Residents and visitors alike are welcome to take part in Shetland Sports Week, which is being run for a second time by Shetland Islands Council's Sport & Leisure Service.
Following the success of last year's event, funding has been secured to inspire people to participate in a celebration of sport and dance. The aim is to raise the profile of sport and local sports clubs in the community, and create new opportunities for participating, volunteering and coaching.
Starting on Saturday 29th September, a huge variety of Shetland sports centres and games halls will be open for the public to watch demonstrations and take part in workshops and taster sessions. And the best part? It's all free!
The sports represented include netball, hockey, gymnastics, bowling, badminton, squash, fencing, rugby, volleyball, swimming, weightlifting, football, golf, clay target shooting, cycling, athletics, table tennis, trampolining, karate, parkour and canoeing.
In an effort to fuse Shetland's musical, artistic and sporting cultures, this year will also see the inclusion of a dance programme and a photographic exhibition. A media production company based in Shetland and comprised entirely of teenagers will be producing a film for the event. A disability sports element is also to be introduced this year to help make Shetland Sports Week inclusive and accessible for all.
With around 100 activities and sport sessions being planned around 16 sites, the task of pulling together around 170 volunteers will be a demanding task. Active Schools coordinator, Louise Jamieson, has been busy getting ready for the events: "We are ready for the challenge! Building on the success of last year's Shetland Sports Week, we aim to provide even more opportunities for people to try new activities and get involved. We will be working closely with our partners and local sports clubs to create a full program which we hope will offer something for everyone throughout the isles."
The program will be released soon. In the meantime, take note of the dates in your diary and come along to try something new.
For more interesting stories and articles about Shetland, read the latest issue of our 60 North online magazine here