Tag: scottish women in sport

Belle Beau smiles as she plays a game of boccia.

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

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

If you would be interested in finding out more about boccia opportunities, you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager. This manager will be able to provide you with information on local opportunities to get involved as a volunteer, coach, official or player.

Alternatively, you can contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, by email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

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

 

Panel members at the Scottish Women In Sport conference

Scottish Women in Sport Conference 2024 – Safe and Strong 

Last month, the Scottish Women in Sport Conference featured a great lineup of inspirational speakers, including SDS’s YPSP Administrator Grace Stirling and Commonwealth Games Para Cyclist Laura Cluxton.  

Laura Pilkington, SDS Board Director, hosted the session, during which Laura and Grace shared their experiences in sport. 

They both delivered fantastic presentations highlighting sports’ positive contributions to their lives. They described situations where inclusive practice, implemented to support their safety and well-being, could have improved their experiences.  

They challenged the audience to think inclusively to promote and support the safety, inclusion and well-being of participants and athletes with disabilities. The key messages from Laura and Grace were: 

  • Focus on an athlete’s ability, not disability 
  • Educate sports staff and coaches to embed inclusion in their practice  
  • Athletes feeling safe will lead to better performance 
  • Be proactive, not reactive 
  • Small changes can make a big difference 
  • Contact Scottish Disability Sport for support. 

 

You can watch the highlights of the video here.  

If you are an organisation that would like to offer more inclusive opportunities, please contact Scottish Disability Sport at admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or telephone 0131 317 1130. 


And in other news… Scottish Women in Sport Awards! 

Scottish Women in Sport are seeking nominations for this year’s awards. You can use this SW/S Nomination Form to submit the following. Deadline is this Friday 13th September!

  • Sportswoman of the Year  
  • Young Sportswoman of the Year  
  • Para Athlete of the Year  
  • SW/S Inspiration in Sport  
  • Team of the Year 
  • Coach/Manager of the Year  
  • Community Champion of the Year  
  • Volunteer of the Year  
  • Pioneer in Sport  
  • Most Valuable Partnership