Tag: boccia

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.

15/07/2025

Boccia Sessions Being Delivered Across Care Homes in Shetland

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Ability Shetland, one of Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) member branches, has been working hard to deliver boccia sessions to care homes throughout the island.

These sessions are being delivered by 67-year-old Avril Starmore. The way that boccia makes people feel is her favorite thing about coaching.

“It’s about seeing the smiles on their faces when they realise they can do something. I take a ramp for the ones that are not able to hold the balls in their hands to deliver a shot. So they put the ball on a ramp and they just push it down, and you should see the smiles on their faces when they get it into the right area,” said Avril.

Avril’s infectious enthusiasm for the sport has been wearing off on many of the participants.

“They really enjoy it. When you first go in, they say, ‘I’m not playing’. Then you play a few warmup games with them and by the time you are finished, they are asking, ‘oh when are you coming back, that was good, we really enjoyed that’,” Avril commented.

Both Avril and Ability Shetland have been working hard to ensure that opportunities are being provided in rural locations throughout the region. This commitment has seen Avril travel to some of Shetland’s outer islands, Yell and Whalsay. This has been made possible for Avril through the use of her Motability Scheme car and with the help of her sponsors Kay and Kay Transport.

Avril has also enjoyed seeing the competitive side of the participants come out. Avril said: “The first time, we play about with a few wee games and then we go into it a bit more. Then by the third or fourth game they are saying, ‘right come on, we want to get right into it.’”

Avril has also been finding creative ways of getting players interested, saying, “What I have been doing this summertime is a big competition – the red team against the blue team. Everyone got a medal and then the winning team got certificates to put up on the wall. We are now going to look to do it in the next term on the lead up to Christmas.”

There are also a lot of important physiological and psychological benefits for the participants.

“They are sitting there and they are moving, even if it’s just moving their arms, and they are all talking to each other,” Avril said.

The boccia sessions are also providing a unique social experience. “I’ve found there is a big difference, all of them are talking more,” said Avril.

“When I first started going, they just sat and looked at each other. Now they are talking to each other and talking to me, all whilst they are playing.”

These positive effects that Avril has noticed, are being reinforced by staff from the seven care homes she visits. “I went to one care home yesterday, and they said, ‘can you come back on maybe a Wednesday or Thursday as we have different groups then’,” Avril said.

Avril has also noticed how staff are always eager to join in too, saying: “If there is ever an odd number, there will always be a carer joining in.”

Avril has passed her Boccia Leaders Award and is now working towards her Level 1 Boccia Coach Award. She explained how she always does her best to make her sessions as inclusive as possible.

“I will have people saying, ‘I can’t play because I can’t see’, and I will explain how I can put bright orange and white markers on the floor to help them. We make it as inclusive as possible so that there is no one sitting out.”

Avril is due to travel over to the mainland later this month, for the Scottish Learning Disability Sports National Summer Games. Fellow Shetland volunteer, Charis Scott, and a group of boccia players will accompany her.

Avril explained how the group are all excited about having an opportunity to represent the island. “They are all really looking forward to it. Two weeks’ time and we will be on the ferry.”

Good luck to the whole team.

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

02/06/2025

Volunteers’ Week: Refereeing Is A Family Affair

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

To mark National Volunteers’ Week (2nd–9th June), SDS spoke with the Thomson family, who have been dedicated volunteers in the boccia community for many years.

Every family has its own favorite hobbies and for the Thomson family, it’s all about boccia. From parents Sam and Darren to their sons Fraser and Martin, the whole family shares a passion for the sport.

Darren (52 years-old) explained what it is like to have his family involved in the sport that he has devoted 25 years to.

“I think for me, it’s just the fact that we can all do it together and be together. We are a boccia family and we do everything as a family.”

