Lothian Disability Sport News

Bathgate Academy will play host to the first disability table tennis event on Wednesday 20th May, open to all school aged young people from the Lothian region with a physical, learning or sensory impairment.  Table Tennis was included in the Paralympic Games in London and Scotland possess a player with enormous potential in the sport - Martin Perry.

The event was included in the Lothian Disability Sport school calendar of events for the first time this year and will be delivered as a partnership event by West Lothian and Murrayfield Table Tennis Clubs, while be supported by West Lothian Active Schools. 

The success of the sport at the previous two Paralympic Experience Events encouraged the inclusion of a sport specific event within the calendar and hopefully this interest will become more established as a result.  The clubs supported the event are currently operating inclusively and have players with a disability actively attending - if you would like more information on these clubs then please contact Neal Herbert on 0131 475 2364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Friday saw the first session of the Para-sport Stars programme at Forrester/St Augustine's Community Sports HUB, giving the young people in attendance the opportunity to try badminton and athletics.  The two hour session was led by local club coaches with extensive experience in disability sport, with the young people playing badminton for the first hour before breaking to resume with a second hour of athletics.

The Para-sport Stars programme is open to school aged young people with a physical disability, aiming to provide a taste in a range of sports before signposting them to clubs in sports they have particularly enjoyed.  The programme will also include sessions in wheelchair basketball, judo and fencing.

These session are completely free for young people and run from 2pm - 4pm every Friday until 19th June.  Although the programme is based in Edinburgh, we would certainly welcome young people from additional local authorities across the Lothian region.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to register then please contact Edinburgh Leisure on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0131 458 2167.  

The fourth Edinburgh Paralympic Experience Event took place at Forrester / St Augustine’s High School in Edinburgh on Friday 13 March 2015 and it proved to be the largest to date, with 61 young people with a physical or sensory disability registering to participate.  The event is delivered through a unique partnership approach between Edinburgh Active Schools, Scottish Disability Sport and Lothian Disability Sport and this year, Edinburgh Leisure provided valuable support to the swimming element of the event.