Category: A News

18/03/2026

Wheels to Water Returns in 2026

SAVE THE DATE!

Are you aged 10+ with a physical, vision, hearing or learning disability and enjoy adventure?

Wheels to Water returns to Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park this June where you can experience the thrill of getting on the water and adapted cycling in a safe and inclusive environment.

Date/Time: Saturday 13th June 2026, 10am – 3pm

Cost: Free

Venue: Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Lochwinnoch

Come and join us with your family and friends where you can try inclusive cycling and a range of watersports! Registration opens soon!

Wheels to Water is a partnership event involving Scottish Disability Sport, Paddle Scotland, Royal Yachting Association Scotland, Scottish Cycling, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and a range of Kayak, Sailing and Cycling clubs.

This event is being ran by young people from Scottish Disability Sport’s, Paddle Scotland’s and RYA’s youth panels and is kindly supported by National Lottery’s Young Start fund.

16/03/2026

Women and Girls in Boccia: Rachael Page’s Story

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

Rachael Page started playing boccia around 10 years ago, through one of Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS’s) member branches, Disability Sport – Fife. She started playing boccia as a means to meet new people, play a new sport and experience the benefits that come with getting physically active. Rachael has cerebral palsy which affects all four of her limbs and so boccia provided the ideal opportunity for achieving the above.

It wasn’t long though until Rachael realised that she wanted to play boccia in a competitive environment: “I have wanted to play boccia competitively since I was a wee girl when I was still at high school. I absolutely love my boccia,” she said.

Alongside playing weekly in Glenrothes, Rachael also trains alongside the Tayside regional team. This has resulted in her being coached by some of the best available coaches, such as Darren and Sam Thompson. Rachael remarked on how this has positively impacted her, “They’ve been brilliant, they really have. It’s good as it is showing me loads of things, for example how to throw the balls with different techniques.”

All of Rachael’s hard work and commitment to her craft, came to fruition in early 2026, as she won Senior Sportsperson of the Year at Disability Sport – Fife’s awards ceremony. She reflected on this achievement: “To have been selected for the national Boccia Squad, and to win this award, I’m just over the moon, it’s a great way to start the year.”

One of Rachael’s favorite elements of the game is the social aspect, allowing her to meet and socialise with new groups “I enjoy it and it’s a good way of socialising and making friends with new people,” Rachael said.

The impact of role models is something that Rachael has started to notice recently.

Rachael told SDS that: “My goals are to follow in the footsteps of Kayleigh Brown.”

She believes that Kayleigh is a fantastic ambassador for the sport. “I think Kayleigh is a great role model because she has a great personality and is a great player.”

In 2025, Rachael was successfully classified as a BC2 athlete. This along with her consistent levels of performance has resulted in her being selected to be part of the Scottish National Boccia Squad in 2026. This resulted in her attending a training camp that was hosted in Sportscotland’s National Centre Inverclyde. Rachael really enjoyed her experiences with the squad, and can already see it impacting her positively “It was an amazing experience, I learnt a lot in terms of my posture when throwing the ball.” Said Rachael. Alongwith the training camp providing Rachael with opportunities to develop on the court, Rachael enjoyed having an opportunity to meet other members of the squad, including her role model Kayleigh Brown “I got the chance to eventually meet Kayleigh, and we got the chance to play each other in our drills. She is amazing, and to see how she plays, obviously I have a long way to go, but it just shows where I could end up.” Rachel explained.

Along with having her own role models, Rachael feels strongly about the importance of female role models to inspire the next generation of women and girls, commenting: “I think it’s important to have more female role models in boccia because there aren’t many females that compete in boccia and I think that it would be great to see more females play competitively in boccia as well.”

Rachael has learnt first-hand how boccia can help people to overcome barriers “You can never say no to anyone from boccia. It’s amazing what people can do, it really is.”

Rachael has become extremely grateful for all of her experiences; from training weekly and regionally to taking part in events and making friends.

“A lot of these things are things I didn’t think I would do and I am really grateful for the opportunities that I have had.”

If you like the sound of some of the experiences that Rachael has had, and you would be interested in trying out boccia, contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer on: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com to find out what opportunities there are to take part in the sport as a player, volunteer, coach or official.

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

09/03/2026

Fiona Muirhead Inspiring the Next Generation of Boccia Players

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

What a journey it has been for Fiona Muirhead in boccia, starting the sport as a hobby and now being a mainstay in both Scotland’s and Boccia UK’s boccia squads.