Each member of the Thomson family has got involved in the sport in different ways, with Sam (51 years-old) now being actively involved for 10 years. However, it took a bit of persuasion to get her to start: “Heather Lowden said to me, ‘do you not fancy getting your Level One (referee qualification)?’. Well, I am now a Level Three thanks to Heather’s persuasion,” Sam said.

Whereas for Martin, it came around a lot more naturally: “I was just around it constantly. I was taken along to help and I just enjoyed being around it,” the 32-year-old said.

Each member of the Thomson family enjoys a different aspect of boccia. Fraser (24-years-old) appreciates the sense of community that surrounds the sport.

“I haven’t been at a competition for some time but I will still have gifts sent to me through my mum and dad. There will still be everyone asking after me and I will be asking after them. It’s a very welcoming family (the boccia family).”

He continued to say: “Now that I am out of education, I would like to get back into it because I do really miss it. I like the atmosphere, even if it is not as a referee role it is still a great atmosphere.”

Martin enjoys the process of being involved in the technical side of the sport, often enjoying the pressure that can come with volunteering at a busy event. “I was at one of the events, and it was getting a bit hectic, and I thought, right I will step up. Just doing that makes me feel good, it makes me feel good because I am there because of what I know,” he said.

With Darren being a Level Four International Referee, he often takes up the role as head referee at competition – leading and managing the referees.

He said: “Generally, in Scotland I am the head referee at the vast majority of competitions, so it’s good to have that role where I am overseeing the family at most events and venues.”

This can make Darren’s job easier, knowing exactly what they can bring as volunteers and how passionate they are about the sport. “All three of them have done an absolutely brilliant role for me across Scotland. They’ve all stood up and done something within the sport to give something back.”

Sam shared that the family has always enjoyed refereeing and helping out at events, as each week brings new opportunities to learn. “We always say if we are coaching, if you don’t come away from a competition having learnt something, it’s not worth going to.”

She continued to say: “It doesn’t matter how long you have been doing it for, you are still learning.”

“As a family, it doesn’t matter where we are traveling home from, the journey is usually spent discussing what we have done and learnt.”

Darren explained how they still make time to talk about boccia off court. “When a new set of rules come out, we sit in the living room, with a set of boccia balls and work out, ‘right what does this actually mean’.”

Sam was quick to add: “We do actually have a life outside of boccia, just not much of one.”

It’s not just boccia that the Thomson family work closely on, with all four members either being current or former employees of Active Dundee.

Both Martin and Fraser have noticed how their experiences and time spent volunteering, has supported them during their work for Active Dundee. Influenced by Darren and Sam’s strong passion for inclusion, Martin shared his thoughts on the impact it has had: “I have been able to take that knowledge of disability sport into my work. Being in and around boccia has helped me in everyday life.”

Fraser agreed with this, saying: “When I was working for Leisure and Culture Dundee, I was a sports coach – predominantly working out in the community. We would have so many different types of people, and because of what I have grown up around, I have been able to adapt really well and easily to whoever wants to join our sessions.”

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

If you would be interested in volunteering within disability sport in Scotland, check out all the current opportunities on the SDS website, here.

If you are keen to get involved in boccia as a volunteer, coach, official or player, reach out to your Regional Development Manager or contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, by email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

SDS NATIONAL EXHIBITION EVENT

If you would be interested in finding out more about SDS and how sport and physical activity can support you, sign up to attend SDS’s first ever National Exhibition Event. The event is free and is being held at the University of Stirling on Saturday 14th June. The event will allow people from all over Scotland to interact with all elements of SDS in one place.

You can also find out more about what sporting opportunities are available in your community by contacting your Regional Development Manager. To keep up-to-date on all of the ongoing work, make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

28/04/2025

Shepherd recommits support to Scottish Disability Sport’s Boccia Development

Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has recommitted its financial support to Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) for the second year in succession to further aid boccia development throughout Scotland.

The backing from Shepherd will help fund SDS’s ongoing commitment to providing opportunities for people of all abilities to try and participate in boccia across the country.

