Tag: scotland

24/01/2025

Participants Wanted to Trial Children’s Prosthetic Knee

A group of researchers at Imperial College London are seeking participants to provide feedback on a new prosthetic knee for children globally.

They have been working hard with children and teenagers all over the world to understand what changes are wanted for a new affordable prosthetic knee. They want to make sure every child has access to a prosthetic limb no matter where they live.

They have made a new knee design with exciting new features in different sizes. Therefore, if you are a child or teenager with lower limb loss above or through the knee joint, they want to hear from you.

For more information and to express your interest in getting involved, please refer to this accessible document, here.

Please note that if you are accepted as a participant, all your travel expenses, including any necessary hotel stays in London, will be covered. This would include any expenses for parents and children attending.

Further information about the researches involved in the project, is available here:

17/01/2025

Hollie Fullerton Joins SDS as New YPSP Administrator

Committed to influencing change across Scotland, meet the new Young Person’s Sports Panel Administrator: Hollie Fullerton.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

Hollie Fullerton joins the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) team, taking up the role as the new Young Person’s Sports Pannel (YPSP) Administrator. This is an exciting opportunity for Hollie – who is a current member of the YPSP – who is committed to influencing disability sport across Scotland. They said: “It’s been something I’ve always been passionate about but it’s only been really recently that I’ve been like, this is what I am here to do, this is what I want to do.”

Hollie starts their new role with lots of knowledge of what it is like to be a panel member, which gives them a real appreciation of the strengths and benefits of the panel. “I feel like I have gained so much from being around the panel, hearing everybody’s stories and their experiences in sport they have great knowledge and experience, it’s such a great place to be.”

Furthermore, they said: “My main goal for the panel is to really keep everyone engaged and to make sure that everyone is getting the most out of it, making sure that it is really led by them and directed by them.”

Something else that Hollie is keen to keep the panel engaged with is Euan’s Guide. Euan’s Guide is an organisation which helps promote accessible facilities, through individuals leaving reviews once they have visited and used them. This is something that Hollie and the rest of the YPSP are incredibly keen to promote with the hope that more knowledge and awareness of inclusive and accessible sport and leisure facilities will result in more individuals being able to become physically active.

“I think it is the kind of thing that we could all be doing. It’s nice to have done the process myself so I can say that it’s not difficult.”

Hollie continued to say, “I think there are so many things that would make things more accessible for everybody and so many little changes that would make everybody feel more included.”

Euan’s Guide can help individuals know about the accessibility of various areas and aspects of a facility. “It’s really good for people who have physical adaptations and are needing to know if there are certain requirements.”

Hollie joins SDS with lots of experience of working in disability sport, through several volunteering and coaching events.

“Before I knew I had autism, I was involved with disability sports as a coach, at a grass roots level called All Stars.” For Hollie, this formed the basis of their learning and coaching philosophy.

“It totally shaped me. It was my first coaching job”, Hollie said. The organisational values and purposes of Beeslack All Stars Disabled Sports Club helped Hollie understand what is important about sports and how it can be such a social network for members. “The main thing with All Stars that made it so infectious was that it had whole families involved. Parents and siblings would get to come along as well. It just had a really nice feel to it. Everybody was welcome, it was all hands-on deck.” 

As well as their role with the YPSP, Hollie works for LEAP Sports Scotland as a Training and Development Officer. This has resulted with Hollie joining SDS with a wealth of knowledge, including delivering LGBTQIA+ active inclusion training/information sessions. These sessions provide best practice guidance for including LGBTQIA+ people in sport, as well as helpful terminology to understand and explain the barriers to sport many LGBTQIA+ people can experience.

This is something that Hollie feels passionate about and something they feel like they can add with their own personal experience. “Being non-binary, I found it quite hard to find my place in sport which is so often unnecessarily gender-segregated and so it feels really important to me to be able, and trusted by LEAP, to educate others on trans-inclusive sport in particular. Since I have had personal experience of making some big inclusivity changes in student sport already, I think that set me up well to speak about how easy it can sometimes be to make an environment not just accepting but properly welcoming”, said Hollie.