The 43-year-old started playing the sport in 2018. Little did she know at the time that she would go on to pick up a handful of podium finishes on the international stage, on her way to becoming one of Scotland’s many brilliant female role models.

Over the past eight years, Fiona has been showcasing her abilities in boccia and in the process, she has made herself a household name on the Scottish boccia circuit. This has resulted in Fiona becoming one of Scotland’s most visible female role models in sport.

She said: “There aren’t many women, we are still very much a minority in the sport. We were at Scottish camp last weekend, and it was really nice for all of the new women to see myself and Kayleigh Brown, it’s nice to see the way that things could go.”

Fiona is also very proud of her journey in the sport, coming into it later in life. This is a further reason why she thinks she is a good role model for aspiring athletes.

“I think also, I came in quite late in life, I am the eldest in both squads, so it is nice to say to the other females that you can start later”, Fiona said.

One of the most recent additions to the Scottish Boccia Squad is Rachael Page. Being able to look up and see Fiona competing has been hugely inspirational and helpful for Rachael

“Fiona has been amazing, she is so kind. If there are things that we are not to sure of, we can go to people like her and get some help. Being part of the squad is great. They are all such a lovely bunch”, said Rachael.

Before becoming one of Scotland’s brightest shining lights on the boccia circuit, Fiona started her boccia journey at the sessions in Hamilton. She reflected on this, saying: “Initially, playing was just a social thing. I had no ambitions; I didn’t really appreciate where it could go.”

“It’s been very exciting. It’s been quite sudden. I started it as a hobby and then I progressed through the Scottish talent squad,” she said.

Throughout her journey in school, Fiona was not always involved in sport and physical activity, due to her school not delivering inclusive physical education classes – an issue which still remains throughout schools in Scotland.

This resulted in Fiona seeking opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity later in life, looking to gain many of the attached health benefits.

Fiona commented on how it has benefited her, saying: “I have Muscular Dystrophy, so it not only helped to stabilise it but it has also helped me through allowing me to exercise.”

As Fiona has developed in the sport, she has found herself further benefiting from increased physical activity. A further factor in this, is due to Fiona’s involvement in the UK’s World Class Programme, and the support that she has had access to.

“I have been able to access physio and strength and conditioning, and it really has impacted how well I can be, compared to before when I wasn’t training,” Fiona commented.

Fiona has been heavily impacted by the psychological and physiological benefits of boccia. Since her first international tournament in 2022, Fiona has found herself having many life changing experiences through competing.

Fiona said: “I hadn’t done a lot of traveling without my family before, and I was now going to places I wouldn’t have expected. I went to Canada, Brazil, Croatia. It was really nice, and doing it with international athletes, it was really a dream come true.”

A further reason why Fiona has been making herself a role model for any up-and-coming athletes, is due to the BC4 classified athlete’s success whilst competing on the international stage. In terms of podium finishes, 2023 was by far Fiona’s most successful year, winning BC4 Pairs at the Montreal World Cup, followed by a silver in the BC4 Pairs at the 2023 European Para Championships in Rotterdam.

Fiona then went one better, taking gold at the Heraklion Challenger event in Crete.

These podiums are something that Fiona looks back on with a huge amount of pride, saying, “A real highlight would be those podium finishes. Being on the podium and hearing the British national anthem alongside Stephen (McGuire).”

If you are interested in trying out boccia, contact Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) Boccia Development Officer on: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com

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

26/02/2026

National Boccia Training Camp 2026 Recap

Largs played host to the National Boccia Training Camp, which was held earlier this month (13th to 15th February) at sportscotland National Sports Training Centre Inverclyde.

Attending the camp were seven national players plus one development player from Scotland, as well as five players and a couple coaches from Disability Sport Norther Ireland (DSNI).

The camp kicked off on the Friday with a ‘connections and culture’ workshop. This allowed for the new squad members to hear from the more experienced players about the impact and involvement of being in the squad, followed by the opportunity to discuss player’s aspirations.

This was followed by a two-hour long skills session with DSNI.

The Saturday was a jampacked day of training from 9am to 6pm, divided into a morning and afternoon session. Players were separated into small groups of mixed classifications and squads. This allowed players to learn from each other, share insights and tips and gain an understanding of the different skills required per player.

Each group also had access to a selection of coaches from both Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and DSNI.

