By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer 

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Dundee and Angus College hosted the SDS Tayside Parasport Festival on Wednesday 6th March and it proved to be a huge success, once again. Participants, coaches, parents and attending partners all had an amazing day experiencing firsthand how sport has the ability to influence and change lives. 

One parent, Lynne Donaldson, who attended with her 12-year-old daughter, had her first experience at a Parasport Festival. Lynne remarked: “It has been a really good experience for both of us to meet other individuals who take part in disability sport and to have the opportunity to try a range of sports.” 

This was an opinion that Jenny Moffet, another parent, shared: “If you didn’t have Festivals like this, there just wouldn’t be a chance to meet so many people, have fun and make friends, as well as getting stuck into the physical activity and trying things that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to try.” 

Graeme Doig, the Regional Development Manager for Tayside, found the day to be very rewarding.  “We’ve all enjoyed another wonderful Parasport Festival in Tayside and it was great to see so many children with smiles on their faces all day long learning new skills, increasing confidence and making new friends,” Graeme said. 

The Parasport Festival saw 54 young children with physical disabilities, visual impairments and hearing loss arrive at Dundee and Angus College to take part in a day packed with fun and activity. With the festival being held at the college there was an opportunity for sports students to attend as assistants and helpers for the day. Lauren Simpson, the Active Campus Coordinator, said, “It’s really important to offer our college students the opportunity to work with a variety of people. 

“It enhances their experiences as coaches, it means that they have the opportunity to adapt and work with people with different abilities and make it more inclusive.”  

Along with providing opportunities to develop the students, the day is also rewarding for them. “A lot of what will come back from the students is the relationships that they have built with the young people. It’s been fun and personalised and they’ve had fun and played with them and actually that has been such a lovely by product of the day,” Lauren said. 

The Parasport Festival had multiple Sport Governing Bodies attending, which helped provide the participants with a positive first impression of the sports. Rodger Holmes, Development Manager from Paddle Scotland, was part of the delivery team on the day and said: “We have supported the festivals a lot over the years and it’s always great to see how excited the youngsters are to take part.”  

Rodger added, “It’s always great to highlight our sport, people don’t necessarily always get to try paddle sport in their daily lives, so if we can give them a bit of an opportunity that’s brilliant.”  

This opportunity to try a range of sports in one place, is something that Jenny Moffet believes to be a big bonus for participants. “His (Jeny’s son) ideas of what he would like to do and what he would like to try are changing all the time, so it’s just completely brilliant to have the opportunity to be at a Festival like this.” 

The 2025 SDS Parasport Festivals are partnership events, generously supported by the Motability Scheme. Charlotte Januszewski from the Motability Scheme’s communications team was in attendance and said: “Really enjoying being here today on behalf of the Motability Scheme, so thank you very much to Scottish Disability Sport for having us. It’s been awesome to see all the different types of sports that everyone can get involved with and have lots of fun. I think everyone has been smiling a lot.” 

Along with attending the Parasport Festival, the Motability Scheme are able to showcase their organisation and how they can help make lives more accessible through travel. “It’s spreading awareness about what the Motability Scheme can offer, so making sport more accessible in Scotland by breaking down barriers for people when they are accessing more sports and going to new locations,” Charlotte explained. 

Along with partners and governing bodies, various local authorities attended the festival. David McLeish from Angus Active Schools was there and said: “It’s amazing. It makes us think every year about what we can do to help get more children and families involved.” 

He continued to say that: “School settings can only do so much. You want the children and young people to take things out into the community, it can often be the starting point for young children and their families to come to this event. For me, that is what is so special about this and why it is so important that we all do our part to get individuals along to days like this.” 

Graeme Doig agreed with this, explaining how important the partnership element of the event is. He said, “Sport really is for everyone. Along with our partner clubs in the region, we have demonstrated that with the right support and small adaptations, anyone can give it a go and hopefully find a new passion in sport.”  

If you would like to explore what sporting opportunities there are throughout your region, contact your Regional Development Manager. If you have enjoyed reading about the Parasport Festivals, make sure to have a look at the SDS website, with registration still being open for several Parasport Festivals. 

Make sure to stay up to date on all opportunities throughout Scotland, by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

By William Moncrieff, Communication Coordinator

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Nicky MacNeil has been a regular referee in the boccia circuit, especially after completing her level three qualification. One of her favourite aspects of the sport is the friendships that she has built along the way. 

“Everybody is there to create a good atmosphere. They say it’s like a family, but it really is like a family”, said Nicky.  

Having been involved in the boccia community for a number of years, Nicky (aged 56) summed up how she feels about the social aspect: “They say friends are the family we make for ourselves and I always enjoy spending time with my boccia family.” 

The term ‘boccia community’ can be mentioned a lot and Nicky believes it to be so unique because, “everybody is there because they want to be, they are so supportive.”  

Nicky first got in to boccia when her son Ross, went to a ‘have a go’ boccia day. After an introduction to the sport, Ross caught the boccia bug and he began playing regularly.  

