Scottish Women Warriors Wheelchair Basketball Club have been short-listed to become one of the latest recipients of funding from Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect initiative – potentially being awarded up to £15,000 to buy specialist basketball wheelchairs.
Community Connect was launched in 2017 and enables Scotmid members to award good cause groups in their local area with a share of £25,000, generated via the sale of single use carrier bags.
In Scotmid’s West Member Region – encompassing Glasgow and the west of Scotland – Glasgow’s Scottish Women Warriors Basketball Club are one of three good cause groups, who have been short-listed by a Scotmid member selection panel to receive funding with either the top award of £15,000 or two runners-up groups receiving £5,000.
The other short-listed Good Cause Groups are Dumfries and Galloway Blood Bikes and East Kilbride’s Kilbryde Hospice.
Scotmid members collect votes by swiping their Community Connect card after every in-store purchase and then cast their votes for their preferred good cause group either in-store or at Scotmid’s West Region Annual General Meeting in April 2020.
Based in Glasgow, Scottish Women Warriors Wheelchair Basketball Club are Scotland’s only all-female wheelchair basketball team and they bring wheelchair users and able-bodied people together to have a lot of fun.
The club provides an opportunity for fitness, support and some competitiveness in an inclusive activity for all. With participants aged from 16 to mid-60s, the team’s ethos is that everyone gets to play – regardless of ability or talent. The focus is on capability rather than disability and they work hard to tackle social isolation, building confidence and self-esteem. Community Connect funding will be used to buy specialist basketball wheelchairs.
Chairperson Karen Carruth said: “We are delighted to be selected for a Community Connect award. We are a group of women who focus on capability rather than disability. We are a club for all women of all abilities.
“We have fun, keep active and just have a laugh while playing basketball. The money will help us by specialist sports chairs and help with travel and running costs.”