Category: A News

09/10/2025

Women and Girls in Sport: Shona Black’s Story.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Shona Black puts great value on being physically active, socially active, engaged in the outdoors and surrounded by nature. These things have remained important to her throughout her journey of sight loss and accessible, thanks to her determination and love for tandem cycling.

Shona (aged 61), who is registered severely sight impaired, has been attending tandem and cycle clubs across the East of Scotland for many years. She said, “I got my own tandem and that really opened so many doors for me.

“I get a buzz from cycling, I really enjoy it. I just love being in the outdoors and in nature.”

Although Shona gets a real sense of excitement from taking part, recently she has been focusing on providing inclusive and accessible opportunities for individuals with disabilities across the East of Scotland. This has resulted in Shona starting two inclusive tandem clubs, called In-Tandem East Lothian and VIE Velo.

One reason for Shona starting her clubs, was to help provide others with the same benefits that she has been provided with. “It’s great being with people. You can be out for a cycle, listening to the bird songs and chatting to the people around you,” Shona said.

Shona first became a member of Talking Tandems, a tandem club based in Fife. However, after trying to create an opportunity that could be based out of Edinburgh, Shona co-founded VIE Velo. VIE Velo is a cycle group that is based in the heart of the city, which go on cycles the first and third weekend of the month.

Following the creation of VIE Velo, Shona wanted to provide more opportunities in the East Lothian region and to reduce travel requirements for those living outside of the city. Consequently, she founded the In-Tandem East Lothian club, which ride on the second and fourth weekend of the month.

Through her experiences over the last few years of attending and founding clubs, Shona has really started to notice the psychological benefits that her clubs can provide. She said, “The social part of it is so important, especially as people can feel socially isolated. Often I think that the social part is just as important as the physical activity.”

Shona has also found inclusive ways to create a social community within In-Tandem East Lothian.

“We try and provide a shorter ride and a longer ride, and we always try and start together. One group can stop and have a coffee and the group doing a longer route can continue on to somewhere else before stopping for their coffee,” Shona explained.

Shona’s next project is supporting more women to feel comfortable being volunteer pilots at her clubs (The pilot goes at the front of the tandem and is in charge of steering.)

Shona commented, “I have found that a lot of female pilots can be quite nervous thinking that they often can’t do it.”

As a result, Shona and her friend have created an action plan to try and showcase how being a pilot is achievable for anyone. “We are really targeting getting more female pilots involved in the club. Along with my friend who is a pilot and the chair of the club, we are going to go along to some of the Breeze Rides, just to show some females that they definitely can do it.”

Shona is keen that this proves to be successful in helping create more opportunities and growing confidence with potential female pilots, resulting in more individuals being physically active.

“I believe in sport for all, to be outdoors exercising with other people can do so much for your mental health,” she said.

Furthermore, the physical benefits are substantial. Shona said: “There was one gentlemen who came along to In-Tandem and at the beginning he could only do the shorter route. Now he has moved up to the longer ride. He has really enjoyed getting his fitness up and getting more confident being out and about.”

In-Tandem East Lothian pride themselves on being a tandem club that cater for individuals with varying abilities and disabilities. To help with this, the club have recently received funding from Mussleburgh Area Partnership, which has supported the club purchase an E-Tandem, which will further help the club continue to deliver a person-centered approach.

If you would be interested in finding out more about In-Tandem East Lothian and VIE Velo, plus potential opportunities to become either a participant or volunteer at the club, you can email: intandemel@gmail.com

Alternatively, you can reach out to your Regional Development Manager to discover what opportunities are available throughout your region.

To keep up-to-date on all of the ongoing work. Make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

07/10/2025

Women and Girls in Sport: Boccia’s Belle Beau Brown.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

Belle Beau Brown’s journey in boccia may have been a short one to date but it has been one full of enjoyment, socialisation and growth.

Belle Beau (aged 13) first tried boccia at Scottish Disability Sport’s Women and Girls in Boccia event on February 8^th, 2025. 23 women and girls travelled from all over Scotland to Perth (Perth UHI) to take part in the day.

The event provided women and girls with a fantastic introduction to the sport of boccia. Furthermore, it provided the participants with an opportunity to connect and develop relationships with new people whilst being physically active. The social aspect of the sport has been an element that Belle Beau has enjoyed from the start, saying: “I like boccia because I get to meet new people.”

Jamie, Belle’s father, expanded on this: “Belle left the day feeling really happy, it was really good that they all had an opportunity to meet girls in their own age group. Sometimes you can go to an event or competition, and not really meet anyone your own age.”

The Brown family have enjoyed being part of the boccia family and the community spirit it provides.

