After lots of hard work and dedication Malcolm and Shelly were awarded the Active Schools Volunteer of the Year award at Aberdeenshire Clubsport Annual Sports Awards 2023.
Malcolm and Shelly first volunteered with Active Schools during the 2021-2022 school year. Delivering Pétanque and each of the eight network primary schools.
Pétanque is a French game of boules, where players toss metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden target called a cochonnet. Pétanque can be played by all ages and all abilities, recreationally or professionally. Be careful it is very addictive and is known to bring out the competitive spirit and camaraderie among players.
Malcolm and Shelly’s Pétanque sessions were so well received a cluster club set up at Macduff Community and Sports Centre for all to attend and grow the game. Sessions have now moved to Macduff Bowling Club and have a 6 terrain (individual playing areas) pistes (pitch). A new club Macduff Pétanque Club have been established.
Malcom and Shelly have huge hopes for Pétanque and their ambition is to make the Banff network and Aberdeenshire the centre of Scotland’s Junior Pétanque team. With their first steps already well underway. Malcolm has recently trained a group of senior pupils at Banff Academy who then taught their younger school mates the rules of Pétanque.
Malcolm and other members of Macduff Pétanque Club also attend a training day at Ellon Community Campus and trained the PE teachers of Aberdeenshire the rules and techniques used to play Pétanque in the hope they would then take the game back to their Academies and teach their pupils the game.
Sessions run every Saturday Morning 10:00 – 12:00. No experience is needed, and you will be made to feel very welcomed. If you would like to take up the sport, please contact Macduff Pétanque Club via email:
If you would like to get involved, volunteer or just want more information, please contact Active Schools via email:
activeschools@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
All volunteers will be required to be enrolled through our Aberdeenshire Council’s volunteer policy and pre-enrolment checks.