This role with LEAP Sport is something that Hollie feels can positively impact their role with the SDS YPSP.

If you would be interested in finding out more about Euan’s Guide and how to leave a review, you can do so by visiting their website.

If you are looking for an adventure this summer, registration is now open for SDS’s annual Summer Camp: participant form and volunteer form.

To keep up-to-date on all of SDS’s ongoing work. Make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, Instagram andX.

08/01/2025

Scottish Cerebral Palsy Football Squad Awards

Recognition, celebration, and forward planning were all key themes at the inaugural Cerebral Palsy Football Squad Awards Event at the Xcite Linlithgow venue on Saturday 14^th December. 49 people attended to witness the first awards presented to senior and development squad players as well as volunteers and fundraisers. Squad sponsor, Coca-Cola, was recognised and thanked for their invaluable support and sponsorship throughout the season and what a season that was!

After becoming IFCPF World Champions, the Scottish Squad is now placed within the top 16 in the world. Head coach, Billy McAdam, congratulated and thanked all players, coaches, parents, support staff and sponsors for all their support during 2024.

The Development Squad and Senior Squad Players were given commmemorative medals before the main awards were presented. Award winners are listed below:

Supporter of the Year Andy Millership

Fundraiser of the Year Caroline and Arthur Moore

Outstanding Service Award Coach, David Wilson

Best Newcomer Will Graham

Young Player of the Year Logan Smith

Goal of the Season Mathew Wynne

Players Player of the Year Martin Hickman

Player of the Year Jamie Mitchell

The following players were also recognised for the number of international appearances made:

25 International Appearances

Chris Moore

Kerr McKenzie

Lewis McIntyre

50 International Appearances

Blair Glynn

Jamie Mitchell

Martin Hickman

100 International Appearances

Jonathan Paterson

Mark Robertson

08/01/2025

Glasgow 2026 Announces Senior Team for Commonwealth Games

The Glasgow 2026 Organising Company has today announced the executive team who will lead the organisation to deliver the 23rd Commonwealth Games in the summer of 2026.

Phil Batty has been appointed Chief Executive Officer to deliver the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games alongside a senior team with a wealth of expertise and experience
of delivering major sporting events in Scotland. Jade Gallagher has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer; Faye Shaw, joins as Chief Financial and Corporate Services Officer; Louisa Mahon joins as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer; and Martin Fitchie joins as Chief Information Officer.

Glasgow 2026 will take place from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026 and feature a 10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor of the
city. The Games are being delivered by the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland.

Batty joins Glasgow 2026 with a strong and impressive track record in major event delivery having previously been Director of Ceremonies, Culture & Queen’s Baton Relay for the
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In his role as CEO of SKYMAGIC, a world-leading drone light show business, Batty has worked internationally to deliver a programme of
global shows and events. He brings significant experience of realising the social impact from events, having held senior positions for the UK City of Culture programme and as
Board member of Spirit of 2012, the London Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Funder.

Batty is looking forward to leading Glasgow 2026, “I am absolutely thrilled to be appointed as Chief Executive of the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company, for what is set to be a unique
and truly special Games. Glasgow and Scotland have such a strong reputation in delivering world-class major events and I am confident we will be a brilliant host for the 23rd
Commonwealth Games.

“Delivering the Games is a team effort, which will bring over £100m of inward investment into the city, and I am looking forward to working with such a hugely talented workforce,
experienced network of suppliers, partners, and local communities to bring the vision for Glasgow 2026 to life.

“Delivering at pace and without public funding, means that we, as an Organising Company, and our partners, need to think differently and innovatively. Glasgow 2026 will be fuelled by
the legacy of 2014 – venues, talent and expertise – and of course the world-renowned Glasgow welcome. As we prepare for next year, we are determined to create an accessible
and inclusive Games for both local communities and international visitors alike.”

Jade Gallagher joins Glasgow 2026 as Chief Operating Officer, having formerly been Championships Director of the hugely successful World Athletics Indoor Championships
held in Glasgow last year, and having held senior event operations roles at Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council, including working on the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships,
COP26, the 2018 European Championships and Festival 2014 as part of the previous Commonwealth Games in the city.

