The East Kilbride Pickleball Community are opening even more doors into the sport thanks to the success of a recent raffle to raise money for a sports wheelchair for the club.
Increasing their number of wheelchair participants is something the club feels very strongly about.
“People who think their sporting days might be over – we’re teaching them how to play pickleball and putting a smile on their face,” says club coach Mike Duncan. “It’s good for them and for us to see them enjoying themselves.”
However, with players requiring an expensive sports wheelchair, it was restricting the number of people who could really join in.
So the club staged a raffle – and thanks to incredible support from AG Barr, the makers of Irn Bru, Big Bobble Hats, Dewars, Chivas Regal and Glenmorangie they raised £2,100.
They welcomed Terry Smith, the Scottish wheelchair champion, plus Monica Lennon MSP, who came along to present the prizes and join in with a game or two.
The club is particularly pleased to be able to help out Thomas McCaffrey, who came to pickleball from tennis, and has been playing hybrid matches at the club along with standing players – but is also now in the UK wheelchair league. He was using a secondhand sports wheelchair but after making such good progress in pickleball wanted to upgrade to something more suitable. The club have bought Thomas’s original chair and put some money towards his new one.
Not only that, they did so well with their fundraising that they’re looking to buy another chair for the club’s use as well.
“We’ve always tried to make it as inclusive as possible – I’ve got people from 16 to 79, I’ve got wheelchair players and those with additional needs,” says Mike, who reiterated his gratitude to all the raffle prize donors as well as hosts Strathaven Leisure Centre.
“It’s a dream come true that we’ve raised this and instead of just getting one wheelchair, we’ve helped Thomas, bought his old one, and we’re getting another one for the club.”