Ian Fergusson, Senior Partner at Shepherd, said: “Having seen first-hand the benefits of SDS’s inspirational boccia programme, we’re delighted to recommit our financial support for this hugely inclusive sport which caters for all abilities, and look forward to continue to play an active part in the growth of this popular sport throughout Scotland.”

Acting as the Scottish Governing Body for boccia, SDS is continually campaigning to make the sport accessible for all, providing clear pathways to engage in the sport in both urban and rural areas of Scotland.

Currently Scotland has 36 boccia opportunities which allows over 720 people to enjoy the game of boccia. To make this happen there are over 199 volunteers who support these opportunities. These volunteers are vital in supporting the athletes thrive and develop.

“SDS is delighted to receive this recommitment of funding support from Shepherd Chartered Surveyors”, said Gavin MacLeod, SDS Chief Executive.

“Financial support of this nature goes a long way to allowing us to offer more players with disabilities access to this fantastic Paralympic sport. Funding will be used to enhance access to training and competition for players across Scotland. Our thanks go to everyone at Shepherd Chartered Surveyors.”

If you would be interested in trying out boccia, please contact your Regional Development Manager to find out what opportunities are available in your region.

Alternatively, you can reach out to 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.

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

24/03/2025

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 has been selected to train alongside the Tayside regional team. This has resulted in her being coached by some of the best available coaches, such as Darren and Sam Thomson. 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.”

Overall, Rachael feels like this training has helped her, commenting that, “Joining the Tayside regional squad has helped me a lot.

“Playing boccia makes me feel happy. I get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”

One of Rachael’s favorite elements of the game is the social aspect.

“I enjoy it and it’s a good way of socialising and making friends with new people,” Rachael said. This aspect of the sport has been heightened recently when attending a SDS event. “I went to a women and girls event one month ago and I made a friend with a young lady called Marina who plays boccia in Annan,” she said.

Rachael went on to comment: “It was really good because we got to meet loads of different people from adults to young children. It was also nice just seeing the different ways of playing boccia, I think it is amazing.”

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.”

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 your Regional Development Manager to find out what opportunitis are available in your region.

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

18/03/2025

Scots Bag Gold and Two Silvers at DSNI Boccia Challenger

Three players headed over to Antrim (Northern Ireland) to represent Scotland at the DSNI Boccia Challenger event over the weekend (15-16 March).

Both Alex Medley (Perth and Kinross) and Kayleigh Brown (Ayrshire) played in the BC2 category whilst Fiona Muirhead (South Lanarkshire) competed in the BC4.

It was a great first day (Saturday 15th) from the Scots over in Northern Ireland. Alex remained undefeated throughout his first three games, taking the win over James Clowes (3-1), fellow Scot Kayleigh (7-4) and Tomas Martin (5-3).

Kayleigh and Fiona both took two wins and one loss to keep them right in the hunt for their respective titles ahead of their Sunday fixtures. Kayleigh got the better over Sian Jones (16-0) and Scott Cromie (8-0), whilst Fiona beat William Auld (10-1) and Lewis Crawford (3-1), losing her final game 2-3 to Jayne Milligan.

Sunday (16th) saw the conclusion of the Disability Sport NI Boccia Challenger event at Antrim Forum Leisure Centre. The three Scottish Players came into the day with strong chances at winning medals and duly delivered.

In the BC2 classification, Alex followed up on the previous day’s undefeated showing to take home the title by producing an 8-4 win over Scott Cromie and a 5-2 win over Sian Jones.

Kayleigh ensured it would be a Scottish one-two on the podium with her own very fine displays in her victories over James Clowes (4-1) and Tomas Martin (12-0). A brilliant display over the weekend from both players.

In the BC4 classification, Fiona continued her own strong performances with a very measured and composed victory over the previously undefeated Penny Froude (4-1). This result meant the top three athletes had all beaten each other and the medals would be decided on points difference. Subsequently, Fiona narrowly missed out on gold but took home a well-earned silver medal on her return to competition.

