LEAP organises Pride Youth Games in Largs

11th August 2025

At the start of August, 72 LGBTIQ+ young people and youth workers took part in Pride Youth Games, a UK-wide annual inclusive physical activity residential. It was held in Largs, Scotland this year as it was our turn to host the event. Participants, aged 16-25, took part in a wide variety of fun and engaging physical activities at the sportscotland National Training Centre Inverclyde. 25 sports and physical activities were offered, from floor curling to gymnastics and pickleball to coastal rowing, plus a pool party and roller disco. Sessions were delivered by LGBTIQ+ sports groups, local clubs, individual coaches, and sports governing bodies. Social activities like crafts, karaoke, and a queer quiz offered a chance for participants to connect and have a laugh in the evenings.

The weekend enabled participants to try activities in an inclusive and encouraging environment, geared specifically for LGBTIQ+ people. With 10 youth groups attending from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland this year, the event provided a space for young people to make connections widely and discuss LGBTIQ+ participation in sport. Participants emphasised this year’s event being neurodivergence friendly, paying attention to accessibility in many different areas, which we are keen to keep going and improving on in the years to come.

We picked out one piece of participant feedback which summarises what many people were saying:

“I got to take part in so many fantastic sports, some of which I never even knew existed and got to learn new skills as well as develop existing ones. All the coaches were brilliant too and were able to give loads of useful tips and advice about ways to get better at the sport they were running, and I'm looking into joining a couple of sports clubs local to me now because of this event.
It also gave me an opportunity to meet so many great people from across the UK & Ireland. I've made some really close friends because of it.
Overall it was a fantastic event, so a huge thank you to everyone who made it possible!”

Based on feedback, we also know that almost everyone “felt comfortable and supported to try sports”, most people were “surprised at how much [they] took part in”, and over half felt “[they are] more likely now to think about taking up a new sport”. Participants also felt more motivated to do physical activity and gained a more positive attitude towards physical activity after the event.
The majority of participants felt better about themselves (71%), healthier (54%), and more positive about being LGBTIQ+ (56%) as a result of taking part. They made new friends (63%), learned new skills (80%), and improved their mood (67%), which we love to hear.

We are looking forward to Pride Youth Games on the 31st July to 2nd August 2026 in Lancaster, England next year, organised by Pride Sports and Street Games. It has also been announced that the 2027 Games will be held in Cardiff, Wales, to coincide with the summer EuroGames is hosted in the UK for the first time.