Louisa Mahon joins the Organising Company as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer from Renfrewshire Council, where she was Head of Marketing, Communications and
Events. Louisa was a member of the Council’s Corporate Management Team and directed cultural regeneration in Renfrewshire, including leading the campaign for Paisley’s Bid for
UK’s City of Culture in 2021.

Faye Shaw, who was Managing Director of Serco Business Services and CFO of VIVO Defence Services, has significant commercial, operational and financial expertise and will oversee
the corporate services of Glasgow 2026.

Martin Fitchie brings a wealth of Games expertise to Glasgow 2026, having worked as the Head of Results Technology Services for Glasgow 2014 and subsequently across a wide
range of multi-sport events and championships in Scotland. Martin has been a key part of the working group that developed the Glasgow 2026 concept, and has a deep knowledge of all the excellent work undertaken to date to prepare venues in the city for major events and for 2026, ensuring continuity of planning and enabling the Organising Company to continue to move quickly and build on the strong foundations and business collectively set in motion.

George Black CBE, Chair of the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company, said; ‘We welcome Phil, Jade, Louisa, Faye and Martin, to their new roles on the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company
executive team. This is a hugely talented and experienced major events team, and I am looking forward to working closely with them bring the vision for Glasgow 2026 to life.

“We have brought together a passionate and skilled team with a real mix of experience to ensure that we will deliver the best possible Games for the people of Glasgow, Scotland
and the Commonwealth.”

Katie Sadleir NZOM, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Federation said; “We are delighted that the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company has secured such an experienced
senior leadership team to help deliver the Games, and we look forward to working closely with Phil and his colleagues. Having the leadership team in place is an important milestone
as we continue our journey with confidence towards Glasgow 2026.’

02/01/2025

A year to remember; some of 2024’s best moments across Scotland

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

What a year it has been for disability sport across Scotland, with a dedicated team of nine SDS Regional Development Managers working hard to create inclusive, engaging and fun sporting opportunities across the country. Here are some of the regional team’s highlights:

For Perth and Kinross it has been a exciting year watching up-and-coming athletes develop. This can be seen with Alex Medley who has been supported through the boccia performance pathway, winning the Scottish Championships and Scottish Open in 2024 in the BC2 category. He has recently been selected for the Scotland boccia squad for 2025.

For Dumfries and Galloway, watching Kayleigh Brown (nee Haggo) achieve her life long dream of competing at the Paralympic Games, has to be the highlight of the year. Kayleigh attended Parasport Festivals when she was in school. Earlier this year they were all delighted to see Ayrshire Sportsability’s Co-Chair Kayleigh, as she competed in her Paralympic debut in Paris 2024, where she put in a strong performance, making it through to both the BC2 Individual and BC1/2 Team quarter finals.

Throughout many of the regions the Parasport Festivals will always be a highlight.

Fife hosted their very first Parasport Festival, which took place in March, with 42 out of the 48 participants having never attended any Parasport festival before. This included eight people who do not fully participate in PE at school. For everyone involved it was an extremely memorable day.

In the West of Scotland, the Parasport Festival played another pivotal role in the region. The Parasport Festival also took place in March. It was a great day where 13 different sports were delivered to over 100 children from the West of Scotland. A particular highlight from the day was when a young boy who had never played wheelchair basketball was talent spotted and invited to join the national academy. He is still continuing to flourish in the Basketball Scotland set up.

In the East of Scotland, the Parasport Festival was another memorable day in the calendar. This was a highlight due to it being a fantastic way to bring so many partner organisations together such as clubs, governing bodies and Active schools. The day provided a great way for young people to meet and spend time together, for parents to chat and for staff to see the endless amount of opportunities out there. The region can’t wait until 2025.

For Highland and Orkney, the successful Parasport festivals that were held throughout the year will forever be memorable; with multiple festivals being delivered in 2024, including ones in Grantown on Spey, Lochaber and Orkney.  For everyone involved across the region and on the day, it was such a joy to see young people exploring and enjoying sport.

