PLAYERS from a powerchair football team have praised one of Scotland’s leading charities for helping to showcase the sport to new audiences.

The South Ayrshire Tigers thrilled a large audience by demonstrating their talents at Blackwood’s sporting-themed AGM, which aimed to encourage its customers to get more involved in sport and try new activities.

The team, which comprises members, Annmarie Robertson, Scott Robb, Scott Wood and captain James Doull, hope their appearance will encourage others to take it up and to generally promote the sport to more people.

James said: “Scott Robb set up the team three years ago and we’ve gone from strength to strength since then. We now compete in a league against other teams which has been amazing to be a part of.

“It’s brilliant of Blackwood to invite us along to its sporting AGM because getting some exposure at events like this really helps open the eyes of people who might not even have known the sport existed. We’ve all felt the benefit of the sport as we’ve met new people and made friends for life while also getting to really enjoy what we do.”

The Blackwood AGM was held at the fully-accessible National Sports Centre in Largs, North Ayrshire, and offered tenants the chance to try various sports such as wheelchair basketball, dance and archery.

The full range of co-ordination involved was clear as the South Ayrshire Tigers quartet performed a series of impressive drills, while the brutal nature of the sport was visible from the scuff marks and dents on the wheelchair bumpers.

Annmarie said: “It’s such a great sport to play and it makes me so proud that my children, Rhianna and Kalli can see their mum doing it.

“This is the first disabled sport I’ve played since I was five or six so it’s so exciting that Blackwood chose to have its AGM with a sporting theme because it shows people you can pick up sport at any stage.

“In the proper games there are a fair few tackles that fly in. I’ve actually had whiplash from a game before. Hopefully our demonstration will lead to a few people that watched signing up and coming along to give it a try.”

Blackwood Chief Executive, Fanchea Kelly, said: “It was brilliant to have the South Ayrshire Tigers involved in our AGM. To see the skill involved up close was so impressive and I really hope some of our customers who witnessed the team will be inspired to give it a go.

“The idea of our AGM was to give everyone a chance to experience new activities and meet new people and the team’s involvement certainly helped to do that.”

Since it was founded by Dr Margaret Blackwood in 1972, Blackwood has been a pioneer in both housing and care, constantly innovating in ways large and small that transform the lives of its customers, helping them to live as independently as possible.