As Ross is a BC3 player, Nicky’s husband/Ross’s father, is his ramp operator. This was when Nicky first noticed the social impact of the sport. “I just really enjoyed it, I got to meet people that were there, we all got chatting,” Nicky said. 

She then decided to take the first step towards becoming an official. “My husband decided to go and do his level one referee course to learn a little bit more and I thought I might come and do that with him.”  

Since completing her level one, Nicky hasn’t looked back. “Things have just gone from there; I have now refereed the UK Championships and [referred] in Northern Ireland.” 

Through these opportunities, Nicky has: “met so many lovely people. I’ve met a lot of people, people who are now friends.” 

A great enjoyment for Nicky is seeing athletes and participants develop. “It’s [a great joy] watching them progress. You watch players when they first start and you are trying to explain rules to them as they are playing, then they are in competitions and you see the progression in them,” Nicky said. 

Nicky has also found new opportunities to work alongside other officials. “Now that I am a level three referee, I like helping newer referees. This then helps build my skills and knowledge because I am helping them progress,” remarked Nicky. 

Nicky believes that there won’t ever be a dull day as a referee, partly due to the variety referees find from week to week. “You could be doing a wee local competition where you’re refereeing for the learning disability guys, then the next week you could be at the UK Championships where you are refereeing a Paralympic gold medallist. The diversity of who you are refereeing is amazing,” she said. 

A further time that Nicky has found the social benefits of boccia, was when she was doing the boccia training and qualifications. “I went through my level three with people like Ling [Mann] and Sam [Thompson] and that is really nice, you have the support and the people around to bounce stuff off of,” she commented. 

Along with making life-long friends with refereeing colleagues, Nicky has managed to build new bonds and relationships with different members of the community. “Athletes now run up to you when you walk into the hall to tell you something that has happened since the last time that they saw you.”  

“The parents of the athletes will now walk up and have a chat, it’s just so nice,” 

Despite her busy schedule, Nicky also finds time to work with and help develop athletes. “I also now support one of the UK players, Fiona Muirhead, who plays for Boccia UK.”  

This work has found Nicky travelling overseas: “I have gone out to the European Championships to support her through the competition. I have also been to Canada with her. This has all come through meeting her through boccia. It’s great for me. You’re there in a different scenario as you’re there with the players and it’s all about getting the players prepped.” 

Nicky continued to say, “For me though, I’m there at an international competition watching international referees, so I get to watch the people that I aspire to be like.”  

If you would be interested in finding out more about how to get involved in boccia, 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.  

Make sure to stay up to date on all opportunities throughout Scotland, by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. 

The Motability Scheme and Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) will now work side by side after strengthening their partnership, to expand sporting opportunities for people with a disability across Scotland.

SDS has relocated its operations to Forthstone, Edinburgh, where it will work alongside Motability Operations, the organisation that runs the Motability Scheme. The move marks the beginning of a renewed partnership agreement to help break down barriers to participation in sport for people with a disability.

As part of the agreement, the Motability Scheme will sponsor a range of SDS’s
initiatives in 2025, including:

• Education and Training opportunities for schools, universities and volunteers & coaches across Scotland.
• Ten Parasport festivals, scheduled later this year, offering young people with a disability the chance to try a variety of sports in a fun, inclusive, and supportive environment.
• SDS’s National Exhibition event, which is taking place at the University of Stirling on Saturday 14 June this year.

These events open up life-changing opportunities to participants, both young and old, by helping to build their confidence and connecting them with peers who share similar experiences and show that it is never too late to engage in activity and move a little more every day.

By combining resources and expertise, Motability Operations and SDS are committed to increasing awareness of the opportunities offered by both organisations. Their partnership will spotlight the transformative impact of the Motability Scheme in improving mobility for its customers while encouraging greater participation in disability sport across Scotland.

Gavin Thomson, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director Scotland Motability Operations said: “Sport has the power to break down barriers and open up new possibilities for everyone. Our partnership with SDS reflects our shared commitment to improving access to sport and mobility. Our ambition is to ensure that people with disabilities in Scotland have the opportunity to live healthy and active lives, and to strive for sporting greatness.”

Through their new base at Forthstone, SDS will have access to shared facilities, including meeting spaces, as well as the opportunity for increased collaboration with the Motability Operations team, strengthening their ability to deliver impactful programmes.

Gavin MacLeod, CEO of Scottish Disability Sport said: “Our partnership with Motability Operations has brought great benefits to both organisations over the past year and we are pleased to strengthen it further.

“Scotland’s sporting landscape is facing significant resource challenges. Now more than ever, partnerships like this are crucial in ensuring that people with a disability continue to have access to life-changing opportunities in sport.”

This partnership signals a long-term commitment to removing barriers to participation in sport for Scots with a disability. Whether through sponsorship, shared expertise, or improved facilities, Motability Operations and SDS are continuing to work together to create a more inclusive sporting landscape by changing culture and behaviours through quality education and training experiences alongside providing extensive sport and physical activity opportunities in collaboration with local and national partners.

