WELLINGTON BOWLING CLUB NEWSLETTER

Due to the various activities and other areas of interest taking place at the club it was decided that a news update would prove to be beneficial to all members.

COMMITTEES

The new executive committee has already met and have been busy attending to club business. A full committee meeting was held just before Christmas and all the respective minutes will be posted on the notice board.

INDOOR RINK

The league matches and roll-ups are in full swing and already there have been a number of interesting battles and results occurring. The winter indoor individual men’s champion was Chris Thorne. The mixed pair’s competition has now been arranged and will take place this month. Due to the impending work on the roof, which hopefully will commence in March, there will be some disruption to games and all playing members will be kept informed.

OUTDOOR GREEN

All the necessary fertilisers are being applied and due to the warm weather the green keepers have been busy regularly cutting the grass - it really looks good. A list of friendlies including five new teams and venues and four touring sides are now listed on the notice board.

BAR STAFF

We are pleased to announce that John Lister has joined the bar staff rota. There is still a need for more help and it would be appreciated if anyone is interested please contact Roland.

SOCIAL TEAM

The new social team have completed three of their organised events and to date have received great support from members. They are busy arranging the next event which will be Jason Toft on 23rd January. Looking ahead to next New Years Eve, the very popular Duo Don have been booked for our very own New Years Eve Party! The Social Team would like to thank everyone for their continued support.

OUTDOOR MEMBERSHIP

The deadline for payment of outdoor membership subscription is 1st May 2016. It would be appreciated if all members could kindly pay on time.

SPONSORSHIP/PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS

We have to date received sponsorship from local businessmen totaling £1,000. It is intended to contact other businesses in the area for further financial support. A big thank you to Mike Connor and his team for organizing the Christmas Draw and raising £800.00.

BUILDING WORK

The Club's Think Tank and members have identified several areas of the club that require upgrading and a list has been posted on the board. The total cost of this wish list would be over £150,000. Work already costed is as follows:-

Indoor Rink

Roof-------------------------------£50,000

The roof continues to be patched and signs of water stains are evident on the ceiling. It also has an asbestos content.

Lighting---------------------------£10,000

The present office lighting creates a lot of shadows.

Disabled--------------------------£20,000

If a member became wheelchair bound or a disabled visitor wanted to watch a match there is no ramp access on to the club premises or a facility for self-entry (human rights). Also the disabled toilet has become a storeroom. Both of these areas contravene building control standard practices.

This year we will see several projects being undertaken at the club by contractors. The anticipated period for the roof and lighting to start is the 17th March.

SO HOW DOES THE CLUB FUND £150,000?

By applying for grants, which involves a large amount of time and effort but which have been available for years. So far we have secured £77,000 from grant applications. So if members wish to contribute to this fund it would be greatly appreciated.

EQUIPMENT

The club has purchased a secondhand short mat and a disabled bowling arm aid (to avoid bending). The latter will be placed behind the bar and any member wishing to test its effectiveness may do so. The successful Persimmon grant will allow the club to purchase additional pushers and scorers.

NEW WEB SITE

Our new website is www.wellingtonbowling.club

FUTURE

The future of the club can only succeed by recognising the hard work and support of established members together with the influx of new members. It is important that we all embrace and support the club to achieve a stable and successful one for the future.

A Happy New Year to all members.