Further congratulations must go to the strong contingent of Scottish officials that travelled over to assist in the running of the event. They all performed brilliantly over the weekend.

Full Result –

BC1

1st – Richard Armstrong (England)

2nd – Rachel Bailey (Wales)

3rd – Darryl Pie (Northern Ireland)

BC2

1st – Alex Medley (Scotland/P&K)

2nd – Kayleigh Brown (Scotland /Ayrshire)

3rd – Thomas Martin (Wales)

BC3

1st – Rafael Young / David Ellis (England)

2nd – Lee Madison / Chris Foster (England)

3rd – Robyn McBride / Davy McBride (Northern Ireland)

BC4

1st – Penny Froude (England)

2nd – Fiona Muirhead (Scotland/South Lanarkshire)

3rd – Jayne Milligan (Northern Ireland)

25/02/2025

Women and Girls in Boccia Day 2025

By Charlotte, Events Administrator

A fantastic day of boccia was held on Saturday 8^th February 2025 at UHI Perth which saw 23 individuals from Dumfries and Galloway all the way up to Aberdeen attending to participate in a fun and positive environment! The Women and Girls in Boccia day aims to encourage any women and girls with a physical or learning disability into the sport, so they can become more active, have fun and socialise. There is also the opportunity to partake in local and national competitions if they wish to progress further in the sport.

The event was coached and supported by women coaches and officials with three guest speakers. The day consisted of lots of fun skills and drills, and this was a good opportunity to network with other female boccia players and officials about their journey into boccia.

We were fortunate enough to be joined on the day by an expert panel for a question-and-answer session. The 3-person strong panel consisted of Claire Morrison, Sam Thomson and Charlotte Medley. Boccia UK coach Claire has a wealth of experience within the sport and recently coached leading Scottish athlete Kayleigh Brown to a Paralympic quarter-final despite Kayleigh only competing in the sport for 3 years. Meanwhile Sam Thomson has become one of the UK’s leading boccia officials regular attending competitions all over the country to support the competitions pathway at all levels. Finally, Charlotte Medley shared her range of experiences as a sibling-turned volunteer coach and official. All 3 shared their stories of their involvement in boccia, and different opportunities that boccia has provided for them. The main discussion highlighted that boccia becomes like a family where you are supported by others no matter who you are or where you are on your boccia journey. Boccia is a family and when you are taking part in boccia you are not someone’s sister, wife or daughter but you are your OWN PERSON.

After the question-and-answer session we moved onto games of boccia, during this some of our participants gave officiating a game of boccia a go and wow they were good!

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our event sponsor Shepard Charted Surveyors. This day would not have been possible without their generous support. Thank you to all the players and volunteers who attended this event, we can’t wait to see everyone in our boccia community again soon.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to SDS if you would like to find out more about getting involved and trying boccia. Email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com

24/02/2025

Ling Mann Enjoying the Social Aspects of Boccia

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

Ling Mann has been involved in boccia for over fifteen years. One of her favorite elements of the sport is how social it can be and the way that the sport brings all of the boccia community together.

Ling has noticed the social side of the sport come to fruition in the past few years as the club she leads (Dumfries and Galloway boccia club) has grown. Ling explained this: “They are that keen to be together, whenever I put out information about a boccia competition, they respond and it is filled up within one or two hours. They all just love going away.”

“We are right down here at the bottom of Scotland and we travel all the way up to Aberdeen, Perth and Dundee.”

Along with training, playing and travelling, Ling and the rest of the club are finding new ways to socialise outside of the sport. “Next weekend we are all going ten pin bowling down in Carlisle. We have 54 athletes, parents and carers all going ten pin bowling together.”

“We just love the social side.”

The social boccia club is proving to also have an impact on the wider community. “It’s not just the athletes that love going out and showing off their sport, it’s the parents and carers as well. One of our athletes’ grandparents are making paddles and calipers for us.”

