Lothian Disability Sport News

Lothian Wolves have won promotion to the MDUK Scottish Premiership after a sensational inaugural season. Wolves sealed the league title in style with a 6-0 win in the final fixture. The team have gone from strength to strength since their inception in late 2016 and have been drawing plaudits from the Powerchair football community throughout the season. A great achievement - congratulations to all players and coaches. 

If you wish to find out more about Lothian Wolves check out their Facebook or email Head Coach This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The RGK Regional Junior Championships are being held at The PEAK, Stirling on Saturday 23^rd June.  The Championships are sponsored by RGK Wheelchairs and supported by Scottish Disability Sport and The Lord’s Taverners.

Lothian Disability Sport Lawn Bowls Championships 2018 will take place on Sunday 22nd July 2018 at Longniddry Bowling Club, 6 Seton Road, Longniddry, EH32 0LD. The event is open to individuals with a physical disability or sensory impairment.

Click here to download an entry form or alternatively email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Closing date for entries is Friday 13th July.

The 23^rd National Dwarf Games were held over the May Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday 30th April to Monday 2nd May at venues across the West Midlands.  Three Lothian athletes took part in the games and each had an extremely successful weekend. 

Click here to see a report from our recent Regional Track & Field event.

A group of enthusiastic carpet bowlers at the Linburn Centre for Scottish War Blinded are looking for other bowlers to compete against. They would be delighted to welcome teams to their centre at Wilkieston, West Lothian,  for a game and for lunch. Any group interested should contact the Centre on 0131 333 1369.

This club is being developed to create a paraclimbing community based out of Edinburgh International Climbing Arena. The club will meet on a Thursday evening from 7 to 9pm and is supported by a network of volunteers who are on hand to provide assistance to its members in and around the climbing activities.

You can get lots more information if you click here! 

Please click here if you are interested in the upcoming Carpet Bowl Championships!  This event is the qualifier for the SDS National Championships in February.  

Great new event in Edinburgh during school terms.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) are working in partnership with Edinburgh Active Schools and [EN]GAGE Sports Centre at Napier University to deliver a new weekly boccia session for individuals with a disability across Edinburgh and the East of Scotland.

This exciting new opportunity will invite individuals with a physical or learning disability to come and try the sport of boccia in a friendly and welcoming environment under the guidance of experienced coaches and volunteers.  The session is being funded through The Big Lottery Fund, aiming to remove barriers and increase the number of individuals playing the sport across Scotland – as such, there will be no cost attached to the session.

Boccia is a Paralympic Sport and was introduced specifically for athletes with a severe physical disability, however it’s also become a very popular activity for individuals with a learning impairment.  Boccia is a precision ball sport and requires players to propel the ball on to court by throwing, kicking or using a ramp while aiming to finish with their balls closer to the ‘jack ball’ than their opponent.

The session is open to all individuals with a disability, from primary school aged pupils right through to more senior players – we are confident the coaches and volunteers will make you feel comfortable and provide an excellent first experience into the world of boccia.

Session Details

When: Every Friday during school term time, starting on the 27^th October 2017 (2pm – 3pm)

Where: [EN]GAGE Sports Centre, Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh, EH11,4BN

Who:     Individuals with a physical or learning disability.  All ages welcome.

Cost:      There will be no cost.

If you are interested in this opportunity or would like to find out more, please contact Neal Herbert on 0131 625 4414 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here for more detailed information!

Chris Jacquin, captain and a founding member of Lothian Wolves Powerchair Football Club has a go fund me page to raise funds for a power wheelchair.  Please find following more information!

Go Fund Me Page

Football has been a big part of life and since I was a young boy I have always had a massive passion for the beautiful game! However, due to my disability, cerebral palsy, which means I'm in a wheelchair, I never had the opportunity to play and compete in my favourite sport. 

Even though I always wondered if I could play football in a wheelchair, it was only 7 years ago that my dream had come true when I was made aware of the sport. My vision came to a halt when I quickly realised that there were no teams in Scotland. A few years later I tried to set up a new team in Edinburgh with some friends however, we had no resources or finances to get the club of the ground.

In December 2016 my dreams were reignited when Lothian Disability Sport announced they were setting up a powerchair football team, I knew I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. Being one of the first club members to join, I also helped with setting up the club.

Despite getting this far and waiting so long ,my dreams have been put on hold again, after realising my standard wheelchair cannot cope with the fast paced nature of the sport. My current wheelchair is only designed for everyday use, using it for the sport causes it to overheat and puts it at risk of getting severely damaged (Having a major effect on my daily life and prevents me from participating in the club's activities).

The Scottish Powerchair Football Association have advised that I need a chair that is specifically designed for this sport (Invacare Storm3 Competition). The difference with this chair is it has a cooling system built into the motors to prevent them from overheating, giving me confidence that I can participate without the worry of causing damage to my only form of mobility. Secondly, the chair will be able to meet the speed requirements set by the SPFA and other global governing bodies (FIPFA) enabling me to compete to the standard level.

Unfortunately, with most specialised equipment comes a large price tag and since my club has few sponsors or fundraisers I have been left with no choice but to attempt to raise the amount myself (£6750). I will contribute as much money as I can from savings, however I know I simply cannot afford the full amount  due to being in receipt of disability benefits. 

