Selection of Top Moments from the Month
By Emma Logan, Communications Manager
There was plenty of activity happening throughout the shortest month of the year. Here is a quick recap of some of February’s highlights.
February saw the start of the Parasport Festivals. The season kicked off in Highland followed by Fife, Orkney and Dumfries & Galloway. Children and young people got to try out and participate in a whole variety of sports. At the Highland Parasport Festival, boccia proved to be popular as one participant was inspired to attend the regional championships that took place at the end of the month.
Emma Roddick, Minister of Equalities, Migration and Refugees, didn’t shy away from taking part in some of the sports on offer. She said: “It’s been great to see the kids getting involved. We know that sport is so important for physical, mental health, addressing social isolation and loneliness, something that we know is more difficult for people in rural areas and particularly young folk and disabled people.
“So young disabled people getting opportunities here in the Highlands to get together, have some fun and experience sport is just fantastic to see”, said Emma Roddick.
Fife held their first ever Parasport Festival and it was a resounding success. 48 children/young people attended, most of them having never previously engaged with any Fife’s sessions or events. Maree Todd, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport also joined in the afternoon to see first-hand, the impact Parasport Festivals can have. “I really believe in the power of sport,” she said.
“This is a wonderful occasion. It’s a real celebration. There’s lots and lots of different clubs here who will carry on that relationship and that inclusion. It’s really powerful work that’s happening in here and everyone’s having a great time.”
(Maree Todd MSP’s full interview is available here.)
Dumfries & Galloway held their second ever Parasport Festival and attracted nearly double the participants from its first year.
Regional Development Manager for Dumfries & Galloway, Dianne Campbell, was delighted with the event, saying: “So many positive comments from teachers, parents and children attending. We are already looking forward to next year’s event!”
As well as featuring at all the Parasport festivals, boccia has seen significant developments taking place throughout February. Forth Valley hosted a Senior Boccia Championship, which welcomed nearly 40 participants from regions across Scotland. The championships were a great success and thanks to Nicola Moriarty and Forth Valley Disability Sport for their support in organising such a fun event.
Grampian saw the launch of fortnightly boccia session being held in Aberdeen. The sessions welcome people of all ages and it is the first open boccia session to be available in the area since pre-covid. Initially run by Grampian Disability Sport, the sessions will run in partnership with the Community Sport Team at SportAberdeen.
Highland welcomed a good mix of young leaders, active school coordinators and other community members to their Boccia Leaders Course, with the aim of taking their learnings into schools, care homes and other receptive environments.
Scottish boccia held their first camp of the year, alongside Northern Ireland at Inverclyde sports centre in Largs. The camp struck a good balance between training and fun, which boccia coach, Peter McGuire, reports on in his review.
Meanwhile, in Dumfries and Galloway – cricket is thriving in the Stranraer area with two champion clubs and three weekly sessions in Stranraer, Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas.
Good news for Ayrshire Sportsability as they received funding from Trefoil Trust. The funding will support a club/coach conference that will focus on implementing inclusive practice in the clubs and sessions run throughout Ayrshire. It will also allow for coaches to receive the relevant training and skills to adapt their sessions.
The Young Person’s Sport Panel had their first residential of the year, hosted also at Inverclyde sports centre in Largs. You can find out more about the weekend by reading YPSP member Grace’s blog here.
Grace was also one of four YPSP members attending the Children 1st event in Stirling. Joining her were Dana and Charlotte, who helped to run the day, whilst Grace and Rae gave a presentation on their experience of PE and sport to date. Their presentation reflected on how their experiences affected their children’s rights before providing ‘top tips’ to ensure the rights of other children with disabilities are met through PEPAS (Physical education, physical activity and sport).
Once again, Grace wrote a blog to recap the day’s activities.
To find out more about upcoming SDS events, please view the SDS Calendar of Events on the events page.