Ling first started coaching boccia after attending a Boccia Leaders Course, as she wanted to get the local disability group in Dumfries and Galloway involved in the sport.

Boccia is a very inclusive sport, “everyone can play it”, said Ling.

“I always encourage my parents, carers, whoever comes along to play alongside us, just so they know what it feels like.”

“I feel it’s very inclusive and everyone that I’ve taught, loves it.”

Ling is now a qualified referee in boccia and even this role proves to be very sociable, commenting: “The refereeing group have become a family as well.”

“When we meet up, it’s always about how good it is to see each other and that the ‘family’ is back together.”

She continued to say, “we are all going over to Ireland in March to referee. There is seven of us going over from Scotland.”

Outside of the social elements of the sport, Ling gets great pleasure from seeing participants develop. She said: “Winning medals is great but seeing them [players] achieve things is great.”

“It’s about seeing people come in to participate and knowing that it is fun for everyone.”

Although Ling is travelling over to Ireland this year, it is not the first time sport has provided her with opportunities to travel as part of a team. “I even got over to Abu Dhabi for the Special Olympics. that was for bocce, but I got there through boccia [as part of the support team]. I would not have got over there to represent Great Britain if it wasn’t for boccia.”

If you would like to attend Dumfries and Galloway Boccia club to gain all of the social benefits, contact Dianne Campbell (the Regional Development Manager for that area).

If you stay outside of Dumfries and Galloway, you can find out what boccia opportunities are available in your local area, by contacting your Regional Development Manager.

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.

10/02/2025

Meet SDS’ New Events Administrator, Charlotte Askham

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

Passionate about disability sport and providing opportunities for all, Charlotte Askham is the latest addition to the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) cohort, joining the events team alongside Josh Thomson (Events Manager) and Kirsty Byrne (Events Administrator).

Charlotte is a current member of the Young Persons’ Sport Panel (YPSP). Although Charlotte has only recently joined SDS, she is familiar with the events programme after playing a key role in the delivery throughout 2024. Helping out with events was an opportunity that came through being part of the YPSP, an experience Charlotte regards as being very beneficial: “I’ve definitely come a long way from where I started. I was very shy and didn’t want to put myself up for things and now I am putting myself down for anything that comes up.”

Opportunities to get involved in SDS events and develop your skills, is something that Charlotte believes to be a key benefit of sitting on the YPSP.

She said: “Half the stuff I have done, like going to conferences, helping with events, being that first person you see when you come to an event, that was quite scary at the start, but through working with the panel and working with other people and doing these opportunities, it has definitely helped in learning new skills.”

“If it wasn’t for the panel I wouldn’t have done half of this,” said Charlotte.

Charlotte also explained that there is a social benefit to the panel: “We just get on so well, even if we don’t see each other all the time, we still pick up conversations. It’s just amazing.”

Charlotte was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome when she was in school. This diagnosis resulted in her joining the Young Start programme, which provided her with the chance to gain new skills and further her love for sport.

“I am passionate about disability sport because I was new to having a disability so that’s why I wanted to join the YPSP and the Young Start programme to kickstart my coaching journey,” Charlotte explained.

Along with helping with events, Charlotte has become a key member of SDS member branch, Forth Valley Disability Sport, by regularly volunteering.

“One day something just clicked and I knew that I had found my people and my passion for disability sport. I am involved with a lot of ASN/Disability sport sessions and events with Forth Valley Disability Sport and Falkirk Active Schools. It gives me a buzz that I am working in an area that I absolutely love working in. The same goes for working with SDS.”

“From day one I knew these were my people and that’s where I belonged and I can’t thank the whole team enough for everything they have done to help and support me on this journey,” said Charlotte.

Moving forward, Charlotte is excited to join the team: “I’m definitely looking forward to working at more events and getting stuck in with the team.”

