Tag: volunteers’ week

Two photo of Marie Cheyne volunteering with her swimming club in Grampian

Celebrating Marie Cheyne on #VolunteersWeek

To celebrate National Volunteers’ Week (2nd–9th June), SDS are highlighting some of the many volunteers throughout Scotland, Who have devoted time and effort to help provide more opportunities in disability sport throughout their region. 

Marie Cheyne’s efforts in volunteering have been impacting individuals living in the Grampian region for over 25 years. This is down to her efforts running an Inclusive swim school (The Broch Seals), which teaches/coaches over 90 children and young adults every week to swim. Marie’s swim school provides a vital service within SDS’s member branch, Grampian Disability Sport, as her sessions offer their ASN swimmers with an opportunity to compete. 

Marie also organises and runs several impactful events throughout the region. Including regional qualifiers for swimmers with a disability and an event for 80+ swimmers that takes place at Fraserburgh Swimming Pool.  

Along with playing an integral part in the branches swimming events, Marie is now the trustee of the board, as her knowledge and expertise are viewed as being essential to have on the committee. Wizzy Mills, the Regional Development Manager for Grampian and Shetland, explained the impact that Marie has had throughout the region.

She said: “Through her leadership, innovation, and determination, Marie has played a vital role in promoting inclusivity and ensuring that disability swimmers are supported, celebrated and given the platform to succeed. Marie’s contributions are recognised and valued by all involved.” 

Marie has also put countless hours in to ensuring that swimmers across Grampian have an opportunity to compete in the sport, this is through her work as the Team Manager for The Grampian Disability Swim team. This involves coaching and taking athletes to regular competitions.

In 2025, Marie has devoted her time to fundraising and so far she has raised enough money to put on another ASN/Disability swimming competition. Wizzy commented: “The participants are extremely appreciative of Marie’s dedication, vision and commitment to creating inclusive opportunities and events for disability swimmers. Her tireless efforts have significantly enhanced access to the sport, fostering an environment where every athlete can thrive.” 

A further event that Marie runs, is an event in partnership with Active Schools Aberdeen City and Active Schools Aberdeenshire called, the Grampian Beginners Gala for children with a disability who want to compete at a beginner’s level. This event allows children to use flotation devices at a shorter distance; they are also allowed the option for carer assistance if needed. This event is always well attended by individuals across the region, with all swimmers, volunteers and parents leaving with a smile after experiencing Marie’s infectious passion for the sport.  


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

 

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.

Photo of Darren, son martin and Sam in boccia official uniforms

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. 

 Photo of Sam and Martin standing next to Darren who has just won an award for Technical Official of the Year

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 FacebookX and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website