Perth Parrots Floorball Club is continuing to “grow in size and impact” - and will soon be taking their talents to the continent.
They have established a Scottish LGBTI Floorball Team which will join other athletes and teams who together will form a wider collective representing Team Scotland in the EuroGames 2023 to be held in Bern, Switzerland in July.
The EuroGames is a multi-sport event which caters for the LGBTI community and licensed by the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation.
The first event was hosted in the Hague in the Netherlands in 1992.
The event seeks to engender inclusiveness and community, encouraging participation regardless of gender identity, age, sexual orientation or physical ability.
Team captain Kirsty Welling said: “This is another important step for the Perth Parrots and we are growing in terms of size and impact all the time.
She added: “It is a fantastic honour to be representing our country and the LGBTI community. Visible LGBTI sporting role models are still very limited and it’s our hope that we are helping address that by inspiring others from the LGBTI community to reengage in sport.
“We are the only LGBTI Floorball club in the UK and meeting other LGBTI clubs from across Europe is something we are really excited about.”
LEAP Sports Scotland (Leadership, Equality and Active Participation in Sports for LGBTI people in Scotland) executive director Hugh Torrance said: “Having the Perth Parrots join us for EuroGames in Bern in July is a fantastic addition.”
“It’s a brilliant step to see the Parrots taking and testament to their continued growth and development.
“LEAP Sports will be coordinating Team Scotland for the fifth time and encourage other individuals or teams who might be interested in taking part to take inspiration from the Perth Parrots and get in touch.”
Floorball is a fast-growing sport in the UK which has taken a significant foothold in northern and eastern Europe. It is similar in style to ice hockey, just without ice and skates, and uses a ball rather than a puck.
The Parrots is hosting a fundraising community ceilidh on Saturday, February 25 at the Perth Civil Service Club to help the team finance the trip. Tickets (£25) include live band The Galivanters and a finger buffet.
For more info and to book tickets, email perthparrots@gmail.com