“You get to meet other people at these groups that are going through similar situations to you, not just with boccia, but at home. It’s good because as parents, we don’t know everything and someone may have gone through something similar. We just converted our bathroom in our house and somebody was doing the same, and we were able to chat about what hoists were good,” Jamie explained.

Since the Women and Girls event, Belle Beau has continued to develop her boccia skills by participating at the ‘Come Play Boccia’ session delivered by Grampian Disability Sport, at Mearns Sports Centre,every Tuesday evening.

Although the Women and Girls event provided Belle Beau and many others with a great opportunity to socialise and meet new people, Belle Beau has had other opportunities through sport to connect with others.

“I met Rebecca at the (Grampian) Parasport Festival and I told her all about boccia,” she said. Together, the girls attend the Tuesday night boccia sessions.

In addition to the weekly sessions, Belle Beau was invited to train with the Tayside Boccia Squad every month, to support her development within the sport.

The sport has proven contagious, with the Brown family regularly picking up a set of balls for a game.

“We were playing in the house yesterday. We have an open plan kitchen and living room, so we like to roll up the carpet and get the boccia balls out,” Jamie said. Although Belle Beau claims to not be competitive, she was quick to add: “I usually beat my brothers.”

The uptake of boccia has had a positive impact on Belle Beau physically, with her dad saying: “When she first started she couldn’t always throw the ball that far and now six months later, she can nearly throw the length of the court. It has definitely helped make her stronger.”

The biggest takeaway from playing boccia though, is not physical. “Boccia makes me feel happy,” said Belle Beau. You cannot put a price on that.

If you would be interested in finding out more about boccia opportunities, 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, Instagram and LinkedIn.

23/09/2025

The Boccia Coaching Futures Leading By Example

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Over the past four years, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and sportscotland have been embarking on an exciting opportunity for boccia players with high performance experience to join the SDS Performance coaching team on a volunteer coaching apprenticeship.

This opportunity has been made possible through sportscotland’s Coaching Futures programme, which aims to increase the pool of home-grown world class coaches, whilst retaining sports-specific knowledge within Scottish sport.

The Boccia coaching Futures Programme had a cohort of three former players; Peter McGuire and brothers, Scott and Jamie McCowan. All of which have competed nationally and internationally, representing Great Britain and Paralympics GB.

The programme has provided the group with many great opportunities to learn and develop. All of the coaches from the programme have had different highlights. Peter explained that: “A great highlight has been working with the likes of Kayleigh (Kayleigh Brown) and Alex (Alex Medley), where we are helping them to progress to that top level.”

Whereas Scott has enjoyed working closely with Lesley McKenna, part of sportscotland’s Coach Development team. Scott said: “The biggest highlight for me has to be working with Lesley our coach mentor and just having her to bounce ideas off of.”

Jamie added, “I would second that, working with Lesley has been a highlight. I think it is one thing to have good experience and to develop that on the job but to have that outside voice to give you feedback or to ask the right questions in order to get the right answers out of yourself has been very important.”

All of the coaches were interested in joining the programme for different reasons. “I was coaching for a few years before the programme started. What really drew me to the programme was the opportunity to set up a high-performance ecosystem in Scotland for boccia athletes, which is being delivered by current and former boccia athletes”, Peter explained.

Although Scott and Jamie were still part of Boccia UK’s World Class Programme and were both performing at a high level when they joined the programme, the pair decided to retire from performing towards the end of 2022 in order to focus on developing their coaching. “I just want to pass on knowledge and help create more Paralympians and successful athletes from Scotland”, said Jamie.

Throughout their time on the programme, they’ve all learnt a great lot. “I said at the beginning that I wanted to gain confidence. I would say that throughout the programme I can fully trust myself as a coach”, said Scott.

The endless search for perfection is a curious thing and has been a particular element that Peter has enjoyed delving into. This has been highlighted through the opportunities the coaches have had to meet, connect and network with other high-performance coaches from other sports throughout Scotland. “It can be humbling, going to speak to experts from different fields. The thing that this has highlighted is that they are experts in their fields but they don’t know everything. They are always looking to evolve and learn”, the Hamilton born coach explained.

Whereas one of Jamie’s most valuable lessons has been learning to have confidence in what is important to him and understanding to trust his coaching philosophy.

“It can take you a while to find but everyone has their own unique style of coaching. Ultimately, we all have a set style or a set philosophy, obviously that develops and that changes but fundamentally you must have confidence in what you bring and what is important to you”, Jamie said.

Scott explained how having experienced the trials and tribulations of being a high performance athlete has helped him support up-and-coming players. “I think whether you have been a competitor or a coach who hasn’t competed doesn’t make you a great coach, I think it can certainly help in the sense that you can really relate with what they (the athletes) are going through”, he said.

