change in my life. Before I lost my sight I played a lot of sport, did a lot of recreational activities by myself and could drive. Obviously I took some time to adjust, which I am still doing. However, I feel like I have made big improvements. I feel like I am a lot more comfortable asking for help and more importantly taking it. In life people are always wanting to help, but people aren’t always wanting to be helped, and this is something I am working on.

One really exciting thing that has happened to me is joining the Millimeters to Mountains organisation (M2M). This organisation takes young people with a disability – particular individuals that have picked up their disability in later life and aims to use the outdoors as an opportunity to redefine what is possible in life. This has led to me having some really cool opportunities, such as climbing Ben Nevis in March (2024). This was something that was great for me, putting me out of my comfort zone and forcing me to interact with new individuals that I could relate to. Over the next two and a half years I am going to have some great opportunities with the M2M crew, which I can’t wait to explore, develop and share.

White represents hidden and undiagnosed disabilities –

Dana (YSPS member): Hi, my name is Dana! I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and fibromyalgia, both of which are chronic health conditions. hEDS is a connective tissue disorder caused by faulty collagen, making it weak and stretchy. This affects everything from my skin and tendons to my blood vessels and internal organs. As a result, I experience things like chronic pain and fatigue, frequent joint subluxations/dislocations, easy bruising, digestive issues, and chronic headaches/migraines. Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties.

I joined the panel to be a voice for change. Having been heavily involved in sports my whole life, I have gained firsthand experience of the benefits of physical activity and sports whilst also encountering many barriers to participation. Until last year, I knew very little about disability sports and how to get involved. Joining the YPSP has given me the chance to be part of a subgroup where we aim to raise the profile of disability sports and shine a light on the many opportunities and experiences that exist in Scotland for disabled people.

Living with hEDS takes a lot of planning and prioritizing. Everything takes up energy, so adapting my daily routine and having a support system is essential for me to maintain independence and have a life. Having an invisible disability also means I constantly have to advocate for myself and the support I may need. The lack of understanding about dynamic disabilities can cause a lot of anxiety. While it may seem confusing that yesterday I could walk and today I need a wheelchair, it is merely just because my needs have changed.

I grew up as a competitive swimmer with the dream of reaching the Olympics. When my health deteriorated and the injuries piled up, doctors advised me to reduce training and stop competing. This shift in my daily routine had a massive impact on my mental health and I struggled to adjust to a new normal. With some support and advice, I realized this wasn’t the only option. I worked hard to get into university to stay connected to sports through my degree. I then used my passion for inclusion in my dissertation and I now use my experiences to support and advocate for others. Whilst having an unpredictable illness can make life challenging, it is important to try and see lost goals as new opportunities.

The colour blue represents mental and psychiatric disabilities –

Former Paralympian, Maria Lyle, has opened up about her mental health journey as an elite athlete, over recent years.

Maria has found sport to be something that has helped her have a more positive relationship with her mental health. “Something that sport has provided is that kind of social support. Being a disabled person, I’m not always around other people who I can relate to, so having people in my team with the same condition, or with other disabilities means we can share experiences and advice and really open up, which has been brilliant”, said Maria in a previous SDS interview.

The social aspect of sport is a big part for many individuals participating in sport. A further coping mechanism for Maria is, “making sure I’ve balance in my life. Putting energy into other hobbies, education, work and friends. So when say if one thing isn’t going the way you want it to then you’ve got other options to make everything else more positive.”

Although Disability Pride Month only takes place in July, it is important that we advocate for inclusion and continue these conversations every day. With 722 charges being reported with an aggravation of prejudice relating to disabilities in 2022-2023, (a 3% increase from 2021-2022) this very much outlines the need for more awareness to breakdown societal barriers. (Source: https://www.copfs.gov.uk/publications/hate-crime-in-scotland-2022-23/.)

SDS celebrates and advocates for a more inclusive and diverse society, every day, and SDS will be joining in the nationwide celebration of Scottish Disability Sport Week (SDSW) from Monday 25th November to Sunday 1st December – just ahead of International Day of Persons with a Disability on the 3rd. Scottish Disability Sport Week will be a prime opportunity for individuals to join conversations and talk about challenges and achievements of individuals with a disability. More information about the 2024 SDSW will be coming soon, via the SDS website and social media channels.

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.