Month: June 2026

Purple graphic with gold and white writing. The text says: Scottish Disability Sport 2026 Awards Accepting Nominations. Then Nominations are invited from those connected with SDS for SDS’ annual awards ceremony that will be presented at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 19 September 2026. Deadline, Monday 17th August 2026. There are some gold ribbons and sparkles on the graphic to make it look glamorous.

Nominations Open for SDS Annual Awards

Nominations are invited from those connected with Scottish Disability Sport for their annual awards ceremony, that will be presented at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 19 September 2026. It is important that there is a clear indication why the individual/group is being nominated.

 

There are 12 award categories, as listed below:

      • SDS Glasgow Trophy for Service to Sport – This award recognises individuals who have played an active role in the development of SDS in any capacity whatsoever. Length of service as an SDS volunteer is an aspect that has been taken into consideration in determining appropriate recipients in the past.
  • SDS Fife Trophy for Coach of the Year – This award recognises coaches who have played a significant role in supporting SDS members to achieve their full potential.
  • Russell Hogg Trophy for Development Coach of the Year – This award recognises emerging coaches who have committed to supporting Scottish athletes and players with a disability.
  • Findlay Calder Trophy for Athlete of the Year – Awarded to the athlete who has contributed most to disability athletics in the past year.
  • Brian Dolan Memorial Trophy for Swimmer of the Year – This award is specifically for the swimmer who has contributed most to disability swimming in the past year.
  • Angus Trophy – Awarded to the Sportsperson of the Year (excluding athletics and swimming).
  • SDS Dedication to Boccia Award – A brand new award for 2026. This award is being introduced to recognise a player, coach, official or volunteer who has contributed significantly to the sport of boccia in the past year. 
  • Elspeth Watson Trophy – Awarded to an individual out with SDS who has contributed significantly to disability sport.
  • Special Recognition Award – This award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution in raising the profile of disability sport in Scotland.
  • John de Courcy Trophy – This award is specifically for a talented newcomer.
  • Janice Eaglesham Club of the Year Award – This award was introduced in 2020 and has been generously supported by Neil’s Wheels. It will be awarded to a sports club that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the inclusion of participants and athletes with a disability.
  • SDS Community Champion Award – Recognising an individual or organisation who has gone above and beyond to support the development of disability sport in their local community.

 

All nominations should be returned in confidence, before Monday 17 August 2026.

 

To submit, please fill out this form:  https://tinyurl.com/fyf8c2xn

 

A list of former award winners can be seen on the website here: https://www.scottishdisabilitysport.com/sds-award-winners

A poster with a white speech bubble in the middle which says in green text, National Advisory Forum. The background is a dark purple with light purple speech bubbles dotted throughout.

SDS Appoints 15 to National Advisory Forum

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is delighted to announce the 15-strong cohort that makes up SDS’ first ever National Advisory Forum.  

The National Advisory Forum at SDS consists of a dynamic group of individuals who bring real-world insight, experience and ideas to influence positive change throughout Scotland. 

SDS CEO, Gavin Macleod “Having the first ever National Advisory Forum is a huge step forward for Scottish Disability Sport. As laid out in the Call to Action (link) it is so  important that people with disabilities in Scotland are able to co-design, guide and inform the organisation in matters of strategy, policy and practice.” 

The purpose of the National Advisory Forum is to allow those with lived experience to advocate for inclusion and equality in sport and physical activity, advise on SDS policies and programmes that matter and inspire the next generation of athletes and participants. 

Forum member, Gemma Lumsdaine, said: “It is fantastic to have people with lived experience round the table influencing decision-making, policy and what the next steps are. Because you’ve experienced it and have a unique perspective it can provide real insight and unique perspectives along with supporting role modelling so that when individuals think about starting a journey in sport or physical activity, then they see people like themselves. Sports needs to show that it is a place for people with disabilities whether as coaches, volunteers, athletes and participants.” 

SDS is fully committed to being an organisation that co-designs with our athletes and participants to ensure the voice of those with lived experience is heard and directs the work of the organisation. 

Together, SDS and the National Advisory Forum can collaborate to create a sporting landscape where everyone belongs. 

“It feels important to be part of a space where lived experiences and practical insight can directly influence decisions and policy. 

“It is exciting to have the chance to collaborate with other people who share a similar passion but also to learn from their own experiences and perspectives”, said Jack Brodie, member of the Forum. 

