By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer. 

What a year it has been for disability sport in Scotland. With Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) contingent of committed Regional Development Managers (RDMs) working hard to facilitate inclusive sporting opportunities, develop partnerships and support clubs across the country.  

Here are some of the regional team’s favourite moments from 2026.  

 

Lanarkshire 

In Lanarkshire, hosting its first ever Parasport Festival was the biggest highlight. The festival, which took place in March, was a massive success with 43 participants registering. The day saw participants with a physical disability, vision impairment or hearing loss take part in sports including athletics, judo, table tennis and boccia. Following the success of the region’s first festival, everyone is already getting excited about next year. Ravenscraig will host the region’s second Parasport Festival in March 2026. 

 

West of Scotland 

The year of incredible performances began with SDS’s Young Persons’ Sport Panel member, Aidan Moody (of Glasgow Disability Tennis), reaching the semi-finals in the Australian Open in the II1 Category (a category for players with a learning disability). 

Red Star Athletics Club’s Melanie Woods also had a year to remember. The Glaswegian won two bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships in India – her first ever international medals. 

The West’s Layla McCloskey also had a memorable year. Layla was selected as a wildcard to compete at her debut UK Boccia Championships, which was held in Northern Ireland. The BC2 boccia player impressed as she went toe to toe with some of the UK’s finest athletes. These achievements are wonderful examples that highlight the importance that both local clubs and strong disability sport pathways can play in athlete development. 

 

Grampian 

In Grampian it has been great to see ongoing projects come to fruition throughout 2025, with the Rural Aberdeenshire Boccia Inclusion Project getting underway. The project was established to expand accessible sporting opportunities across isolated communities by introducing boccia into local bowls clubs. With funding of £5,000 from Sport for Change provided by Live Life Aberdeenshire, the project empowered rural bowls clubs to provide inclusive, disability-friendly activities that promote participation, social connection and community wellbeing through boccia. 

All participating clubs received the Boccia Leaders Award, giving volunteers and club members the confidence and competence to deliver high-quality person-centred sessions. 

At the start of the project, a Boccia Taster Day was held, bringing all ten clubs together. Participants were introduced to boccia through fun drills, mini-games and guided practice. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with clubs being so taken by it that many immediately began planning regular sessions. The sessions have already had an extremely positive impact, becoming valuable social and physical activity opportunities, particularly for older adults and individuals with disabilities. 

 

Fife 

Throughout Fife, it has been an amazing year, helping individuals with disabilities feel empowered and confident enough to use their voice to impact change. This has been due to Fife’s regional team working hard to create the Fife Inclusion Forum. 

The Fife Inclusion Forum brings together partners from different sectors and people with lived experience of disabilities. 

So far in 2025, the forum has been working hard to come together and: share knowledge, identify barriers, exchange best practices and work to promote the rights, opportunities, and inclusion of disabled people in Fife. Through centering the voices and experiences of disabled people throughout the region, the Fife Inclusion Forum not only promotes awareness and understanding but also drives tangible change. 

The Forum’s mission is to ensure that people with disabilities in Fife are empowered to thrive and contribute fully to society. If you would like to find out further information, you can call 07592533163 or email kirsty.byrne@scottishdisabilitysport.com. 

 

Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway 

The Ayrshire Sports Abilities Summer Activity Programme was a big event in the region. The programme provided adults with disabilities in Ayrshire with opportunities to take part in a range of inclusive sports. It was fantastic to see that there was a desire for participants to get involved in sport and physical activity throughout the region, with all sessions being incredibly well attended. 

In Dumfries and Galloway, it was exciting to see Dumfries and Galloway Disability Sport (DGDS) host their first ever awards ceremony. The event highlighted the fantastic work that took place across the region, showcased by the final award of the night which was awarded to Sandra Proudfoot.  Sandra was instrumental in setting up the Member Branch and has been a key part of the fantastic team at DGDS ever since. 

 

Tayside 

In Tayside, it was also their events that proved to be highlights, with the regional team working hard to partner with Member Branches, local, regional and national partners to deliver a fantastic calendar of events. 

2025 saw the first ever Tayside Student Team Boccia Championships, in partnership with Active Campus Coordinators, UHI Perth, Dundee & Angus College, Perth & Kinross Disability Sport and Active Dundee. The Event had 36 students with a disability from UHI Perth and Dundee & Angus College Gardyne, and Arbroath Campuses compete in a fantastic day of boccia in a friendly and supportive environment. The event also brought in HNC Sports students to gain valuable experience working with students with a disability, supported by top boccia referee Darren Thomson. 

It was a great day had by all, especially the group from Dundee Gardyne Campus who won a thrilling final to be crowned Champions for 2025. Following the success of the event, the devoted regional team are already planning for an Athletics event at UHI Perth in February. 

 

Highland 

For the Highland’s regional team, one of the many highlights is being able to watch boccia continue to grow throughout the area. It has been great to see boccia being played in more settings throughout Highland and Orkney. This has included increased participation in schools, care homes and charities, such as Myself management groups. 

Additionally, it has been great to see links being strengthened with partners. One of these partners is UHI Inverness, who are keen to help the sport grow throughout the region, which is evidenced by them committing to host the Highland Schools Regional Championships in March 2026. 

 

East of Scotland 

One of the foremost highlights has been seeing both competitive athletes and grassroot participants continue to develop in their respective sports. For Lothian Disability Sport, it has been great to see local athletes flourish on the international stage, in the form of Finlay Menzies who won a bronze medal whilst competing at the World Para Athletics Championships. Following this terrific success, Finlay has been selected for the Scottish Athletics National Academy. 

Whereas for Borders Disability Sport it has been great to see bowlers at Peebles Bowling Club continue to develop. For everyone who has managed to see their continued development, it has been fantastic to see them all grow from being players who at one point couldn’t deliver a bowl the length of the rink, to now taking part in events throughout the local area. 

 

To get involved in sport throughout your region, reach out to your local SDS Regional Development Manager to find out about any local opportunities. 

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