If you also would be interested in getting involved with SDS’ events, make sure to register your initial interest to become a volunteer or camper at this year’s Summer Camp. The Summer Camp provides both participants and volunteers with some fantastic opportunities to get involved in a week of fun and adventure throughout the Scottish Highlands, the camp takes place at Badaguish, near Aviemore, from the 9th – 11th July. To become a volunteer make sure to register your interest by the 28th of February, and likewise to take your first step towards becoming a camper, register your interest by the 23rd of March.

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

28/01/2025

The Power of Boccia: Duncan McIntyre’s Story

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

Sport offers everyone something different. For Duncan McIntyre, sport has provided him with so much: from competing in local matches in Tayside to playing in national from travelling around Scotland to playing in national competitions and travelling around Scotland.

One of the most significant benefits that boccia has provide Duncan with, is the opportunity to socialise and to gain the many benefits that being part of a club can offer.

Duncan is 63 years old and had a stroke approximately eleven years ago. In the aftermath of this, Duncan wanted to still push himself and experience the physical and psychological benefits that sport and physical activity can provide.

This resulted in Duncan being introduced to Perth Eagles Boccia Club and a boccia group called the Sparks. Duncan explained, “I went to the Sparks and they introduced me to boccia. I am very grateful for this”.

Through playing boccia, Duncan has seen a real increase in his opportunities to become physically active and socialise. “I play once a week with the Eagles and on a Saturday with the Sparks for team games.”

“I like being part of a team, it is nice.”

Duncan believes that his introduction to boccia has played an important role in his social life, commenting: “I am a lot more social through boccia”.

One of the many attributes a club can provide is managing to create a collective group of individuals with similar interests. This is certainly something that Duncan has found, saying: “There is a great group of people.”

Graeme Doig, the Regional Development Manager for Tayside and Branch Coordinator for Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) Member Branch, Perth and Kinross Disability Sport, expanded by saying, “Perth Eagles boccia club offers local opportunities for people with disabilities to come together to get active in the sport of boccia. We have worked hard to create a culture and sense of belonging at the club where everyone is welcome and encouraged to meet new people, learn new skills, gain confidence and most importantly, have fun.”

Alongside meeting fellow players throughout the Tayside region, Duncan has had the opportunity to meet and compete against some of the country’s finest boccia players. “I’ve actually met Stephen McGuire, I played him at Inverclyde”, Duncan said. Meeting the now BC4 Paralympic champion has been a highlight for Duncan.

“It’s a good experience to meet these kinds of guys.”

A further highlight for Duncan came this year, when he became the 2024 SDS National non-BISFed Open Champion, where he came out trumps in the Senior Athletes with a physical disability competition.

Duncan has found himself traveling over Scotland competing in boccia, saying: “I’ve been to Dumfries and I have been to Aberdeen.” Similarly to the 2024 non BISFED Scottish Open, Duncan didn’t leave empty handed. “I got a silver in Aberdeen and me and Alex (Meddley) got gold in Dumfries”, Duncan explained.

Alongside the social aspects of boccia, Duncan has found himself gaining far more from the sport. “There are the physical benefits as well. When I had my stroke, I could only use one hand. It has made it stronger”, said Duncan.

The continued development of Duncan is something that Graeme Doig has also noticed. “It’s been amazing to see Duncan’s progress over the years with us, he’s always had that competitive edge about his play. When he started, I could see his potential straight away and to be crowned National Boccia Champion in 2024 was an incredible achievement and fantastic recognition for all his dedication and hard work he puts into his sport.” Graeme said, before adding: “Duncan is a very popular member of Perth Eagles and with fellow competitors across the country with his friendly, caring and supportive approach.”

To find out more about boccia opportunities throughout your area, reach out to the SDS Boccia Development Manager Jonathan Kennedy on, jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

To find out what other sporting opportunities are available throughout your area, reach out to your Regional Development Manager.

To keep up to date on the latest disability sport news and opportunities across Scotland, follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, Instagram and X.