TENNIS and Boccia were the order of the day last Thursday when 13 primary school pupils from Melrose, St Peter’s, Stow, Langlee and St Margaret’s took part in the Eildon Paralympic Festival at the Queen’s Leisure Centre.

Children from Earlston, Galashiels and Selkirk cluster areas, who have a learning, physical or sensory disability, were invited to attend the event which was organised and ran by the Live Borders Active Schools and Sports Development teams.

The tennis stations were run by Tennis Development Officer Ali McCulloch and St Boswells Tennis Club Coach Rebecca Bruce.

While Development Officer Alan Oliver, supported by Active Schools, manned the boccia station.

Active Schools Coordinator Gemma Ross said: “It was great to see so many pupils from the Eildon cluster attend the festival and enjoying such a positive sporting experience.

“Small groups of children allow for greater engagement with the coaches and it is always fantastic to see the excitement on the faces of the pupils when they achieve something they didn’t think they could achieve!”

Ewan Jackson, Chief Executive, Live Borders, added: “The Festival is part of a series of events Live Borders run throughout the year for children with a disability.

“They are excellent platforms for the children to try new activities, which may encourage them to participate in sessions out with the curriculum, more of which are becoming available.

“This format allows us to specifically tailor each session and target the children participating so they get the most from the event.”