First Wheelchair Netball Session at Peterhead
An innovative Wheelchair Netball session was delivered at Peterhead Community Centre, led by Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and Netball Scotland.
An innovative Wheelchair Netball session was delivered at Peterhead Community Centre, led by Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and Netball Scotland. This landmark session marked the first time netball has been played in wheelchairs in the area, bringing together Peterhead Netball Club, Active Schools volunteers, and the Live Life Aberdeenshire Disability and Inclusion Officer.
The wheelchairs, which are on loan from Robert Gordon University, allowed participants to experience the game from a new perspective. The workshop focused on adapting netball for wheelchair users, with attendees providing valuable feedback, which support plans to develop and roll out a training resource.
Correen Davies, Netball Scotland’s National Development Manager, said: “It was such a fab day, and I had loads of fun navigating the wheelchairs. What it really highlighted was the fact that there doesn’t need to be many amendments to what we already have in our resources.”
Alison Shaw, Scottish Disability Sport’s Education and Learning Manager, added: “It was a great day – I had such a blast seeing everyone enjoy themselves! This session helped us understand that it’s relatively straightforward to play netball using a wheelchair with minimum adaptation”.
SDS expressed their delight at how well the session went and were delighted to collaborate with Netball Scotland on this innovative project. Peterhead Netball Club welcomed the opportunity, as they can now deliver sessions that include both wheelchair users and non-wheelchair users. The wheelchairs can be used by all participants, offering a unique and inclusive experience for players of all abilities.
This initiative will have a lasting impact, particularly in schools, where Active Schools sessions will allow non-disabled children to experience playing netball in wheelchairs, promoting greater understanding and inclusivity in sport.
Audra Booth, Community Sport Hub Officer for North Aberdeenshire, played a key role in making this opportunity happen and was thrilled with the response, commenting, “I’m excited about what this could mean for Peterhead and can’t wait to see how it develops. Having the chairs available for the hub could create opportunities for other sports too, and hopefully we can make a positive difference for those who face barriers to participation.”
Community sessions delivered by the Peterhead Netball club are due to start in the coming weeks, if you would like to know more or to find out how you can get involved, contact the club by emailing peterheadnetball@outlook.com
