A "thriving" borough disability sports club is welcoming new volunteers to help grow the organisation.

Bury Boccia Club is seeking recruits following their success at the Boccia National League Championships, which has seen the side go from strength to strength.

Boccia, often likened to bowls played in a seated position, is a Paralympic sport designed for athletes with disabilities affecting their locomotive function.

The club, who meet weekly at Castle Leisure Centre, was founded in 2019, and has since expanded into three teams: Bury Boccia Bears, Bury Boccia, and Bury Boccia Dynamos.

“Volunteering with Bury Boccia is a fantastic and rewarding opportunity,” said Issy Wood, chairperson and captain of Bury Bocca Club.

“As well as our own in-house training, we offer volunteers access to accredited training from Boccia England, which could help someone to develop their skills formally in areas such as refereeing, coaching and club management.”

“They would also be able to learn valuable skills in areas such as safeguarding, first aid and health and safety.”

Bury Boccia Club’s coach Paul McCormick said: “We have a thriving club with around 16 disabled people playing for us.

"We managed to qualify two teams for the National Boccia Finals, and managed to finish fifth and first!

“This was a massive achievement given that 53 boccia teams entered the competition.

"Volunteering for Bury Boccia is therefore so incredibly rewarding because you can make a real difference in people's lives, helping disabled people to achieve their sporting potential, all while being part of a warm and welcoming community.

“Increasing our volunteer base means we can find places for more players from our waiting list.

"No previous boccia experience is necessary, we will show you what to do.”

“I have been playing Boccia since 2014,” added Issy.

“I love seeing the team grow and develop and watching our members become more confident as they embrace new skills.

"It has been a pleasure to celebrate our success following the hard work we have all put in."

Those interested in volunteering should email the club at buryboccia@gmail.com, and a committee member will be in touch.

The club meet from 2.15pm to 4.30pm on Saturdays at the Bolton Street leisure centre.