Lesley McKenna has had the opportunity to work closely with all of the coaches on the programm. She commented, “I am super proud of all of the coaches. They have all come such a long way.”

Lesley continued to say: “I am really starting to see how they are bringing themselves into their coaching practices, and how in doing that they are able to work collaboratively together to develop plans, to organise, to come up with new ideas and deliver coaching within the Scottish programme and then being able to take that to the Boccia UK programme.”

With the programme set to come to a close soon, the current cohort is looking at what their next steps in the sport may be.

Scott said, “My aspirations now that the programme is coming to an end are the same as they were at the beginning. I want to coach boccia and work with people that enjoy the sport. I want to develop and progress and ultimately, I want to work with players that want to compete.”

Although the programme is coming to an end, all involved throughout its implementation are keen that it sets a precedent for future coach development opportunities in Scotland. “I am keen that this is one of the first examples of a long-term programme with a group of coaches with a coach developer in Scotland, we are really leading by example”, said Lesley.

“Boccia hasn’t had a history of athletes becoming coaches, for whatever reason we haven’t had many examples of that over the years. For me it’s quite important. If we can be the start of a movement where we are showing players within the sport that there is a route into the sport, if that happens, I would be proud of that”, said Jamie.

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 or alternatively, SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, at: 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.

20/09/2025

Scottish Disability Sport Calls for Urgent Action to Remove Barriers to Sport and Physical Activity

Today, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is launching a four-point Call to Action that is calling 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.

The national survey revealed that 40% of people with a disability in Scotland are worried about losing their benefits if they are seen to be more physically active. With nearly 1 in 5 respondents doing no physical activity each week, yet 73% expressing a desire to do more, the results from the survey highlight concerns around the benefits system, rising living costs, public transport and more.

SDS is urging government, local authorities, health boards, education providers, leisure trusts and third-sector organisations to recognise the rights of people with a disability, as set out in Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and to collaborate on systemic change.

Key actions called for include:

Plan to include

Reduce inequalities for people with disabilities through inclusive strategy, policy, development and proportionate funding.

Invest in systemic change to remove barriers to accessible travel, affordable and accessible facilities and inclusive spaces.

Deliver an inclusive whole system approach

Every person with a disability has the right to take part in quality inclusive physical activity, physical education and sport.

A health and social care system that prescribes appropriate physical activity opportunities at every stage of the individual’s pathway.

A benefits and social care system that equips individuals to be active

Provide safeguards to reassure people with disabilities that being active will not negatively impact any government financial assistance.

Those in receipt of Self-Directed Support in Scotland should be able and encouraged to use their budget to engage in physical activity and sport.

Champion intersectionality through a person-centred approach

Collaborate with partners across sectors to champion intersectionality within policy, strategy and development.

Ensure the needs of people with disabilities with intersecting identities are considered and met by co-design with those with lived experience.

95% of survey respondents believe physical activity helps their mental health and wellbeing yet over 90% do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity, with less than half of survey respondents receiving encouragement from a health or social care professional to be more active.

Gavin Macleod, CEO of Scottish Disability Sport, said, “This Call to Action is a really important piece of work for Scottish Disability Sport, as it is based on the evidence gathered from our first ever National Survey which we delivered in partnership with Queen Margaret University. The evidence clearly shows that there are four urgent priorities that must be addressed to create a more inclusive and active society for people with disabilities. These four Calls to Action will influence our work and the work of our many partners in Scotland and beyond.”

SDS calls on a systemic change to create a more inclusive and active Scotland.

You can view the full Call to Actions in full detail, via this PDF here.

05/09/2025

Nominations Open for Glasgow’s Sport Awards 2025

Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to partner in the 2025 Glasgow’s Sport Awards.

The awards bring together athletes, coaches, volunteers, schools and community organisations to celebrate sport, physical activity and wellbeing in Glasgow.

Nominations are now open across 10 categories so let us know who gets your vote.

Who Gets Your Vote?

