After a 2-year break for most sessions, Para Football is once again on the up in Grampian.
Grampian was once a thriving hub of Para Football with sessions available across the City and Shire and a well-established school festival programme. However, many sessions ground to a halt in 2019 and unfortunately, due to the pandemic, everything stopped.
Banchory Community FC were the first to restart their Football For All sessions. However, teens and adults were crying out for more opportunities, so we worked closely with Aberdeen Sports Village and Hermes Bridge of Don YFC to start a football session aimed at ambulant players. This took off in late 2021 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. They now have participants transferring into mainstream football, coaching and committee positions, and an active group of parents fundraising for the team’s competitions and social activities.
More recently, AFC Community Trust made contact about restarting some of their sessions. Para Football for those aged 16+ started in early May at Garioch Sports Centre, and we’re working with them to develop football in the City for primary-aged children.
We’re also looking forward to working with Elgin Sports Community Trust to develop football opportunities in Moray, and working with Peterhead FC and Buchan Day Opportunities to develop pan disability football in north Aberdeenshire!
Current football session for players with disabilities are as follows:
- Banchory Community FC’s Football for All (great for wheelchair & powerchair users too). Saturday afternoons at Hill of Banchory School.
- Hermes Bridge of Don YFC Para Football (secondary-age and adult ambulant players). Saturday mornings at Aberdeen Sports Village.
- AFCCT Para Football (age 16+ ambulant players). Tuesday evenings at Garioch Sports Centre.