Monday 26th June 2023

Scottish Student Trampoline champion disability sport through fundraising and new disability inclusive competition categories!

The Scottish Student Trampoline development group have championed disability sport within trampoline and beyond this year, raising money for Beeslack All Stars Disability Sports Club and striving to ensure everyone had a place at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open.

Jordan, Lynne, Hollie and Cait pictured from left to right a the Scottish Student Trampoline Open

Jordan, Lynne, Hollie and, Cait pictured from left to right

Through a number of fundraising events throughout the year the Trampoline development group raised funds to support Beeslack All Stars and the incredible work they do in providing young people with opportunities to participate in sport. Beeslack All Stars DSC are a grass-roots multi-ability, multi-sports, club linked with Scottish Disability Sport. They provide sporting opportunities for children and young adults with additional support needs and their siblings. At All Stars, everyone can try out new sports together, promoting improved physical and mental health, whilst developing their social and emotional skills, communication and confidence. All Stars also guide their members to pathways into SDS competitions, the Special Olympics, and have even had members go onto the Paralympics!

SST also worked hard to make their own events more inclusive, adding a disability category at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open for the first time ever!

Hollie Fullerton, SS Trampoline Chair said:

Representatives from Beeslack All Stars at the SS trampoline open handing out medals

Representatives from Beeslack All Stars presenting medals at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open

Our donations will allow them to fund their staffing, take on new members, and purchase specialist equipment. They are also local to SSTO, training just outside of Edinburgh. The work they are doing is a total lifeline for the families they support and they are heavily involved in their local and wider community.

We selected All Stars as our partner charity this year to celebrate and champion inclusion in sport which is especially prominent since it is our first year offering a disability category within SST.”

The SST development group raised money through their social bands, donating the profits back to All Stars. Through the generosity of the Scottish Student Sport Trampoline Community, £975 has been donated to Beeslack All Stars.

Every club that attended the Scottish Student Trampoline Open purchased social bands so they are all to thank for this generous donation.

If you would like to learn more about Scottish Student Sports’ wider inclusion and diversity work then please get in contact with Inclusion & Culture Coordinator Eilidh Paterson.

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Friday 16th June 2023

BUCS AWARDS | See all the Scottish Students Shortlisted

The British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Awards are a prestigious recognition of outstanding athletic achievements within the UK’s University sport scene, held by our sister organisation.

Each year, talented student-athletes from across the country are nominated for their remarkable contributions to various sports. In recent years, Scottish students have consistently demonstrated their prowess and dedication, earning well-deserved nominations for these coveted awards. Let’s take a closer look at some of the exceptional Scottish students who have been shortlisted at this years BUCS Awards.

 

Special Recognition Award Shortlist

Stuart Allison – University of St Andrews

Digital Engagement Award Shortlist

Play.Train.Perform – University of Edinburgh

Recruiting the Twelfth Man – University of Stirling

Coach of the Year Shortlist

Claire Cruikshank – University of Edinburgh

Unsung Hero Shortlist

Gary McArthur – University of Edinburgh

Club of the Year Shortlist

Badminton Club – University of Glasgow

Chris Potter Student Volunteer of the Year

Regional Winner

Hannah Adams – University of Edinburgh

 

And a special note to GB Student’s Mens Curling team, shortlisted for team of the year and made up entirely of Scottish Students!

We’re absolutely delighted to see so much Scottish representation across the whole spectrum of awards, and it’s clear that our incredible students are helping the Scottish Student sport scene punch well above it’s weight.

The BUCS Awards are planned to take place on Thursday 13 July at the University of Leeds, read more here.

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Thursday 8th June 2023

The prestigious Annual Scottish Student Sport Awards dinner took place at Queen Margaret University last night, Wednesday the 7th of June, as part of the SSS Conference.

SSS AWARDS 2023 | Celebrating Super Staff, Students and Volunteers!

The prestigious Annual Scottish Student Sport Awards dinner took place at Queen Margaret University last night, Wednesday the 7th of June, as part of the SSS Conference. This highly anticipated event brought together the finest staff, volunteers, coaches, and athletes within the Scottish Student Sport (SSS) network, honoring their exceptional contributions to student sport.