Scottish squad member, Fiona Muirhead, commented on the day saying: “Having coaches and athletes from Northern Ireland has provided a good opportunity to play against new players, particularly those we don’t play often, it was also good to engage with new coaches and different coaching styles. It just gives us a bit more variety and an opportunity to push ourselves more.”

After the intense day of training on Saturday, the evening’s entertainment involved a quiz and music bingo – it was quite the social affair!

Sunday provided players with the opportunity to put their learning from Saturday to the test, with games played from 9am to 12noon in proper matchday format.

SDS’ Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, regarded the camp a big success. He said, “It was fantastic to have a joint camp with players and coaches from DSNI.

“I feel the camp is invaluable to everyone who attended as everyone can share their knowledge and experience and as a result support player and coach development.

“This joint camp, which has been done for a few years now, allowed for close partnership working between both SDS and DSNI. The set up supports players across the national squad pathway through to those on the world class programme and I believe it is a unique set up that we have with both countries playing a part in shaping the camp.”

He continued to say: “It was also great to see young up and coming development players attending with their coaches to work with the other coaches and players both in gaining information but sharing their knowledge and experience. ”

Fiona added to this, saying: “The Scottish Camp always has such a lovely atmosphere. It was really exciting to see the new faces, particularly the new female faces joining the group.”

Reflecting on the weekend, Scottish and Boccia UK Performance coach, Claire Morrison, said: “It is always great to get our Scottish Squad players together for an intensive couple of days training and matchplay.

“Having the opportunity to work alongside our friends from Northern Ireland also brings a different dimension and variety to our work. It is a really important way to start the season both technically and from a connectivity perspective.

“There is a great mix of experience and youth in the group of players and I love to see how they work together and support each other to learn and have fun in this environment.”

Photo of a young man in his wheelchair with red and blue boccia balls. He is wearing a green Northern Ireland boccia training kit.

If you would like to find out more about boccia and how you can get involved as a player, official, volunteer, coach, education practitioner, please get in contact with SDS’ boccia development manager at: jonathan.kennedy@sottishdisabilitysport.co.uk or call: 0131 317 1130

To find out how you can get involved in disability sport throughout your area as a participant, coach, official or volunteer, contact your Regional Development Manager.

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

24/02/2026

Paralympians Neil Fachie and Fin Graham selected for Team Scotland

Team Scotland’s momentum towards the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games continues to pick up pace with the selection of multiple World and Paralympic cycling medallists Neil Fachie MBE and Fin Graham MBE.

A 19-time World champion and four-time Paralympic Games medallist, Neil has cemented his place in Commonwealth Games history over the past three Games. Birmingham 2022 saw Neil, piloted by Lewis Stewart, win gold in the Time Trial and silver in the Sprint, making him the second most successful athlete in Team Scotland’s history with five gold and one silver medal.

At Glasgow 2026 he will be aiming to topple bowler Alex Marshall from the top of the list, who has five gold, one silver and one bronze.

Neil said: “In some ways it’s a bit of a surprise, given that I thought my cycling career might be over, but the lure of another Commonwealth Games in Scotland was pretty strong. I’m both excited and a little nervous about getting back into race shape and being on that start line, but excitement definitely wins.

“Some of my favourite moments of my cycling career have been with the Scottish team and the Commonwealth Games by nature is a fun competition anyway. The Scottish team spirit is always really strong and I love being part of the team first and foremost.

“Having a Commonwealth Games in Glasgow under my belt already, I know what it’s like, I know what it means and winning there was truly the best moment of my career.”

A lot has changed since those two golden weeks in 2014, Neil now has a full-time job and a three-year-old son putting demands on his time alongside training.

“It’s very different,” he added. “Having been a full-time athlete for 15 years, since Paris 2024 I haven’t really trained at all and I’m just getting back into it, trying to get back towards where I was. On the side I’m also going to be working full-time as well so I don’t have that luxury of six days a week to train like I normally would. I have to be smart about how I do it, but I’m confident that I can get back into medal winning shape and we’ll just see where the journey takes us.”

For Fin, Glasgow 2026 will be his first Commonwealth Games and, incredibly, his first time racing for Scotland at any level, but he comes in with a wealth of international success. At Paris 2024, he won his first Paralympic gold in the C1-3 Road Race, also taking silver in the Individual Pursuit on the track, to add to his two silver medals from Tokyo 2020. In 2025 he became the first Para athlete in history to win a fourth consecutive C3 road race world title and is also a fifteen-time medallist at the Track World Championships, including four gold. He’s had previous success on the very track he’ll race on this summer, winning gold in the Individual Pursuit at the World Championships in Glasgow in 2023.

