SYSTON BOWLERS BENEFIT FROM FORUM FUNDS

On Monday 7th June, the Mayor of Charnwood Borough Council, Councillor Jill Vincent, visited the Syston Bowling Club to present to the Club a specialised wheelchair and ancillary coaching equipment, see picture right. The chair and equipment have been purchased, at a cost of £3000, following the Club’s successful bid for a proportion of the £20,000 recently made available by the Leicestershire County Council Local Area Forum (South Charnwood area comprising Syston, Thurmaston and Wreake Villages).
Also in attendance as special guests of Club Members were the Chairman of Syston Town Council, Councillor Howard Midgely, Syston Town Manager, Mr Alan Clark, Coach of the Leicester Cobras Wheelchair Basketball Club, Mr Mike Foster and President of the Rothley and Soar Valley Lions Club, Mrs Norma Grimes. They were greeted by Club Chairman, Colin Grimes and President of the Syston Ladies’ Bowling Club, Mrs Ruth Wheeler. (Men’s President, Peter Murray and Vice-President George Dodge were unable to attend because they were involved in a fixture in the Loughborough League.)
In her brief presentation to an attentive audience of Members, the Mayor commended the Club on its efforts to develop the sport of bowling among disabled members of the community – both the young and the more mature. Drawing on her own family experience, she recalled how membership of the local bowling Club had greatly benefited her parents when they moved to a new locality. Through their membership they had rapidly made many new friends and were able to develop a vibrant social life in addition to deriving great pleasure from the exercise involved.
She congratulated the Club and, on behalf of the Leicester County Council and the Local Area Forum, expressed great pleasure in formally presenting the equipment.
In accepting the gift, Club Chairman, Colin Grimes, welcomed and commended the work of the Local Area Forum which, he believed, was a striking example of local democracy successfully at work, enabling communities themselves to decide how best limited funds should be distributed and applied for the benefit of the communities concerned.
He confirmed and explained how the equipment would be used to enable the Club to develop and expand coaching services and extend membership to disabled people in the locality helping to fulfil the Club’s stated objectives as a registered Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC).
He thanked Syston Town Council and Syston Rotary Club for the provision of disabled toilet facilities adjacent to the Clubhouse and paid tribute to John Wheeler, late husband of current Ladies’ President Ruth, and a former Chairman and President of the Club, for initiating the project during his time as Chairman of the Syston Rotary Club.
He wished to place on public record, the Bowling Club’s thanks to the Council for their sympathetic and supportive approach to the recent negotiations over the renewal of the lease for the bowling green. During the negotiation process a very close and mutually supportive working partnership had been developed as both parties seek to promote and maximise the benefits of the green as a valuable community asset.
Rothley and Soar Valley Lions were thanked for the provision of a temporary clubhouse entry ramp.
He then paid special tribute to Club Coach, Des Eggitt, for his total commitment to his voluntary role, always ready to help and assist both new players and the more experienced who feel the need to improve their game. Through his efforts, the Syston Project, a drop-in centre for people with special needs such as Down’s Syndrome and cerebral palsy enjoy regular weekly coaching sessions on the green. The wheelchair and target mat would strengthen that coaching programme enabling those with a physical disability also to participate while minimising any damage to the green.
He was delighted to confirm that the provision of the special chair had already resulted in an increase in Club membership. Mike Foster, the Coach of the Leicester Cobras Wheelchair Club – the Club’s nominated charity in 2009 – had now joined the Club as a means of remaining active during the close Season for basketball. This would simply not have been possible without the provision of the chair, the ramp and the disabled toilet facilities. It was the hope of the Club that this would be the first of many.
Finally, the Mayor and other special guests were invited on to the green where, with the help of Members, a demonstration of the use of the wheelchair and the ‘target’ mat was arranged. Mayor Jill Vincent and Chairman Howard Midgely then accepted an invitation to try their hands at the great game of bowling to gain a flavour of the skills required and to understand the attraction of the sport for people of all ages.
The event was brought to a close with tea and light refreshments in the Clubhouse.
Enquiries about membership of Syston Bowling Club should be made either to Rob Wilbourn 01664 424813 (Men) or Val Foreman 0116 260 9635 (Ladies).