To nominate a person, organisation or project that has made a real difference to sport, physical activity and wellbeing in Glasgow visit here: https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/sport/glasgows-sport-awards-2025/

The website contains full descriptors and criteria for the awards with the link to our online nomination form. If you have any questions then get in touch with: gsa@glasgowlife.org.uk

Glasgow’s Sport Awards Categories
Glasgow Business Contribution Award
Glasgow Coach of the Year Award
Glasgow Community Impact Award
Glasgow Disabled Athlete of the Year Award
Glasgow Health and Wellbeing Award
Glasgow Lifetime Achievement Award
Glasgow Sportsperson of the Year Award
Uniting Glasgow Award
Glasgow Unsung Hero Award
Glasgow Young Sportsperson of the Year Award

Nominations close at midnight on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

05/09/2025

JOB ALERT: Trusts and Grants Fundraising Post

Renumeration: £20 per hour
Hours: 15 – 20 hours per week (subject to agreement)
Duration: 12 months fixed term, with a potential for extension depending on success.
Contract Type: Contract for Services (on a Self-employed basis)
Responsible to: SDS Head of Policy
Deadline: 12pm, 26th September 2025

Interviews: Wednesday 8 October 2025 (Time TBC)
Workplace: Remote or office based working is available. SDS are based at Forthstone
Office, 56 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9EB.

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION CAN BE FOUND HERE.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is looking for a talented Trusts and Grants Fundraiser to inspire funders to support SDS in achieving our vision to ensure sport and physical activity in Scotland are welcoming and inclusive for participants with disabilities. SDS is the Scottish governing and co-coordinating body of all sports for people of all ages and abilities with a physical, sensory or learning disability.

Our strategic plan, which directs our work, can be found here on our website.

Are you a sensitive storyteller, enthusiastic fundraiser, confident collaborator and dedicated researcher? You will design compelling funding applications, innovate new ways to connect with Trusts and Foundations, and steward vital income for our projects and services.

This role will enable SDS to grow its impact, strengthen donor relationships, diversify funding sources, and support long-term financial sustainability. Do you –

Have a strong track record of securing funding via trusts and grants for organisations in the
third sector?
Have the ability to create engaging and innovative storytelling to evidence the positive
impact of funding for people with a disability in Scotland?
Have the knowledge and expertise to harness new ways of connecting to trusts, foundations
and philanthropists?

You will be part of a dynamic and energetic team at SDS who support people with disabilities in Scotland to engage in sport and be more active.

To apply, please submit your C.V. and a cover letter indicating your suitability for the role to:
Mark Gaffney, SDS Head of Policy at mark.gaffney@Scottishdisabilitysport.com

If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Mark at the email above or by phoning: 0131 317 1130

27/08/2025

Scottish Disability Sport Coaching Apprenticeship Programme – Applications Closing Soon

Are you aged 16 – 24, based on Scotland, have a disability and are keen to get involved in coaching sport? If so, read on!

The Young Start Programme (Funded by National Lottery’s Community Fund) is now welcoming applications for the 2025/2026 cohort.

We have space for up to 12 young people with physical disabilities, vision impairment, hearing loss and/or mild learning disabilities to gain a Level 1 (SCQF Level 5 or Level 6) coaching qualification and coaching experience.

Apprentice coaches are supported by their own mentor, have access to a £200 training budget, are invited to attend a whole host of CPD workshops, and can join the annual Young Start and Young Person’s Sports Panel residential at Inverclyde.

There are only a few more days left until applications close. To get involved & for more information, complete the application form by 15th September. Contact alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com with any queries.

To find out what our current cohort have gained from being involved in the programme, check out our Young Start Article from June this year.

04/08/2025

Dundee City Discovery Games Are Back

The Discovery Games events are taking place again in September (2025).

The Games have been an extremely popular fixture in Dundee City Disability Sport (DCDS) calendar for almost three decades and always well attended from Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) branches.

Entry is open to people with disabilities from across the country and full details for each event can be found within the attached documents, below.

01/08/2025

Vacancy: Disability Inclusion Officer with basketballscotland

basketballscotland are looking for a passionate and proactive individual to lead our work in making basketball more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities across Scotland. This role will focus on breaking down barriers to participation: supporting the growth of wheelchair basketball; engaging directly with people with disabilities and their families; and, helping shape environments where everyone can belong and thrive.

You’ll be someone who’s not afraid to challenge the status quo, especially when it comes to creating equity and inclusion.

You’ll take responsibility for driving change, work closely with others to co-design better solutions, and always look for ways to improve, with a particular focus on people with physical, learning and sensory disabilities. Most of all, you’ll believe in the power of sport to bring people together, working with courage, compassion and purpose to help make that a reality.

Job Title: Disability Inclusion Officer
Salary: £24,000 – £26,000
Location: Flexible, but with the expectation to be in Head Office (Corstorphine, Edinburgh) on a Thursday
Reports to: Social Impact Lead
Hours: We are open to Full-time or part-time. Core hours are 10:00 – 15:00 with flexibility regarding when you complete the rest of your hours, subject to line manager agreement.

For more information about the role including key responsibilities, please consult the recruitment pack.

For further information or to ask any questions, please email: hr@basketball.scot

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 Perth and Kinross Disability Sport has provided is a session in Crieff and 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.