Young people aged between 10 and 17 with a physical disability, vision impairment or hearing loss are experiencing the benefits of physical and social activity at Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) annual Summer Camp.
The three-day residential at Badaguish Outdoor Centre in Aviemore welcomes 30-40 young people every year and is having a huge impact on the participants, young leaders, parents, carers, and families.
Mark Gaffney, former Opportunities & Events Manager at SDS, now Head of Policy, has guided and supported the team through 10 years of Summer Camp.
Mark said: “The first Summer Camps were held at Inverclyde and led by Scottish Governing Bodies who delivered activities to identify upcoming talent within paralympic sports.”
“The Summer Camp now has a home at Bagaduish where the focus is on the outdoor environment and adventure sports which naturally changed outcomes to be centred around the experience of youngsters building resilience, confidence, determination, and independence, as well as establishing regular, quality breaks for parents and carers from the demands of their caring routines.”
Mum of participant Isabelle Sutton said: “When you are disabled you may have a very small circle around you and limited opportunities. As parents we seek out those opportunities but if it wasn't for the support from organisations like Scottish Disability Sport, sportscotland and Shared Care Scotland there could be a real lack of opportunities.”
The Summer Camp experience
The programme of activities delivered by SDS staff and volunteers focus on building independence, confidence and learning new skills. Campers enjoy activities such as boccia, archery, bushcraft, orienteering, and team building.
Fourteen-year-old Isabelle Sutton has been to Summer Camp twice and it has been the first experience of spending a night away from home. Isabelle has limited verbal capabilities and was given options to help her describe her experience.
Isabelle chose this response: “I was happy to go to Summer Camp. I felt safe and looked after and the staff were lots of fun. The best things were having adventures and being independent.”
Katy Sutton, Isabelle’s Mum will be volunteering at the 2024 Summer Camp, she said:
“I'm looking forward to helping and supporting other young people experience the opportunities to have fun in a safe space that allows independence. With Isabelle’s communication needs, it's difficult for her to make friends. She felt included and came away having made friends and it was really rewarding to see that for her.”
Katy added: “Summer Camp is important for the families around the young person as well. We were so proud of her for taking part and she stepped things up when she came home, and we were like oh she can do this herself.”
Layla McCloskey was a participant at Summer Camp for the first time and became involved with SDS through competing in frame running.
Layla said: “I loved making new friends and the activities were a lot of fun, I tried everything. I was a bit nervous at first, but everyone made me happy and feel more confident. The SDS staff were amazing and very supportive.”
Layla’s Mum Claire said: “Being a single parent it’s been Layla and I for 15 years, so it was a huge thing for Layla to go to Summer Camp. The whole social aspect has encouraged her to be more independent. It’s been the making of Layla.”
Claire added: “Layla’s not a great swimmer but with support and encouragement she went on the water herself and tried kayaking. She also tried archery which is something that we’re looking to take up as another sport.”
Establishing a key support network
Ling Mann is a dedicated member of the volunteer team at Summer Camp and has been involved with SDS since 2015.
Ling said: “Being part of SDS is like a family, the staff make sure you are looked after and know what is going on, as well as putting you on relevant courses, like Boccia leaders and level three refereeing. I love meeting people on the very first day of camp. Sometimes they are apprehensive or scared of leaving their parents then they grow in confidence, start working together and see us as friends.”
“If they say I can't do it, we say yes you can and they get stuck in, that’s what I like about camp. It’s there for them to explore and have freedom knowing we are there to support.”
Scottish Disability Sport’s ongoing support
After Summer Camp, SDS continue to support participants who are encouraged to engage with their Regional Development Manager. Many of the young people go on to continue sports they tried at camp, join local clubs and attend competitions. SDS are also able to help source adapted sports equipment if needed.
Claire said: “Since coming back from Summer Camp, we go to competitions every other week and Layla has done assemblies and presentations about SDS and the camp at school. SDS are now working with the Scottish Qualification Awards to create a brand-new module for Layla to do in high school.”
“SDS are also supporting Layla in her coaching career which is a massive part of her progression. SDS has had a huge impact on Layla’s life and the support we’ve had from them is unbelievable. As a parent I’m so so happy.”
