Orkney Islands Council employee recognised with prestigious role at 2026 Commonwealth Games

Orkney Islands Council is pleased to share the achievement of colleague Derek Allan, who has been selected to officiate at the swimming programme of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Derek will be part of a team of officials on poolside across the six days of competition, working alongside representatives from World Aquatics and World Para Aquatics. His selection places him among a limited group of just 19 officials from across Scotland chosen for this role.

Derek began officiating in 1998 at the former Kirkwall Grammar School pool, when he first became involved as a timekeeper while his children were members of the local swimming club. From there, he progressed through the officiating ranks, supported by guidance from the experienced official Ian Gibson.

In time, Derek achieved qualifications as a turn judge and stroke judge before going on to become a starter. Finally, in 2011 Derek qualified as a referee.

Since then, Derek has officiated at an increasing number of events across the UK, including Scottish Swimming, Swim England and Aquatics GB (formerly British Swimming) competitions, ultimately aiming to gain experience of how large events are run, and to use this to contribute to raising standards of officiating locally in Orkney and across the North District of Scotland.

When Orkney was awarded the 2025 Island Games, Derek applied and then joined the British Swimming referee development programme in 2022. Through this programme, he continued to officiate at major events, which led to the opportunity to work alongside World Aquatic referees, gaining further invaluable experience, which prepared him to be lead referee during the Islands Games.

Through consistently attending these events, Derek could evidence that he had the experience and demonstrated that he met the criteria the Commonwealth Games sets to become an official. Through a rigorous selection process, he was offered the incredible chance to officiate at an international level.

 Derek said:

“It’s a real honour to be chosen to officiate at the Commonwealth Games. It’s not something I ever set out with in mind when I started timekeeping all those years ago, but it shows what can be achieved if you put time and effort into your sport. I’m looking forward to being part of such a major event and working alongside officials from across the world.”

Orkney Islands Council congratulates Derek on this outstanding achievement, which highlights his personal dedication, the value of volunteering within the community and where it can take you. Having seen first-hand the positive and amazing experience of the Island Games last year in Orkney, it’s great to see that Orkney experience now supports the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Image: Derek Allan with referee colleague Pauline Duncan