The Glasgow 2026 Organising Company has announced (Thursday 6th) the medal event programme for the 23rd Commonwealth Games, with Para sport, Track Cycling and Swimming set for the most extensive medal event programmes in Commonwealth Games history.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place on Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026 and will feature a 10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor of the city, with over 200 gold medals up for grabs across the 10 days of sporting competition.

Glasgow 2026 will showcase a fully integrated Para sport programme across six of the ten sports, with a Commonwealth Games record 47 medal events in Para disciplines.
The action-packed sporting programme will take place at the Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC), Scotstoun Stadium and Tollcross International Swimming Centre, with the 10 sports on the schedule comprising:

• Artistic Gymnastics
• Athletics and Para Athletics
• 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball
• Boxing
• Swimming and Para Swimming
• Bowls and Para Bowls (indoor)
• Judo
• Netball
• Track and Para Track Cycling
• Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is set to see a very busy and full programme of racing, as
Glasgow hosts the biggest Track Cycling programme ever seen at a Commonwealth Games. The Track Cycling programme will see 26 medal events in total across Para and non Para disciplines. The Para Track Cycling programme has doubled in size from Birmingham 2022, with eight medals available, including the C1-C3 (men) and C4-C5 (women) Time Trials and Individual Pursuits for the first time.

The Tollcross International Swimming Centre will also see a jam-packed schedule as
Glasgow 2026 prepares for the most extensive swim programme in Commonwealth Games history, with 56 medal events in total across both Para and non Para competition. In a Games’ first, the men’s 800m Freestyle and women’s 1500m Freestyle races will be included.

In Scotstoun, World Athletics has made an innovative change to the athletics competition
with the return of the Commonwealth Mile. Last run in 1966, the Mile race, which will be run on the track, is a nod to the ‘The Miracle Mile’ at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada in 1954, when England’s Roger Bannister and Australian John Landy – the only two sub-four-minute runners in the world at the time – went head to head only two months after Bannister became the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile.

The Athletics programme has also been adapted to encourage strength and depth of
competition across all 74 territories, with the Mixed 4x400m relay included. It is also the first time in the history of the Commonwealth Games that Para Athletics will see athletes competing in jumping, throwing and track events, with all three disciplines being included on the programme for the first time.

Over on the Basketball court, the huge success of the 3×3 programme in Birmingham has seen the 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball competitions for men and women extend from six teams to eight and 3×3 Basketball competitions for men and women extend from eight teams to 12.

Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026, Phil Batty OBE, said “What makes the Commonwealth Games so special to so many is its fully integrated sport programme. I am proud that Glasgow 2026 will see the biggest Para sport medal event programme in Games’ history and will play such an important role in growing, supporting and championing Para sport.

“Glasgow 2026 is a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow and we have a clear vision that it will be brilliantly different. The huge Track Cycling and Swimming programmes, alongside the return of the Mile in Athletics, a wealth of disciplines introduced to the Games for the first time across the Para Athletics, Para Track Cycling and Para Swimming programmes, not to mention the increase in 3×3 Basketball and 3×3
Wheelchair Basketball teams, makes the Glasgow 2026 sporting programme a really exciting prospect for fans and athletes alike.

“I’m confident that with action-packed programmes across all four venues in the city, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Glasgow 2026 is set to be a world-class sporting celebration, filled with passion, fun, and outstanding sport!”

Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Katie Sadleir CNZM, said: “This compelling medal event programme continues the red thread of innovation that is a key component of Glasgow 2026’s compelling concept – in terms of sports formats and disciplines, the compact number of sports, and concentrated number of existing venues.

“We are thrilled to see such an exciting medal programme for the Commonwealth Games that will be sure to delight and excite fans attending in-person or watching at home across each day of competition.

“With more Para sport medals than ever before in the Games, Glasgow 2026 promises to be a truly inclusive festival of sport and celebration of culture and diversity that inspires our athletes.”

Scottish Paralympic and World champion C3 cyclist, Fin Graham, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see such a strong Cycling programme announced for Glasgow 2026, with greater Para sport integration than ever before.

“On a personal level, to have my category and events included is unbelievable – ever since Glasgow 2014 I’ve wanted to ride at the Commonwealth Games, and hopefully next year I’ll get that chance. To do it in front of a Scottish crowd, on the velodrome where I learnt to ride the track, will be even more special.”

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said, “The mile is the quintessential Commonwealth athletics event whose return to the Games in Glasgow 2026 I very much welcome.

“From 1930 through to 1966, the mile was the blue riband event of each Games and the
magic of the mile continues to resonate with sports fans. A ticket to watch its Commonwealth final will be one of the must have seats in Glasgow next year.”

The full medal event programme is available via: www.glasgow2026.com

Please note that the Boxing medal event programme is due to be confirmed later this year. To find out more about Glasgow 2026 visit: www.glasgow2026.com