Glasgow Disability Badminton Club: Shuttlemark Inclusive Disability Charter (SIDC)
Well done to Glasgow Disability Badminton Club who have signed up to Badminton Scotland’s Shuttlemark Inclusive Disability Charter (SIDC).
About Glasgow Disability Badminton Club
Glasgow Disability Badminton Club, also widely known as GDBC, was formed in January 2009, specifically for athletes with learning and/or physical disabilities who wanted to try the sport of badminton. Ages range from 12 years and upwards to as old as still fit to play!
The Club and members are affiliated to Badminton Scotland and we have recently signed up to the Shuttlemark Inclusive Disability Charter (SIDC) to promote the club further within the disabled community and it’s important to show what opportunities are available.
The club members have a wide range of badminton ability levels which makes sessions suitable for anyone to join in. We do encourage and support members to take part in local and regional competitions but it’s not obligatory.
GDBC have recently competed in the Dundee Discovery Games Disability Event, Perth & Kinross Open Disability Event and West Open Disability Event with great success and fun had by all involved. At all these events, including the Scottish National Disability Championships, we would like to thank David Gillespie and volunteers from the club for their support.
Parents tell us that their sons and daughters have more confidence when meeting new people because of their participation at the club and competition opportunities we support.
Get involved!
The club runs once a week, on Wednesday evening from 7.00 – 9.00pm in Whitehill Secondary School, Onslow Drive, Glasgow, G31 2QF. GDBC have coaches to advise on technique, and player assessment and improvement, but most nights it’s just about having fun, playing badminton doubles and/or singles.
All our players have additional support needs and we expect any new players coming to the Club to be accompanied by a family member or carer, who will remain in the sports hall with the athlete during the evening, at least for the first few weeks while we get acquainted. This is because the Club is run by volunteers/parents and we need to be sure that the members are confident and comfortable during the evening’s sessions.
We welcome any help from parents/carers whether it is with general supervision, keeping scores, serving as a committee member or assisting with fundraising.
Shuttlemark Inclusive Disability Charter (SIDC)
As more clubs open and more coaches are trained, the new SIDC will increase the accessibility and inclusivity, encouraging growing numbers of people to get involved.
Clubs who are interested in the scheme can apply if they are Shuttlemark Bronze, Silver or Gold accredited, and fulfil a set criteria to become a SIDC club, with support available to clubs from their Regional Development Officer.
Once accredited, clubs will have access to a series of rewards, including training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD), working alongside partners such as Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) to maximise best practice in disability badminton in Scotland.
For more information, please download the SIDC Information Pack here.
Find a full list of clubs who have achieved Shuttlemark and SIDC here.