The event serves as a platform to recognize outstanding contributions across various categories, including Coach of the Year, Team of the Year, Club of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Honorary Presidents Medal, and the Dr. Rob Macpherson Award.

Coach of the Year – Chris Geddes

The Coach of the Year award acknowledges the remarkable efforts of coaches who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, mentorship, and skill development within the SSS network. This year the award goes to the University of Stirling’s Mens High-Performance Football Coach Chris Geddes.

Club of the Year – University of St. Andrews Cheerleading Club

The Club of the Year award honors a student club that has shown exceptional commitment to fostering inclusivity, participation, and success in their sport. This year the award goes to the University of St. Andrews Cheerleading Club.

Team of the Year – University of Stirling Mens Football 1s

The Team of the Year award celebrates the collective achievements of a student team that has excelled in their respective sport. This accolade recognizes their outstanding performance, teamwork, and determination in representing their institution. Congratulations to the University of Stirling Mens Football 1s for taking home this award.

Male Athlete of the Year – Charlie Aldridge

The Male Athlete of the Year award acknowledges an outstanding male student athlete who has consistently demonstrated remarkable talent, dedication, and exceptional performance throughout the year. The 2023 Male athlete of the year is the University of Edinburgh’s Charlie Aldridge.

Female Athlete of the Year – Grace Reid

The Female Athlete of the Year award celebrates an exceptional female student athlete who has consistently exhibited remarkable talent, dedication, and extraordinary performance throughout the year. The 2023 Female athlete of the year is Grace Reid from the University of Edinburgh.

Unfortunately, neither Grace of Charlie could make it to the awards dinner, so their awards were collected by incoming and outgoing Sports Union presidents Peter Sawkins and Heather Lowden.

Volunteer of the Year – James Falls

The Volunteer of the Year award recognizes an individual who has selflessly devoted their time, energy, and expertise to support the development and growth of student sport within the SSS network. This year the award goes to James Falls from the University of Stirling.

Honorary Presidents Medal – Derek Docherty

The Honorary Presidents Medal is a prestigious award presented to an individual who has shown exemplary dedication and service to Scottish student sport over an extended period. This year’s medal was presented to the University of Edinburgh’s Derek Docherty.

Dr. Rob Macpherson Award – Paul Grady

The Rob MacPherson Volunteering award was inaugurated in 2016 following the death of Dr. Robin (Rob) Macpherson. No individual in our history has better embodied the positive culture of volunteering than Rob himself.  He was a tireless, wise, and extremely capable figure who dedicated much of his spare time to student golf, striving to develop opportunities for students and encouraged participation across the board. In Rob’s honour we’d like to recognise SSS Judo Chair Paul Grady, for his exemplary commitment to student Judo.

 

Congratulations to all of our award winners, please see our Facebook album for photos from the evening.

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Thursday 8th June 2023

Scottish Student Sport is thrilled to announce the successful launch of the College Active Campus Network, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting health and well-being among students in higher education delivered in partnership with sportscotland and Colleges Scotland.

Scottish Student Sport is thrilled to announce the successful launch of the College Active Campus Network, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting health and well-being among students in higher education delivered in partnership with sportscotland and Colleges Scotland.

Funded by sportscotland, the £1.45m investment will strengthen the existing network of sport and physical activity staff already working within the college sector through the appointment of new Active Campus Coordinators.

Active Campus Coordinators will work to increase participation opportunities for students, with the first expected to be in post for the start of the academic year in August. It is anticipated that up to 18 Active Campus Coordinators will initially be appointed in colleges across the country. There is an aspiration that Active Campus Coordinators will be appointed in every Scottish college.

Central to the daily work of Active Campus Coordinators will be the creation of participation opportunities that improve the physical and mental wellbeing of students and staff. The innovative project will also further enhance the approach colleges take to creating high quality, effective work-based placements for sports students, helping equip them for potential future employment opportunities.

Details of the planned investment were confirmed at Scottish Student Sport’s 2023 Conference by Chief Executive of sportscotland Forbes Dunlop.

