News

East Kilbride Sporting Memories members show they are “Still Game”

We held a hugely successful and competitive activity based event for all our East Kilbride members at the John Wright Sports Centre in East Kilbride. The two clubs couldn’t hold their normal meetings that week. Sporting Memories staff and volunteers worked in partnership with staff from the sports centre to create some fun activities to suit all abilities.

First indications of a successful session came before the warm-up. Three members commented in conversation that they remembered being regular attendees at feisty five a side matches and badminton competitions while one of our volunteers recalled training and playing regularly as part of a highly successful handball team.

After a coach-led warm up, groups of three performed flexible sporting activities across six stations, adaptable to a wide range of physical and cognitive capabilities. Staff and volunteers had the challenging task of keeping the scores as the competition raged for 1 hour 20 mins.

Time for a tasty lunch

After a keenly fought morning of sports, members adjourned for a meal at the local Lee Burn restaurant. Again, we were supported by friendly and efficient staff and, incredibly, around 25 people left barely a morsel on a plate over 2 courses. The comment that members had worked up an appetite at the centre earlier was mentioned by several satisfied diners. The one-liners, warm conversation, heckling of the quizmaster and light hearted challenges to the results all formed part of the fun on the day. The unity and peer support within the group was evident for all to see and culminated in rousing choruses of both club songs to finish.

Everyone expressed their enjoyment of the day none more so than the proud members who left the building with their winners medals on display. John Whitelaw, the East Kilbride club leader commented that immediate feedback from several of the more able members had been hugely positive and one of our most loyal yet quieter volunteers was inspired to highlight the quality of friendships that have been established over the years and continue to grow.