For Grampian and Shetland, it has been a great year seeing the clubs’ develop. The uptake of Grampian Inclusive Cycling Bothies has been great. The club has worked so hard this year to secure funding for new adaptive bikes and each session they seem to gain more participants of all ages and abilities.

The continued development of Hamilton Judo Club has been a landmark achievement in South Lanarkshire’s year. The club and partners were so pleased to celebrate the completion of the 2024 Inclusion Development Programme. With a special shoutout going to the amazing participants from Fairhill & Stonehouse. A particular highlight for the region and the club came recently where, after a brilliant session, everyone was delighted to see them presented with certificates for their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm.

For Central Scotland some of the events that have gone on throughout the region have been highlights. A particular regional highlight came on May 5th when they hosted a two-day Tennis Festival, working in partnership with East Dumbartonshire Leisure and Culture East Dumbartonshire Leisure and Culture, Tennis Scotland and the Sporting Aces. This festival, for children and adults at the Nuffield Health Club in Milngavie, provided lots of individuals with an opportunity to try tennis and socialise.

If you would like to get involved in your region throughout 2025 you can do so by contacting your Regional Development Manager. If you have enjoyed reading about the Parasport Festivals, make sure to keep an eye on the SDS website, with registration opening for 2025’s festivals soon.

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.

27/12/2024

Boccia 2024 Recap: A Year of Sport

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

What a year it has been for boccia across Scotland. Throughout the year, events, partnership working and sponsorships along with new playing opportunities and developing clubs have all played a factor in increasing the interest in this rising sport.

EVENTS

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) would like to thank all coaches, volunteers, officials and athletes for the role that they have played in the event schedule this year. It would not have been possible without their ongoing support.

SCOTTISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The national events calendar kicked off on March 20th, with the Scottish Schools Championship. The event went well and there was no drop in the number of entries from the inaugural championship (in 2023). It was a great day at The Peak, Stirling, with branches being able to showcase their talent and put forward the same representation as previous years.

Across the day there was some great boccia on display, with athletes keen to come up trumps in all classifications. Starting with athletes with an Assistive Device, gold went to Sophia Walsh, silver to Ellie MacLaren and bronze to Logan Millar. In the athletes with a Learning Disability classification, gold went to Eleanor Little, silver to Scott Chafey and bronze being won by Kate Burton. In the final classification, athletes with a Physical Disability, Layla McCloskey came out on top to take the gold medal, followed by Emma McManamon with silver and bronze going to James O’Brien.

SCOTTISH OPEN

Next up was the Scottish Open, which took place on the 5th October. It was a great championship with athletes from all over Scotland coming together to showcase their respective boccia abilities.

In the BC2, Perth and Kinross’s Alex Medley came out victorious, winning gold. Kayleigh Brown (nee Haggo) finished second and bronze was awarded to Lewis McConnell.

In the BC3, gold went to Paralympics GB’s Patrick Wilson and Meredith Greenwood. In second place and picking up the silver prize was the duo of Ross MacNeil and Stewart MacNeil.

In the BC4, gold went to Paralympic champion Stephen McGuire. Silver was won by Tyler McLelland with bronze going to Fiona Muirhead

The Open had a Development Draw which acted as a further opportunity to develop young talent across Scotland. The event also enabled up-and-coming athletes to experience a national tournament, which gave them valuable exposure.

In the Development Draw, the Physical Disability Competition gold went to James O’Brien, silver to Murrin Widley and bronze being won by Layla McCloskey.

In the Development Draw, Assistive Device Competition, gold went to Zac Cameron and Kevin Davidson, silver to Ellie McLaren and Lisa Mclaren, and finishing in bronze was Caoimhe Potter and Katie Macmillan.

SDS NATIONAL NON BISFED SCOTTISH OPEN

Next up was the SDS National Non BISFed Scottish Open. The event took place on October 26th, with athletes from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland competing.