 

2026 cohort of the SDS National Advisory Forum –  

  • Devin Adams 
  • Jim Anderson 
  • Jack Brodie 
  • Anna Craig 
  • Samantha Gough 
  • Steven Holgan 
  • Nigel Honey 
  • Logan Kidd 
  • Gemma Lumsdaine 
  • John Stuart McClelland 
  • Layla McCloskey 
  • Finlay Mears-Young 
  • Olivia Jane Roberston 
  • Karen Townson 
  • Rick Townson 

 

Find out more about the National Advisory Forum via this link, here: SDS National Advisory Forum.  

SDS’ strategic plan, which directs SDS’ work, can be found on the website at via this link: SDS Strategic Plan -. 

Alongside SDS’ four-point Call to Action which urges all of SDS’ stakeholders to engage in meaningful change to remove barriers to sport and physical activity. 

Profile photo of John smiling to the camera. He is wearing a light blue jacket with the logo of the Dumfries and Galloway disability sport logo on the left side. Behind him is a blue backdrop with the same logo spaced throughout.

Impacting Lives Through Sport: John McClelland’s Story 

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer  

Growing up able bodied, John McClellend didn’t expect to have his life turned upside down at the age of 43 when he was diagnosed with chronic lung condition. His treatment and high dose of steroids damaged his bones, which resulted in John ending up in a wheelchair. In 2014, John turned to disability sport to help navigate this transition; adapt to his new way of life and meet new people.  

Today, aged 56, John finds himself devoting his time to ensure that others have access to the same opportunities. He said, “I really enjoy the volunteering side of it, as I get a lot out of sport, so it is good to give back.” 

Having volunteered in several sports across Dumfries and Galloway, John has seen people be impacted by all the benefits sport can provide and the joy that it brings. 

“I’ve been working with a young lady who is nonverbal and she has an amazing time in boccia and she is jumping about in her wheelchair. She is having a lot of fun, and that is enough for me,” said John.  

Along with being a key volunteer throughout the region, John has had an incredibly impressive career when competing, becoming a National Champion in Wheelchair Curling in 2024. A moment he looks back on with immense pride.  

“Yeah, it was really good. I had won the silver the year before, and the year before that. I won it just after Covid-19, so it was great to be up in that area of competition,” John said. 

Just like he has seen when he is out volunteering, John gained a lot of benefits through participating. One of the elements he most enjoyed though, was getting the competitive fires roaring, saying: “As an athlete I quite enjoy the competition side of it because I’ve got quite a competitive nature.” 

Following his successes on the curling rink, John was elected to Chair of the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association. He has put his energies into growing the sport.  

“One of my big things, was to raise the profile and to get it out more. I got the local TV, ITV Borders, to come along and to do a few of the games,” John said. 

A recent volunteering highlight for John, was when he helped coach the Team UK in Wheelchair Curling at the Invictus Games in Canada. John helped train the team over the course of a year, passing on all the tricks of the trade. 

The work that John and all of the other coaches put in paid off, with the team delivering a fantastic performance, narrowly missing out on gold.  

He said: “It was really good. It was the first time it had ever been in the Invictus Games as it was the first winter sport hybrid games and to do it out in Canada in Vancouver last year was great. I felt really proud of the guys, for all of the work that they had put in. All of the training camps, they really did themselves proud.” 

He continued to say: “It was good to sit there and watch them [the team] grow, to see the smiles on their faces and just to see them generally come on.” 

As John continues to volunteer, he finds himself being impacted in many ways. Recently, he has found volunteering to be a great source of education: “It’s been good to give me a lot of knowledge of different types of disabilities, how people function with them and how they overcome barriers.” 

To ensure longevity of sport throughout the region, John has joined the board of Scottish Disability Sport’s Member Branch, Dumfries and Galloway Disability Sport. Here, he is keen to help reach as many people as possible, saying: “I enjoy it, where we are down here in Dumfries and Galloway, it can be one of these forgotten corners, so it’s just about getting the word out there that there are things out there for people to do and we do have a lot of things running here.” 

Having committed countless hours to volunteering, and seeing how sport impacts people daily, he would urge more individuals to try volunteering throughout their region. 

John said: “I would recommend volunteering to anybody; you will always get some sort of enjoyment from it. I’ve never met anybody who hasn’t got anything from it.”  

A group photo of people in wheelchairs and some people standing behind them, on the wheelchair curling ice sheet. They are Team UK wheelchair curling team. John McClelland is on the far left.

 

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