Boccia might be a gentle precision sport on paper… but anyone who’s visited CDI’s Clockhouse sessions knows it’s anything but gentle. This is the arena where Queen Jean rules with regal accuracy, ‘West Ham’ Dave (or ‘Deadly’ to his friends) celebrates every point like he’s scored at the London Stadium, and where “it’s the taking part that counts” gets politely ignored.
In the Leys, Boccia is serious business …..and seriously good fun.
CDI has used Boccia for years to bring seniors, youths and intergenerational groups together. It’s simple, accessible, and somehow manages to unlock fierce competitiveness, big laughs and genuine connection. The game has become one of our most reliable ways of engaging people who might not otherwise try a sport, and once they do, they’re hooked.
Recently, Boccia has stepped up another level thanks to Adam Godwin, Active Communities Manager at More Leisure. Adam has been brilliant at bringing local community groups together for monthly matches at Leys Leisure Centre. These sessions are free, open to all, and full of personality.
As Adam says, “Boccia is such a great way of engaging people in healthy, social activity. It’s fantastic to attract so many seniors into the leisure centre for our ‘Open to All’ sessions every month.”
CDI’s Community Development Worker Layla sees the impact every week: “It’s really great to see so many of our seniors enjoying themselves and having the opportunity to meet new people.”
With weekly Boccia at CDI’s Clockhouse and monthly community meets at the leisure centre, opportunities to play have never been greater in the Leys. And with the enthusiasm of our senior players, plus their legendary competitive streaks, Boccia is going from strength to strength.
Who knows… maybe CDI will make it to the Olympics one day. If ‘Queen’ Jean and ‘Deadly’ Dave have anything to do with it, we’d better start practising our victory parade.