Fin said: “It feels amazing. To have the opportunity to ride for Scotland in Scotland is something I never thought would happen, so to get that opportunity is a pinch me moment and I’m really looking forward to it.

“It’s been the top priority for training and motivation, so to have it confirmed is fantastic. It’s something that every athlete dreams of, competing in their home country, so it’s a dream come true.

“Being able to ride and celebrate a World title in front of a home crowd was special, doing that in a Scottish jersey will make it extra special.”

Elinor Middlemiss, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “We are delighted to welcome two athletes of this calibre to Team Scotland for Glasgow 2026. Neil’s achievements speak for themselves and it’s exciting to see Fin making his Team Scotland debut after so much success on the World and Paralympic stage.

“Congratulations to both Fin and Neil, as well as their families, support teams and coaches, and we wish them well in their preparation over the coming months.”

Athletes from across all 10 sports and six para-sports featured at Glasgow 2026 will be selected in the coming months as Team Scotland shapes up for an exciting home Games.

04/02/2026

Bring the King’s Baton to Your Community in Scotland

Team Scotland is preparing to welcome the King’s Baton Relay ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and you can be part of the celebrations!

From Wednesday 1st July through to the Opening Ceremony on Thursday 23rd July, the Baton will travel across the country, visiting communities, events, and festivals to celebrate Team Scotland, sport, the Commonwealth, Scottish culture and the Games.

This year, the Relay has been reimagined to make it easier for communities to get involved. Rather than travelling continuously through streets, the Baton will use a hub-and-spoke model, bringing it to selected events across Scotland every day.

How to Host the Baton at Your Event

If you run a festival, sports activity, community gathering or other creative event, you can register your interest to host the Baton with via Glasgow 2026’s All In programme.

When you register, simply tick the box to share your event with Team Scotland. The KBR delivery team will review submissions and confirm which events will host the Baton by 30th April.

What the Baton Visit Looks Like

At selected events, the Baton can:

Be brought in by local Batonbearers or community heroes
Be displayed for attendees to hold, take photos and celebrate
Include content creation support, with imagery from the event available for your use
Feature current or former athletes, or a visit from Finnie, the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Official Mascot, depending on availability

Themes and Ideas

We’re looking for creative and inclusive events that reflect the themes of sport and the Commonwealth. Events can be large or small, urban or rural. The more imaginative, the better!

We’re also incorporating activities that support the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign, such as plastic and litter collections around Scottish waterways. Organisations that organise these activities are especially welcome.

Take Part in the Relay

This is your chance to bring the excitement of Glasgow 2026 to your community. Whether it’s a local sports event, a festival, a clean-up initiative, or another creative gathering, the Baton is coming to connect communities and celebrate Scottish and Commonwealth culture.

Decorate Scotland’s Baton

There are 74 Batons, one for each nation and territory in the Games. Each country will decorate their Baton to represent their nation and these will be united in Glasgow when the Kings welcome message to open the Games is read out to the world.

The Scotland Baton carries the word ‘gather’, a symbol of community, connection and celebration. Handmade in Glasgow by skilled makers from Galgæl and master craftsman Tim Norman, it’s a blank canvas waiting for Scotland’s creativity. Communities, artists, and schools are invited to apply to decorate and customise the Baton, leaving their mark on this once-in-a-lifetime journey to the Glasgow 2026 Opening Ceremony.

Find out more about the open call for artists here: https://www.teamscotland.scot/kbr-scotland/kbr-decoration/

Don’t miss your chance to be part of history!

Glasgow Disability Sport – Job Opportunity

With Glasgow 2026 just around the corner, it’s a great time to get involved in disability sport in Scotland.

An opportunity has come up with Glasgow Disability Sport who are lookin for a coordinator to join their team. They will co-ordinate and develop a range of physical activity and sport sessions and events for children, young people and adults with physical, learning and sensory disabilities across Glasgow and the West.

Find out more about the role and how to apply, here: https://wp.me/p7H0JE-aNz

SDS Call to Action

Scottish Disability Sport has launched a four-point Call to Action that calls on organisations across Scotland to take urgent action to remove the significant barriers faced by people with a disability in accessing sport and physical activity.

The four-point Call to Action follows the publication of a new national survey by SDS, which highlights the ongoing inequalities experienced by people with a disability and the impact this has on their quality of life.

