Development Officers at Renfrewshire Special Games

Just in case you thought that our Area Curling Development Officers put their feet up during the summer, here is the news that two of them, David Horne and Judith McFarlane, helped out recently at the Renfrewshire Special Games.

Last week Renfrewshire Council launched its first ever special games for children with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. Around 350 primary and secondary pupils from across Renfrewshire schools, including Kersland Schools, Clippens Schools and Mary Russell School, took part in a special two day event at Linwood Sports Centre on June 14 and 15.

New Age Kurling was one of the ten sports that the children had the opportunity to try. If you've never come across this indoor game check out its history here. The plastic disks run on ball bearings and can be adapted for all sorts of different games. Even the profoundly handicapped can have fun, with stones being delivered down ramps, as shown in the photo gallery.

David and Judith led the indoor 'curling' at the two day event. It was a great success with many of the schools expressing interest in trying real curling on ice next season!

And it's not just those with disabilities who can enjoy kurling. Check out the photo below. That's European Champion Ludmilla Privivkova delivering ...... on the floor of Houston Primary School's assembly hall (that's Houston, Renfrewshire, in case you were wondering), when the Russian team paid a goodwill visit during the World Women's Championship in 2005. I don't recall who won the kurling challenge, but both team and children had a great time and the kids came along to Paisley's Lagoon Centre to support 'their' team when the event got underway. There's a pic of the Russians on the ice at Paisley here.