Net royal accolade
Curlers are congratulated on gaining Queen’s Award
A group which ensures the disabled have access to one of Scotland’s favourite sports is celebrating gaining the royal seal of approval.
Volunteers from Stirling Wheelchair Curling Club have been recognised with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The group has been selected for the highest voluntary award in the country for the amount of work they have done over the past five years, and chairwoman Fiona Glass said they were delighted to have received the accolade.
“We are so proud to have been given this award and have received so many kind messages on our achievement,” she said. “The club started in 2010 with just a handful of players and we now have about 15 playing members. Some have gone on to a higher level and represented GB at the Paralympics. The popularity of the Paralympics brought in new club members after our ‘ Try Curling’ session in March 2014 and we have included another ‘Try Curling’ session in our programme for next season. “
A total of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups will receive the prestigious award this year, with other recipients in the area including Dennyloanhead Community Hall Ltd and the Tullibody History Group.
Martyn Lewis CBE, chairman of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Committee, said: “I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups.”
Despite curling being thought of as a winter sport, the club has access to ice year round at the PEAK, and players from as far as Edinburgh and Dundee come to join them for their weekly practice off-season sessions.
“At present we are busy organising our International Invitation event in October at the PEAK, and hopefully this will showcase the sport for wheelchair users,” said Fiona. “We successfully ran this event last year but due to the closure of the PEAK, at very short notice, we had to move the event to Braehead Ice Rink, Glasgow.
“We welcome new players to come and try and, as some of the club members say, their involvement in the sport has transformed their lives. We, as volunteers, do everything we can to encourage and help the wheelchair users on the ice and thoroughly enjoy the experience.”