Starting in the athletes who use an assistive device competition the Scotts had a strong Showing, with Ross & Stewart MacNeil winning gold with Becky and Fiona Tyler winning the silver.  The junior athletes with a physical disability winner was Oliver Hastings from England with silver going to Emma McManamon and bronze to James O’Brien.

Next up was the Senior athletes with a physical disability. The winner was Duncan McIntyre, silver was won by Connor Dixon.

The female Learning disability Champion was Sarah Digby, with silver going to Zoe Irving and bronze won by Casey Wilson. The event finished with the male learning disability competition. The champion being Hayden Keir, silver going to Jordan Shepherd and the bronze medal going to Jean Pierre Cossigny.

UK CHAMPIONSHIPS

On the 15th of November the UK Championships began. Taking place at the renowned facilities owned by Sportscotland at Largs, Inverclyde. It was a great championships with 39 players arriving on the west coast of Scotland in a bid to come out victorious. The day had 7 Scottish athletes. With Paralympic trio winning medals. Winning BC3 Gold was Patrick Wilson. Finishing on top in the BC4 and taking home Gold was Stephen McGuire. Kayleigh Brown had another strong compitition and finished Silver in the BC2.

BOCCIA DEVELOPMENT DAY

The Inaugural Invitational Boccia Development Day took place on the 30th of November. This day saw five of Scotland’s up and coming athletes being invited along to learn from two of Scotland’s most prolific boccia coaches from the national set up. The day served a purpose of getting young athletes and providing them with an opportunity to develop their skills and abilities, with a possibility that this will result in the athletes being able to continue along the national performance pathway.

PARIS 2024 PARALYMPICS

The Paralympics took place from the 28th August to 5th September. Three Scots were selected to represent ParalympicsGB: Kayleigh Brown, Patrick (Paddy) Wilson and Stephen McGuire.

What a Paralympics this was, with Kayleigh Brown achieving her childhood dream and becoming the Paralympian she always wanted to be. Kayleigh put in a really strong showing throughout the group stages and was defeated in the Individual BC2 quarter finals, 8 – 2 by Gischa Zayana. In the BC1/2 team competition Kayleigh Brown was joined by Claire Taggart and David Smith. The team had a good run to take them through to the quarter finals. Despite being down early in the match the trio battled back to take the game down to a nail-biting finish where they were beaten by the BC1/2 Indonesian team in a 7 – 7 tie break.

Paddy Wilson qualified for the Paralympics through a bipartite slot. Paddy put in an impressive showing in the group stages to finish in second place. However, Paddy was defeated in the quarter finals despite a strong performance, going down 4 – 1 to Damien Iskrzycki.

It will be hard to forget about BC4 athlete, Stephen McGuire’s tournament. From qualifying through a bipartite slot, to being the first Scottish athlete to win a Paralympic medal in boccia. A dream he has waited 20 years to fulfill.

Stephen wasn’t the only McGuire making waves out in Paris with brother Peter commentating in the BC4 final, giving all the McGuires a moment to look back on with pride.

NATIONAL BOCCIA DAY

National Boccia day took place on 27th of September. The day saw each home nation pick their own theme to engage the boccia community. SDS chose to raise the topic of communities. Boccia plays a vital role in growing and connecting communities, from friendships to support networks. Throughout the day, SDS member branches, clubs, athletes, volunteers and officials all showed how the community of boccia has impacted them.

SPONSORSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP

In 2024, Scottish boccia had a first by receiving financial support from Shepherd Chartered Surveyors. This was provided to support further 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.

Throughout 2024, SDS have continued to work with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland. The organisation has worked hard to develop the sport of boccia within their network to ensure that more individuals can continue to gain the psychological and physiological benefits of boccia. Currently the organisation has got over 300 regular participants playing boccia in their bases, with 20 boccia sessions being delivered within their peer groups.

SDS made decent progress in 2024, in the education sector. Working alongside the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA), updates were made to the list of activities in which young people can assessed as part of their PE qualifications at National 3 through to Advanced Higher level in school.

This has resulted in school pupils throughout the 2024 -25 school year being able to have their performance assessed in Paralympic sports such as boccia, goalball and other wheelchair, powerchair and Parasport activities.

CLUBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

In 2024 Forth Vally Right on Target boccia club were made an associate member club of SDS. This was due to the club continuing to provide a service that is up to date with relevant legislations, policies and procedures. Furthermore, the club committed to continually meeting SDS’s minimum operating requirements.

Throughout 2024 SDS has received feedback from organisations, about the rising popularity of boccia. This can be seen by the work that Scottish Student Sport have put into developing a strong playing base; with boccia being their fifth most popular sport in 2024, with 181 sessions and over 2000 participants taking part across their associated Universities and Colleges.

The popularity, interest and demand for boccia has continued to grow throughout 2024. The 2023-2024 boccia audit showed that there is currently 39 opportunities to get involved in boccia. These opportunities are found within 18 local authorities across Scotland.

If you would be interested in finding out more about these 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

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

18/12/2024

John Dambrosio Finalist for UK Coaching Awards

Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion are so proud that our Head of Coaching Development, John Dambrosio was nominated and chosen as a finalist of the UK Coaching Awards Change a Life category. This is quite a remarkable accolade and achievement as John was the only Judo Coach to make the finalists in all categories and was also the only Scots person in all categories.

Most pleasing is that the nomination came outwith Judo by South Lanarkshire Disability Sport in recognition of the great work this year that John and his team have completed through the Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion Development Programme for Disability / ASN and Social Care Groups which was featured early in JS Facebook.

30/11/2024

Gemma Lumsdaine on High Performance and Active Representation

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

For Gemma Lumsdaine performing at the highest level has always been a goal. That is what made it even more special when she got a phone call from her coach to let her know that she was going to be part of the Great Britain Women’s Wheelchair Rugby team.

“I was crying down the phone to the coach, just so much happiness about the whole thing and obviously pride as well. I’ve always wanted to represent Great Britain since I’ve been very young, it’s always been a goal of mine.”

Gemma found out that she would be representing Great Britain in wheelchair rugby at the Women’s Cup three weeks ago. This was the second time that she would be representing the home nations after she contributed to the team winning the same tournament last year, which will provide a further bit of pressure for the team. With the clock ticking down to the tournament kicking off in early December, Gemma has been hearing lots from family and friends.

“Yeah, everyone has been really excited around me, you know when you’re an athlete it’s not just you that is getting selected or goes through the highs and lows, it’s your family, your friends, your coaching team, we just experience everything together. I think they are just really excited for me to get out there and be with the women and retain our title from last year hopefully.” Gemma explained.

She is equally as excited and proud to be there and represent Scotland, saying: “It’s just me, I am the only Scot in the team, so I am flying the flag, everyone else is English so I am flying the flag for the Celts.”

With wheelchair rugby being a predominantly mixed gender sport there isn’t always the same opportunities to provide young disabled women with active representation. This is something that Gemma is really excited for.

“I’m also really passionate about getting women and girls into sport, especially disabled women and the intersectionality of it. I think it’s really important and special in many ways”, s said.

Having this representation is something that Gemma is really passionate about and something that she views as being paramount: “Of course it’s about you know, pushing yourself and achieving my goals, but it’s bigger than that, it’s about actually showing young disabled women who are struggling with their identity or not sure if they are sporty, not sure of what they can achieve with their disability, but showing they can.”

Over the coming years Gemma is keen to continue along the performance pathway. “Ultimately my goal is and has been to compete at the highest level, for example the Paralympics is the highest level, equally there is the Worlds and Europeans (championships), and that is a longer-term goal that I am setting my sights on.”

“It’s a long journey, these things don’t come over night, there are setbacks and highs and lows, it’s working towards being the best athlete I can be.”

If you have enjoyed hearing Gemma’s story and are keen to find out what sporting opportunities are available near to you, so you can start on your own journey in disability sport, contact your Regional Development Manager. SDS would like to wish Gemma the very best of luck in France.

29/11/2024

The Motability Scheme Making the Power of Sport and Boccia Possible

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

For Avril Starmore, moving to Shetland was a decision based on being closer to family. Then, she found boccia. She had no idea the impact boccia would have on her life.