If I were to raise the funds for the chair it would play a significant role in my development in the sport. Having the chair would give me the platform to pursue my life long dream of representing Scotland and help them qualify for the FIPFA World Cup!

Want to hear an update on the recent LDS and SDS events?  Click here for our updated report! 

Please click here for our updated report for a great event in August.

We have just uploaded the swimming results from our LDS Spring Gala in March!  Why not pop over and take a look to see how well everyone done.  

In addition there is a great report about the Lothian Track & Field Athletics Competion in May.  Great information about the event!  

All information can be found at our Results and Reports Page here

Have you checked out our up to date sports review covering the successful year 2016-2017!

Check out the review here

This year, [EN]GAGE Sports Centre at Edinburgh Napier University played host to the Lothian Open Boccia Championships and welcomed over 50 players from around Scotland to compete over three sections. Players travelled from the West of Scotland, Dundee, Dumfries & Galloway and Forth Valley, helping the strong Lothian contingent contribute to an excellent day of competitive boccia.

A full copy of the report can be found at our Results and Reports page!

Lothian Disability Sport are holding a summer programme of taster sessions for young people with disabilities including young people with Autism.

Sports include Dance, Table Tennis, Rugby, Tennis, Gymnastics, Athletics, Karate, Bowls, Football and Trampolines!  

Sessions will be held in East Lothian at Meadowmill, North Berwick, Musselburgh and Haddington.

For further information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or to book online and register your place go to www.enjoyleisure.com

More details on sessions click: LDS Summer Sports Taster Sessions 

LDS Award Nomination Form

Lothian Disability Sport are hosting their annual Awards Ceremony as part of the AGM on Monday 26th June. For all nominations please download the omination form by clicking here.

Please note that the closing date for awards are Friday 9th June 2017 and should be returned to Andrew Raeburn - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

May 2017

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS KARATE TASTER SESSION AND CLUB  

Lothian Disability Sport and Active Schools would like to let you know about an exciting opportunity coming to children and young people in Edinburgh. In partnership with Scottish Karate Federation, Dalry Karate Group and Lothian Disability Sport we are developing an Additional Support Needs Karate Club.

The first phase of this will be the delivery of karate taster sessions for primary and secondary pupils. These sessions are open to all disability groups.

Venue: (EN)gage Sports Centre, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, EH11 4BN. This is an accessible venue.

Date and Time: Taster session, Saturday 3rd June 11am – 1pm.  

Primary             11.00-12.00am

Secondary        12.00-1.00pm

Club sessions will happen every Saturday thereafter 11.15am – 12.15pm at (EN)gage Sports Centre.

The sessions will be delivered by qualified karate coaches who have training and experience of working with children with additional support needs. The maximum participant numbers per session will be 15 children.

The sessions are all about having fun and giving participants the chance to try out Karate, no prior experience is necessary.  

We would welcome parents to stay and watch sessions and meet karate coaches.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

If your child is interested in attending the free taster session please phone me to book a place and I will forward an application form via email or take your details over the phone. Please note there are limited spaces therefore places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. 

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact Jill Coleman 07920768288, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Andrew Raeburn; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Closing date for applications is 4pm Thursday 1^st June.

Kind Regards

Jill Coleman,

Active Schools Coordinator, Equality and Inclusion

Andrew Raeburn

Branch Disability Sport Coordinator, Lothian Disability Sport

East of Scotland Para Sport Festival 2017

The annual Para Sport Festival is on the horizon for 2017, welcoming young people from across the East of Scotland with a physical or sensory impairment and providing them with an opportunity to try a range of Para Sports, delivered by some of the best clubs and coaches across the country.  This year’s festival is scheduled for Friday 24^th March at Forrester / St Augustine’s High School, Edinburgh.

The event, previously named the Paralympic Experience Event, is entering its sixth year since inception prior to the London Paralympic Games in 2012 and comes at a time where Para Sport is fresh in everyone’s mind after a hugely successful games for GB in Rio de Janeiro last year.  It is a fantastic opportunity for primary and secondary aged young people to experience some of the sports where team GB achieved significant success.  The activities selected reflect the strong club structure in the region and will aim to ignite the transition from the event to more regular sporting activity with one or more of the session’s being delivered.

The festival is a partnership event between Scottish Disability Sport, Edinburgh Active Schools, Lothian Disability Sport and Edinburgh Leisure who work together, along with local club coaches, to offer sessions in swimming, athletics, wheelchair basketball and many more to the children and young people from East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, the Scottish Borders and West Lothian.  To find out more, click here and download the entry information pack.

During last year’s event, video footage was captured highlighting the aims and potential impact of the event featuring testimonies from young people, parents, club coaches and professional officers.  We hope this footage will prove a useful tool in providing an accurate insight to the event – please find the link to the video clip below:

Para Sport Festival promotional footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzP4sztaDY&t=1s

The event will also offer an opportunity for education staff, club coaches and volunteers to enhance their knowledge of disability sport with the delivery of CPD workshop, ‘How to Identify and Include Children and Young People with a Disability in Sport’.   This workshop has proved extremely popular over previous events and will again be delivered by the experienced Richard Brickley, MBE.  To find out more about this opportunity, please click here.

If you would like to register for the event, please complete the entry information and return to the address highlighted.  If you require further information relating to the event, please contact Neal Herbert on 0131 625 4414 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..