Now everyone has the chance to twist and hit
Group wins cash for disabled access
It’s three cheers for one sports team in Renfrewshire that can now open its doors to people with disabilities thanks to a vital cash boost.
Twist and Hit Cheerleaders, in Paisley, has been awarded a £ 500 grant from supermarket giant Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund.
The money will allow the club to buy a tumbling block, meaning people with disabilities in the town can participate in cheerleading too.
Sarah McNeil from Twist and Hit Cheerleaders said: “This is amazing for us, we can’t wait to buy the equipment.
“This will make sure everyone is able to enjoy cheerleading.”
A tumbling block is a padded, rubberised piece of apparatus that allows people to be held in the air, or upside down, without putting any strain on their partner or other members of the group.
Once the tumbling block arrives at the studio in Craigs Business Park, Sarah believes the club will be Scottish pioneers in ParaCheer.
“ParaCheer is routines in cheerleading which involves disabled and nondisabled athletes.
“We will likely see cheerleading at the next olympics, but, to put this in place, organisers also need to have ParaCheer.
“There are clubs in England and Wales with ParaCheer facilities but, as far as I am aware, we will be the first in Scotland and Ireland.
“I work closely with the team behind ParaCheer so this really means a lot to me.”
The Aldi Scottish Sport Fund aims to support charitable clubs across Scotland and help young people take part in physical activity within their local communities.
Twist and Hit Cheerleading’s application took home the cash prize over submissions from groups across Scotland, chosen by a panel of` judges.
Richard Holloway, managing director of Aldi in Scotland, said: “The Scottish Sport Fund is our way of giving clubs and organisations in Renfrewshire a helping hand to continue their great work in the local area.
“We hope that our continued efforts to offer vital funding to sports clubs across Scotland will lead to healthier and more active lifestyles in the long term.”