On Saturday 3rd of September, Perth based LGBTI inclusive Floorball club the Perth Parrots celebrated the launch of their new tournament kit, with invited guests at a civic reception hosted by Perth and Kinross Council.
The vibrant new kit, based on the colours of the Macaw Parrot, will ensure that club members are visible and includes a very deliberate move to include the players pronouns on the right sleeve of the kit as they continue to foster a safe and welcoming space for their members.
Speaking at the reception Founder and Chair of the Perth Parrots Frazer Robertson shared how he was feeling following the kit launch saying: “I’m buzzing. I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Everyone that joined us today was in some way has impacted our club positively, they’ve helped, whether it be a sponsor, whether its come along to an event and it thinks it been a really historic milestone, which might seem over dramatic but to me again it’s really important we mark this occasion and cement this as part of our clubs history.”
Mr Robertson went on to talk about the new kit saying: “We are unapologetically visible. It’s a beautiful strip, but again we’ve done that deliberately we don’t want to be missed. We’ve got pronouns on our sleeve and we’re wearing diversity as part of our kit, and it think that’s really really important.”
The Parrots have recently joined the Scottish Floorball League and will begin their season with their first league match in September, with the league games hosted centrally at Bells Sports Centre.
Provost Xander McDade spoke at the reception and explained why it was so important for Perth and Kinross Council to host the reception and show their support to the Parrots: “Really Important, that we celebrate the LQBTI inclusive sport in Perth and Kinross, this is the first inclusive sports club for the LGBT community, but I’m hoping it not going to be the last. We’ve seen the Parrots grow from strength to strength over the last few years and today marks a really important achievement for them in joining the Scottish Floorball league so we’re really cheering them on, hoping they bring back some trophy wear in the future.”
As well as the inclusion of pronouns on the kit, the kit also features the clubs sponsors in Strathearn Tea and the Bankfoot Inn and the LEAP Sports Scotland logo on left sleeve, to recognise the unwavering support the sports charity has offered the club since its formation.
LEAP Sports Scotland Executive Director, Hugh Torrance said: “The Perth Parrots are an ambitious community group, and gearing up to play in the league is a huge and exciting step up for their players. The Parrots have managed to impressively remain focused on the development of their club, whilst investing time and energy into the development of their community, their membership and the wider health and wellbeing outcomes of their members and the whole team at LEAP Sports wish them huge success.”
Another key supporter of the Parrots since their creation in 2019 has been Live Active and LIVE Active Leisure’s, Community Sport and Partnership Manager Phil Coleman stated: “We've been delighted to support the Parrots since their inception a number of years ago. It is fantastic to see how far the club has come, and we know how much it means to them to be competing in their first league match later this week. We wish them all the best with that and look forward to supporting their development in the years ahead.”
The club which offers a safe and welcoming space for members of the LGBTI community and allies, has seen considerable growth in membership since the return to weekly training post pandemic.
Mr Robertson explains how you can get involved with the club: “Check out on either Instagram, on Facebook or Twitter it’s at Perth Parrots. Drop us a DM and we’ll do the rest.”
The Perth Parrots train on a Tuesday at Glenearn Community Campus, with anyone and everyone welcome. To find out more check out their social media accounts.
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