Avril moved to Shetland from Dunfermline. This move wasn’t always plain sailing though, the lack of public transport and the rural nature of the island presented difficulties when trying to get out and into the community.

Avril was a Motability Scheme user, which proved to be an essential part when finding her love for boccia and the wider Shetland community.

“The car helps me get to boccia clubs, there is a ramp built in that I go up with my wheelchair then I can transfer onto the driver’s seat. If I didn’t have that I wouldn’t be able to get out.” Avril explained.

She went on to say, “If I didn’t have a Motability car there is no way I would get out into the community and clubs.”

Avril found out about boccia through Ability Shetland: “I came to Shetland three and a half years ago, I started going to a few of Ability Shetland’s clubs and I started volunteering with them just over a year ago.”

Now that Avril has been involved with boccia and dedicating her time to the sport she has decided to progress forward with her coaching.

“I’ve recently done the boccia leaders course and now I am learning to become a boccia coach”, she said.

This has led to Avril being a key member of the Ability Shetland delivery and volunteer team. “I’ve been going out to show boccia at various schools, day centres and clubs.”

Avril still uses many of Ability Shetland’s clubs. “I still go every Friday night to play, and then I go out through the week to deliver.”

Avril really enjoys being part of a team, but more so she loves getting to introduce people to the sport of boccia. “The way their faces light up when they manage to do something”, is her favorite thing about volunteering.

Making sessions fun and entertaining is something that Avril tries to always put at the forefront of her deliveries. “They keep thinking that I’m glueing the balls to the cones throughout the sessions, to challenge them to knock them off, they keep saying, ‘you’ve glued them on’, but I haven’t.” She joked.

Now Avril wants as many people to gain the benefits of boccia. “It’s about getting the word out about boccia. Up here a lot of people hadn’t heard about it until a short while ago, I know that I hadn’t heard of it until I moved here”, she said. This is a task she views as being possible.

“Last year we went to Dundee to play, there were loads of players and clubs down there it was great.”

This love and commitment that Avril has shown towards the sport of boccia throughout Shetland has led to her being nominated for an Eric Liddell Award. She went on to win the award for her dedication to the sport which has seen her deliver to over 100 school pupils in the last year alone. The enthusiasm she has for the sport is known to be contagious, and sure to be a contributing factor in many more people taking up the sport.

If you would be interested in finding out more about boccia you can contact SDS’s Boccia Development Manager at:

jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

If you would like to try volunteering, please contact your Regional Development Manager.

16/11/2024

Day 1 Review: UK Boccia Championships 2024

The Scots put on a good show on the opening day of the UK Boccia Championships

Day one of the UK Boccia Championships got off to a great start, with the Scottish contingency racking up several wins in the pool stages.

Here’s an overview of how the seven Scots got on –

BC2

Kayleigh Brown 1 – 3 v Luke Walsh, 6 – 5 v Jason Rolph, 6 – 1 v Tomas Martin.

Alex Medley 2 – 7 James Clowes, 11 – 1 v Sian Jones, 0 – 11 v Reshad Seraj

BC3

Patrick Wilson 8 – 4 v Mark Roderick, 3 –3 v Lee Croker (tiebreak).

BC4

Stephen McGuire 17 – 0 v Harrison Smith, 19 – 0 Lewis Crawford, 7 – 2 v Tyler McLelland.

Tyler McLelland 8 – 2 Lewis Crawford,10 – 1 v Harrison Smith.

Paul McIntyre 2 – 4 Louis Saunders, 10 – 0 Scott McIntyre.

Scott McIntyre 0 – 4 v Louis Saunders.

The competition will resume on Sunday 17th November, with play-off games followed by semifinals, finals A and B.

You can follow the action live on the SDS website via the live results page and livestream (available Sunday morning), as well as seeing behind-the-scenes content posted across the SDS social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and X).

Useful documents –

UK Boccia Championships 2024 Competition Guide

Saturday 16th November 2024 schedule.

Sunday 17th November 2024 schedule.

To view the Live Scoring document click here.