More information about the Call to Action is available on the SDS website homepage. You can view the full report, here.

#InspiringThroughInclusion

02/02/2026

Job Opportunity with Disability Sport Glasgow

Disability Sport Glasgow (DSG) are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic person to join their team as coordinator.

They will co-ordinate and develop a range of physical activity and sport sessions and events for children, young people and adults with physical, learning and sensory disabilities across Glasgow and the West.

Post Title: coordinator

Salary: £15,724

Hours: 17 hours per week (Part time, Self-employed)

Duration: Reviewed annually

Based: Hybrid, flexible working

For all applicants, please send a CV and covering letter outlining your skills and experience to DSG Chairperson Joan at: joanosullivan@hotmail.co.uk.

If you have any questions about the role or would like further information please feel free to get in touch.

Closing date for applications – 27th February 2026
Interviews week beginning – 16th March 2026

Full job description is available here.

27/01/2026

Explore Your Paralympic Potential

Fall in love with your new Paralympic Sport this Valentines Day

🎾 Wheelchair Tennis and Wheelchair Rugby plus…

🛶 Static Rowing, Canoeing, Cycling, Athletics and Triathlon

🗓️ Saturday 14th February 2026

📍Loughborough

➡️ Apply here

About the Explore Day

The Paralympic Potential Programme is the first step in finding out what your future Paralympic sport could be. If you want to find a competitive pathway and unlock the opportunities that sport offers, then now is the time to Explore Your Paralympic Potential – could you #BeTheFuture?

ParalympicsGB are working closely with GB Wheelchair Rugby and the Lawn Tennis Association to offer you the chance to receive expert coaching and input from GB coaches. They will be looking out for talented individual to support and signpost you to appropriate next steps.

On Saturday 14th February 2026, you will get to try both Wheelchair Rugby and Wheelchair Tennis in Loughborough. You will be matched with a qualified coach from each sport dependent on your experience and disability. They will provide you with a small group coaching session, information on the sport, insights into classification and intel about how to continue the sport post Explore Day.

In attendance will also be British Rowing, Paddle UK, UK Athletics, British Cycling and British Triathlon to provide you with a small taster of their sports and more information on how to get involved.

Click on the link below to find out more about each sport and which sports you could be classifiable for. With the right commitment and dedication, one day you could represent Great Britain at the Paralympic Games!

Click to access Explore-Your-Paralympic-Potential-Wheelchair-Sports-Info-Booklet_Paralympics-GB.pdf

26/01/2026

Blistering Season Opener for Scottish Para Snowsport Athletes

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

With the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games just around the corner (6 – 15 March), Scottish Para Snowsport athletes have made quite the impact on the slopes throughout January. Here’s a round-up of some of those top performances making the headlines in 2026 so far.

Kicking off 2026 was the Slovakian National Championships in Jasna (7th-9th January). Scotland had a range of athletes competing in the championships as part of a Para Alpine Development Team.

First up was Dominique (Dom) Allen. Dom had a fantastic run of results at the championships, showing that he is more than capable of going head-to-head with some of the sport’s rising stars. Dom’s performances earned him three podium finishes across the week – winning two titles in the men’s standing slalom and a silver medal in the Giant Slalom.

Also competing at the championships was Ali Hall, guide for Hester Poole (England). What a week the pair had, as they showcased their skills against some of the best in the business. Just like Dom, the pair did enough to finish on the podium a total of three times across the championships, winning a gold in both the men’s vision impaired Giant Slalom and Slalom.

Ali’s brother, Adam, was also competing as a guide for England’s Sam Cozen. The pair left Slovakia with four medals: two bronze in the men’s Slalom, two gold medals in the Giant Slalom.

Next up was Scott Meenagh who was competing in the IBU Para Biathlon World Cup, in Notschrei, Germany (5-11th January). Scott went into the World Cup having made selection for ParalympicsGB for Milano-Cortina 2026.

Despite a rifle malfunction in the LW12 individual race, Scott delivered an impressive performance, keeping composure to finish sixth in the LW12 Sprint Pursuit ahead of a seventh place finish the following day, in the LW12 Sprint.

Similarly, Para alpine skier Neil Simpson’s season started following his call up to represent ParalympicsGB at the upcoming Winter Paralympics.

He first took to the slopes to compete in the Para Alpine World Cup, in Saalbach, Austria (12th-17th January). As always, the B3 (vision impaired) Para athlete was in good company with brother Andrew Simpson and Rob Poth (England) acting as his guides down the slopes.

