North West Sutherland’s first Parasports Festival has brought together 58 pupils for a day of inclusive sport, teamwork and leadership in Kinlochbervie.
The event was organised by High Life Highland’s Active Schools team and welcomed pupils from P1 through to S3 and S6 from across the area.
With only 73 pupils across the entire North West Sutherland schools cluster, the turnout meant almost four out of every five pupils took part in the festival.
Around 40% of those attending had additional support needs, while half of the S3 Young Leaders helping to deliver the activities also had additional support needs.
Ahead of the festival, pupils from Durness, Kinlochbervie and Scourie Primary Schools were given inclusive sports taster sessions by Active Schools Coordinator Rachel Cumming, introducing them to adapted activities and helping build confidence before the main event.
The S3 Young Leaders then took a central role on the day, leading activities and helping younger pupils experience sports which many had never previously had an opportunity to try.
Aileen MacDonald, Deputy Head Teacher at Kinlochbervie High School, said:
“Thank you very much to Rachel Cumming and her HighLife Highland colleagues for coming to Kinlochbervie to put on such a great event for the North West Sutherland pupils.
“The children really enjoyed trying out new activities they had never experienced before, whilst also developing their awareness of the challenges faced by less able-bodied people.
“It was also a super opportunity for some of our high school pupils to demonstrate their leadership skills by leading the events with the mixed age groups.
“I observed a lovely example of an S3 leader describing the obstacle course to a blindfolded P5 pupil, who successfully completed the obstacle course thanks to the clear instructions given by his guide.
“This is just one example of the great teamwork that was evident throughout the event.
“Living in such a remote community means that our children do not have access to all the clubs and activities that more urban children have.”
High Life Highland Disability Sports Coordinator Fiona Green was particularly impressed by the young people taking responsibility for running activities.
She said:
“It was great to be in Kinlochbervie last week for the Parasports Festival.
“A huge well done to Rachel and the Young Leaders, who worked really hard to create a fun inclusive morning of activities.
“I was especially impressed by the Young Leaders and how quickly they picked up the boccia skills stations I introduced.
“Their enthusiasm and confidence really shone through and helped make the event such a success.
“Most importantly, all the pupils looked like they had a fantastic day, trying new sports and having fun with their friends.
“It was wonderful to see all the smiles.”
Rachel Cumming said seeing so many children participating was particularly significant for an area where distance and relatively small school populations can make access to activities more difficult.
She said:
“It was fantastic to see so many children actively engaged and enjoying the variety of activities planned and delivered by the S3 leaders throughout the day.
“As the first event of its kind to be offered in North West Sutherland, it was a privilege to host this festival and provide such a unique opportunity for children in this remote area to experience inclusive sport in a fun, welcoming and supportive environment.
“A massive thanks to all the school staff who supported the event, as well as my colleague, Fiona Green from the Disability Sport Team, whose assistance helped make the day such a success.”
For a schools cluster of just 73 pupils, getting 58 young people through the doors was impressive enough, but seeing pupils with different abilities learning, leading and enjoying sport alongside one another was perhaps the greater measure of what North West Sutherland’s first Parasports Festival achieved.
