CHIVAS BROTHERS EMPLOYEES CHOOSE DISABILITY SPORTS CLUB TO RECEIVE £5K DONATION

Employees of Scotch whisky producer Chivas Brothers have chosen Dunbartonshire Disability Sports Club (DDSC) as their Charity of the Year 2015. The organisation was chosen by employees at the company’s Paisley, Glasgow and Ayrshire sites. The company has donated £5,000 to the charity.

DDSC was founded in 2010 in response to a lack of opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in physical activities. Since inception, it has developed into a thriving community resource that gives children and young people with a disability the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities.

Charities of the Year are nominated by employees, before a shortlist is created and voting takes place. DDSC holds a special place in the heart of Finance department employee Michelle Laing, whose son is a member, and who has personally raised funds for the club in the past.

Michelle said: “I was over the moon when I found out that DDSC had gained the most votes – and would therefore be our charity for 2015. My family has been involved with the club since it was founded in 2010, and it has been hugely beneficial to my son.”

DDSC Chairman Allan Clark said: “It is fantastic to be recognised by Chivas Brothers as their Charity of the Year. We are a relatively small club that makes a huge difference in the lives of our members and their families. We are in the process of expanding the DDSC to include a swimming element so the opportunity to build a relationship with Chivas Brothers is hugely exciting for us during this important time.”

Jennie Norrish, Head of Communications at Chivas Brothers, added: “I’m delighted our employees in the Paisley, Glasgow and Ayrshire region have decided to support this local charity, which provides much-needed opportunities for children and young people with disabilities to participate in sport. DDSC is a thoroughly deserving organisation, and we look forward to working with them throughout the year.”

There are four regional Chivas Brothers charities of the year in total. The others are: The Kiltwalk (Dunbartonshire region), The Jake McCarthy Foundation (London and Plymouth region) and the Scottish Network for Arthritis in Children (Northern Scotland region).

Picture caption:

Michelle Laing of Chivas Brothers shakes hands with Allan Clark of Dunbartonshire Disability Sports Club (centre) to mark the year-long partnership

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the world’s No.1 single malt whisky; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.

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About DDSC:

The Dunbartonshire Disability Sports Club was developed in response to a public meeting in 2010 which highlighted that there were little or no opportunities for children and young people with disabilities to be physically active in the Dunbartonshire area. The DDSC is managed and run by a team of volunteers with the purpose of filling this identified gap in the provision of these opportunities.

For the last five years the DDSC has maintained a weekly multi-sports club at St Peter the Apostle High School in Clydebank which enables children of all ages, with all different disabilities, to get active. The DDSC is also about to launch an expansion of the club to include a swimming element. In spring 2015, the club will launch DDSC SWIM which will enable our members the opportunity to take part in two separate sessions. One will focus on our children having fun in the pool, the other will concentrate on coaching those children who can swim with the purpose of improving their skills and providing them with a pathway to competition.