Read the full release from sportscotland by clicking here.

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Thursday 4th May 2023

Scottish Student Sport (SSS) and Scottish Fencing are excited to re-announce their partnership aimed at promoting and developing fencing among student athletes in Scotland.

Scottish Student Sport (SSS) and Scottish Fencing are excited to re-announce their partnership aimed at promoting and developing fencing among student athletes in Scotland. The renewed partnership will see the two organisations working closely by means of the SS Fencing Development Group to identify key priorities, challenges and opportunities for the sport and its stakeholders.

 

The partnership will focus on supporting the development of SS Fencing in areas such as officiating, with efforts to support the training, certification and retention of officials. This will improve the standards and consistency of officiating, while also encouraging more people to get involved in officiating, especially from underrepresented groups.

 

Additionally, the partnership will aim to raise the profile of student fencing through various strategies, such as promoting the achievements and stories of student fencers, showcasing the diversity and inclusivity of the sport, sharing across social media, and other relevant platforms.

 

Furthermore, the partnership will continue to support the development of student fencing while exploring new possibilities to ensure the best experience for student fencers. This will involve scoping more opportunities for student fencers to participate, enhancing the quality of training and coaching, and explore new formats and structures for fencing competitions, which can enhance the engagement of participants.

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Thursday 27th April 2023

Over 220 athletes from 15 universities and colleges descended on Grangemouth Sports Stadium on 22nd April to compete in the pinnacle of the Scottish Student Athletics season – the Outdoor Championships.

Over 220 athletes from 15 universities and colleges descended on Grangemouth Sports Stadium on 22nd April to compete in the pinnacle of the Scottish Student Athletics season – the Outdoor Championships. Despite the strong winds the students gave it their all, determined to win points for their club in the John Innes Memorial team competition.

We saw a blistering Men’s 5000m where the previous student record for that event was broken not once – but twice! Peter Bradshaw (University of Edinburgh) pipped his team mate Finlay Ross-Davie to 1st place in 14:54.64 but both broke the 5-year record.

Women’s discus also saw a record-breaking performance as Kiera Maxwell (University of Glasgow) hit 44.03m – over a metre further than the record set last year in the same event.

The Outdoor Championships also included Seated Throw para-adaptive events for the first time, with University of Stirling’s Adam Donnachie furthering his PB in the discus and maintaining his top UK ranking in shot putt too.

University of Glasgow stormed to victory in the John Innes Memorial Trophy, bagging the most number of team points in the team event. Full results can be found on our website and check out our photo album here. Well done to all athletes and thank you to the officials who made it all possible.

Let us know how you found it! Please complete our and you’ll be in with a chance of winning a Decathlon voucher in our prize draw

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Thursday 27th April 2023

Read all about the Scottish Student Sport College National Finals!

On April 26th, nearly 200 students from 5 colleges across Scotland gathered at Oriam to compete in the Scottish Student Sport College National Finals. The competition was fierce, but City of Glasgow College emerged victorious, winning the overall College Cup for the second year in a row. Fife College came in as runners-up.

The Sandy King Salver, a trophy awarded to individuals who display excellent sportsmanship and fair play, was jointly awarded to Kacie Fyvie and Hannah Byers from Edinburgh College. They stepped in to represent their college in badminton at the last minute when other players pulled out.

UHI’s Inverness College Men’s football team made an 8-hour round-trip to be a part of the event. The competition also championed the Football v Homophobia campaign, with football captains wearing armbands in support.

The success of the event would not have been possible without the help of the Heriot Watt Volleyball and Basketball Clubs, as well as all the officials and staff who contributed their time and effort to make it happen. Congratulations to all the participants for their hard work and dedication to student sports in Scotland.

All results can be found online here (thank you to Decathlon for providing vouchers for our MVP winners).

Check out the full photo album on Facebook and our highlights video below!

Help make the College National Finals even better, complete the feedback survey !

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Tuesday 25th April 2023

It’s Awards Season again!! We are now accepting nominations for the 2022/23 SSS Awards! Read on for more information on the different award categories, the nomination process and where the winners will be crowned.