Neil and his brother had a blistering start, taking bronze in the men’s downhill on January 13th. He repeated this podium result the following day with guide Rob in the men’s downhill. Two days later, the pair bettered this result to move up the podium and claim silver in the men’s Super Giant Slalom (Super-G).

The brothers from Banchory came together once again to finish the World Cup with another bronze medal, this time in the Super Giant Slalom. Bringing Neil’s World Cup medal tally to three bronze medals and one silver.

Finishing off the busy month for Scottish athletes was Davy Zyw. Davy’s season has gotten off to a very strong start after winning a bronze and silver medal in the men’s UL (upper limb) banked slalom at the Para Snowboard Banked Slalom Europa Cup, in Kuhtai, Austria (6th-17th January).

Snowsport Scotland said, “These results are massive in his quest to qualify for the Paralympic Games and become the first person with MND to compete at that level.”

If two medals in two days wasn’t good enough for Davy, he went on to reach the podium just a few days later at the Para Snowboard Europa Cup in Lenk, Switzerland (21st-23rd January). On the opening, Davy claimed another bronze, this time in the UL (upper limb) Snowboard Cross. Good luck Davy on your selection for the ParalympicsGB squad for the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

To find out how you can get started on your pathway in sports, reach out to your Regional Development Manager.

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

20/01/2026

Grace Lawther: Advocating for Young People with Disabilities.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

Grace Lawther joins the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) team, taking up the role of the Young Persons’ Sport Panel (YPSP) Administrator.

“I am really looking forward to everything from an insights point of view, getting to understand how the organisation runs and gaining an understanding of what everyone does,” said Grace.

Grace steps in to the role as a current member of SDS’s YPSP, a position she has held for the previous two years and one that she has thoroughly enjoyed.

“When we go down to Inverclyde (for the YPSP residential) and spend a weekend there, that is a real highlight. It is very nice to spend time in person. We don’t get that often as the panel is made up of people from all over Scotland,” she explained.

“It is also a very independent experience. When I first went down to the residential I hadn’t spent a night away without them (her parents) and so I was very independent however, I knew I was going to be supported a lot throughout,” Grace commented.

Grace’s time on the panel definitely influenced her decision to apply for the administrator role.

“I just felt like I had a lot to offer. It’s a lot better when someone has been on the panel, they really understand everything from both perspectives,” Grace said.

With the current cohort of YPSP panel members having started their third and final year on the panel, Grace feels like there is a fantastic opportunity waiting to be grasped.

“It feels like there is a lot to be done, everyone is really excited as we are stepping into our third year.”

With this opportunity, Grace wants everyone on the panel to be able to look back fondly. She said, “I want everybody to be able to leave with really positive memories.”

On top of making sure that all panel members continue to have a positive final year, Grace would love to encourage and support panel members to be able to stay involved in disability sport throughout Scotland.

“The YPSP is such a great experience and I would like people to stay involved, whether it is in their local areas or with SDS,” she explained.

Grace has also really enjoyed the social aspect of being a panel member. She said, “It is very exciting, as I do feel like I am going to know these people for a very long time.”

Grace continued to explain that she is extremely grateful for this. After seeing how long these friendships can last for.

“The first time I went to SDS’s Branch Conference and Annual General Meeting, Laura Pilkington and Grace Stirling (both former YPSP members) were there and they were both just sitting and chatting. I can remember thinking, it would be really nice if I can make some friends like that,” said Grace.

As well as the panel impacting Grace socially, she feels like being on the YPSP has helped her develop many skills.

“I joined the panel when I was 18, it just gave me so much confidence. SDS just really showed that people care and want to listen to what you have to say.”

Grace believes that some of the experiences as a panel member, have helped her confidence: “Outside of the residential, my favourite part of being on the panel has to have been getting to deliver some talks with SDS,” said Grace.

A particular project that members of the YPSP have been working on has been completing Euan’s Guide reviews for sport facilities, including the Inverclyde sport center. This is a task that both SDS and the YPSP are passionate about for its purpose is to increase reviews of sport facilities to accurately inform and reassure individuals with disabilities which facilities within their areas are accessible.

This is a particular project that Grace is looking forward to progressing with over the coming year. She said, “I am really looking to help people on the panel to start to do this.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Euan’s Guide, you can do so by visiting their website.

To find out how you can get involved in disability sport throughout your area as a participant, coach, official or volunteer, contact your Regional Development Manager.

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