Laura Pilkington, who dedicates her time to improving disability inclusion, has been named Young Volunteer of the Year for 2022 at the sportscotland Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering (COV) Awards, recognising her outstanding contributions.
The sportscotland COV Awards celebrate all those who break down barriers, inspire and enhance the lives of others through sport, and recognise the commitment of those who apply their own time and effort to make sport accessible to all.
At just 24 years old, Laura is a member of both the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and sportscotland Young People's Sport Panel (YPSP), dedicating her time to promoting and supporting disability inclusion in sport across Scotland. A fantastic role model, she is also an SDS Disability Inclusion Tutor and the Disability Lead for Scottish Student Sport.
Laura undertakes all of these projects whilst also being a full-time student and an athlete, training for an impressive 20 hours a week between the pool and the gym. A decorated international athlete, she is the current British record holder in the SB5 200m breaststroke event and holds no less than 14 Scottish records across the SB5 and S6 class.
Having come into sport at a later age, Laura wants others to have more opportunities and works tirelessly to spread awareness of the importance and impact of disability sport for young people in Scotland.
The young swimmer is having an incredible impact. In her role with Scottish Student Sport, Laura developed and delivered a webinar for people with disabilities transitioning from school into university, drawing on her own experience of university. She now works with universities to consult on how they can be more inclusive.
Through her work with the sportscotland YPSP inclusion subgroup, Laura partnered with Euan’s Guide to review sports venues’ disabled accessibility. Laura also uses her role on the panel to drive awareness, leading by example with the aim of getting more young people with disabilities involved in sport.
Laura Pilkington said: “I got involved in volunteering through the Scottish Disability Sport Young Start Programme. Once I started I just couldn’t stop – I felt like I had a purpose and I felt like I could make an impact and it really helped me mentally as well. I hope I helped other people and gave it back to others.
“I think it’s so important to get involved in sport. I don’t think there’s enough opportunities out there – I’ve had barriers in my life within disability sports and I want to try and help people overcome them and get the benefits that come along with it.”
Mel Young, Chair of sportscotland, said: “Our Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering Awards give us a chance to celebrate the great sporting achievements and moments that are taking place every day and congratulate those who are making an incredible commitment to Scottish sport.
“Across Scotland, there are thousands of sporting enthusiasts who recognise the impact that sport and teamwork can have on our lives."
"The people we are celebrating have taken that recognition and turned it into life-changing ambition and a force for good. Individuals like Laura have dedicated their time to helping others realise their sporting potential and shown the far-reaching benefits of participation.”
This year sees the awards return for the first time since 2019, with sportscotland receiving 320 nominations covering 30 different sports across 31 local authorities. People keen to recognise the invaluable contributions of selfless coaches, officials and volunteers working across a range of sports the length and breadth of the country submitted their nominations earlier in the year.
The COV winners were invited to attend a presentation ceremony at Glasgow City Chambers as a thank you for their continued work and dedication.