We are delighted to announce that the SSS 2022/23 Awards are officially open!

The Awards 

We are accepting individual nominations in the following five categories:

  • Female Athlete of the Year- Aimed at high-performance female student-athletes, whether or not they compete for their college or university. This will be awarded to a female individual for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022 – April 2023) while making a tangible contribution to the institution.
  • Male Athlete of the Year- Aimed at high-performance male student-athletes, whether or not they compete for their college or university. This will be awarded to a male individual for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022- April 2023) while making a tangible contribution to the institution.
  • Volunteer of the Year- Aimed at students and non-students who volunteer at a local level. This is not aimed at volunteers primarily in a SSS role (please see Dr Rob MacPherson Award); coaches (see Coach of the Year); paid staff going the extra mile (see Honorary President’s Medal). This will be awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to student sport at a local level during the 2022-23 year. The contribution may be in many forms such as exceptional active or administrative services to a club, college, or university; as a faithful club servant, committee member, leader; official; or purely down to their love of sport. Volunteers purely in a coaching capacity should be nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
  • Coach of the Year- Aimed at those who coach student sport/student-athletes at any level of performance. They may be either volunteer coaches or paid coaches. Not aimed at professional coaches based in Higher Education for whom student-athletes are not the main focus. This award will be given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to student sport by coaching during the 2022-23 season. Good quality coaching; innovative ideas; dedication to the sport; and a drive to continually improve their own skills are features of an outstanding coach.
  • Honorary President’s Medal- Aimed at any individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to/lasting impact on student sport at a local, regional or national level. Nominees should be regarded as wonderful examples/ advocates of student sport and their behaviour should resonate with the above SSS values.

We are accepting group nominations in the following two categories:

  • Club of the Year- Aimed at the all-round best performing Club, on and off the field of play. Not aimed at clubs that have had a successful competition year only. This will be awarded to a club that can demonstrate impact in the 2022-23 season. Increasing memberships, upping participation, innovative projects, developing volunteers, promoting the role of officials; fundraising, community links and involvement in institutional activity are just certain elements that would demonstrate excellence.
  • Team of the Year- Aimed at the most successful, high-performing student teams in the country, whether within SSS/BUCS competition or further afield. Not aimed at a team that performs to the fullest of its potential in the lower levels of competition e.g. a third team that has a 100% season is still unlikely to win this award. This will be awarded to a team for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022-April 2023). This can include international performances.
  • The final award is the Dr Rob MacPherson Award. This award differs slightly from the rest of our awards – there are no nominations, instead, the winner is selected by the SSS staff team as opposed to the Executive Committee. The award is aimed at any individual who has made an outstanding contribution to volunteering with Scottish Student Sport.

The Details

  • Nominations for each category should be a maximum of 250 words, in bullet point format listing out key achievements.
  • Institutions can nominate in as many categories as they wish, but may only put forward one entry per category.
  • Past winners can receive the same award again.
  • Only member institutions can nominate. All member institutions have been sent login details to the online portal where nominations should be submitted.
  • Nominations close on FRIDAY 5th MAY at 18:00 and the Executive Council will then decide on the winners.
  • Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on Wednesday 7th June, as part of the SSS Conference.
  • Please contact Totty with any queries.
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Tuesday 18th April 2023

Relive the intense competition that took place during the Men and Women’s Scottish Student football finals held on April 12, 2023.

Relive the excitement of the Scottish Student Sport Football Finals held on April 12, 2023, where the top teams from institutions across Scotland battled it out for the Queens Park Shield and SheCanSheWill Cup’s respectively.     

In the Men’s Queens Park Shield final, Heriot-Watt University faced off against the University of Stirling in a close match that kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the very end, with a late goal from Stirling sealing the 1-0 win.

Meanwhile, in the Women’s SheCanSheWill Cup final, the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh went head-to-head in an equally intense showdown, with the St Andrews side winning 4-1.

Both matches showcased the best of student football and were a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and their coaches. Catch the highlights of these exciting games in the video from  Youth Football Scotland, coming soon!

📸 For more photos from the event, check out our Men’s photo album by Andrew Leinster HERE and the Women’s photo album HERE

As always we’d like to extend a massive thank you to the volunteers and officials that made the day a roaring success, and to Oriam for providing such an excellent venue.

           

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Wednesday 29th March 2023

The 2022/23 academic year has been great for Scottish Student Sport, seeing the continued success of students representing their institutions at both recreational and competitive levels.

This year has seen our development team continue to promote worthy causes and work with other organisations to continue to improve student sport. With that being said, here is a brief outline of some of our work during this period.

 

Membership Audits

 

Our recently completed Membership Audit has revealed some interesting data. We have seen a record of 41,250 members which makes a 14% increase in the number of members over the last five years. 50% identify as female while 46% identify as male. This makes this the third year where the majority of our members have been female-identifying. Our members are also spread across 586 clubs representing 91 different sports. This record-breaking year has shown the enthusiasm within student sport and we hope to see these impressive members expand further in the future.

 

Football vs. Homophobia Month of Action

 

2023 alone has already seen massive strides towards the acceptance of LGBTQI+ people in football, including the public coming out of Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto and Scotland’s Zander Murray. However, the fight against homophobia in football is still as relevant as ever. Scottish Student Sport has worked with partner organisation Leap Sports to help raise awareness towards issues still faced in the sport, as well as to bring more inclusivity into the beautiful game. Football vs. Homophobia has also been championed by four institutions, those being: University of Edinburgh Women’s FC, Abertay University FC, Heriot-Watt University FC and Edinburgh Napier FC. If you want to learn more, we featured Carolina Sousa e Sá, Leap Sports’ Lead Project Officer, on our official podcast. In Episode 25 of the podcast, we discussed LGBT+ people in sports, the issues that are still faced and how we can continue to improve inclusivity across the sport.

 

Active Health Forum

 

The Scottish Student Sport network believes in developing not just the physical health benefits of student sport but the mental health benefits as well. In February we held the Active Health Forum, where staff from SAMH, CIMSPA and The Daily Mile gave presentations alongside healthy discussions from representatives across many of Scotland’s Institutions. Hearing from sector leaders and encouraging discussion, network members left enthused with ideas and best practices to make their institutions a healthier and more active place.

 

Leadership Programme

 

The SSS Leadership Programme has continued for the 2022/23 academic year and has seen eight students given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Those previously included in the course have seen themselves flourish in the sporting industry. The programme returned in January 2023 and has seen the lucky students gain insightful insider information from industry experts such as Guy Richardson of Eiger Performance and Ross Simpson from the University of Edinburgh. We aim to help young people gain experience in the sporting world which can hopefully waylay themselves into an industry job in the future.

 

Reffin’ Brilliant

 

Every sport needs players to make a game happen but they also need officials. This is why Scottish Student Sport has continued its Reffin’ Brilliant programme which allows students to gain experience refereeing across a range of different sports. Supported by sportscotland, the programme helps budding students gain experience officiating, with the possibility that they could become match officials in professional games going forward.

 

Boccia Special Projects

 

The University of Stirling hosted the first Boccia Festival in November 2022. At Scottish Student Sport, we believe in inclusivity and allowing sports to be enjoyed by everyone. The emergence of Boccia as a student sport has enabled more athletes with disabilities to perform. Working alongside Scottish Disability Sport, SSS accepted a Special Projects Fund bid, which provided institutions with Boccia kits to make the sport more accessible. Eight institutions were successful in their applications, these were:

 

  • City of Glasgow College
  • Edinburgh Napier University
  • Heriot-Watt University
  • Perth College UHI
  • University of Aberdeen
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Stirling
  • University of West of Scotland

 

With these new kits, we hope these institutions will continue to build upon their hard work and continue to allow more students with disabilities to get involved.

 

While we can’t go into detail about all the work done by the development team, they have continued to work intensely to improve our work as an organisation. Some other examples of their work include new disability forums across campuses, coaching and officiating programmes, MHiS and UKAD training, and HBHM engagement.

 

This was the story so far with our development in 22/23. In the coming months, we will continue the work we have put in to develop the best organisational practices for our institutions and students to allow them the best opportunities in the world of sport.

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