“Having a permanent home has been a huge factor”


banter going on between them. They have beaten sighted teams and, as a group, they get more confident all the time. The club are convinced that having a permanent home has been a huge factor. Paul and Valerie Smith, who run the section for them, are in contact with other organisations looking for more players. The main problem is to convince them they can play even when they can’t see. Recently the club were given a donation of a wheelbarrow, various hand and electric garden tools and a rotary mower by the local B&Q on their Good Neighbourhood grant scheme. As is the way with most things B&Q, the rotary mower had to be assembled. Enter Barry Scripps, a disabled member with one arm and one leg. “No problem, me and the lads will fix it”. The other ‘lads’ were Ray Wood, who has very little sight, and Frank Meeten who has peripheral sight and needs to use an eye glass to be able to see anything. The mower was up and running in no time. They then decided to test out their new machine by cutting the grass surrounds. It was a moving sight to see Barry walking beside them guiding them on a straight line. When they were confident with the machine they were left to mow the rest on their own. The trio are now on the club list as mowers, edgers and hedge cutters. What an achievement. Frank and Ray have never before been able to do any work in the club. The difference it has made to their self esteem is amazing. They feel they are now contributing something back to the club.


AND so to Bill Ledger, a playing member of the club. Bill has taken on the challenge of learning the art of greenkeeping. He has already signed up for the EBA Level 3 Bowls Greenkeeping Course at Cranleigh and has been helped greatly by existing greenkeepers, often on-line at Pitchcare, who have been very supportive in their advice. Bill has a band of eighteen members affectionately known as ‘The Green Team’, who work willingly to help him. Bill is known as ‘the Greenkeeper’. “Someone has to take the blame” he says. The commitment and enthusiasm of The Green Team gives him every reason to be thankful for their unstinting support. He is confident that the green will become one of the best in the area. When it was taken over by the club in July it was in very poor condition, but,


due to the non stop care it has received since then, it is actually looking like a green. Visiting clubs have been very complimentary. The winter work is just about to begin, a programme of work is in place. A demo by Keith Kensett, the ‘Graden Man’ took place in early October and this gave Bill and his team a flying start.


Above: You can do it if you B&Q it! (l-r) Barry Scripps, Frank Meeten and Ray Wood.


Left: The same trio with Janet Dunn, another blind bowler.


Below: Bill and Barbara Ledger stand proudly in front of the


construction of the pavilion


Fund Raising for the club is ongoing. The money raised last year has been spent on furnishing the pavilion and purchasing equipment for the green. This included an Allett C24 with cassette system and various Sisis equipment. They are now looking to raise money to buy a special wheelchair to allow disabled bowlers access to the green. The provision of fertiliser, materials, seed etc. has been costed and, whilst good value for money, is an expensive business for a voluntary club. The club are looking for sponsors to help with the cost of maintenance of the green and pavilion. So much has happened to this club in such a short time and all the workers should be congratulated. The Club and Green are fast becoming an icon for others to follow.


The club operates on an all year round basis, providing Short Mat Bowls and many other social activities for its members.


Chairman Paul Smith said “We are looking forward to the future with great confidence. We are saving the ratepayers of Crawley a great deal of money and, because our green is looked after by our bowlers, we get the playing surface that we want and not one that some well meaning council official thinks we ought


to have. We are providing a matrix for all sports clubs in the town. The burden on Council Tax is reduced and players get the standard of pitches that they want. Everyone wins.”


“because our green is looked after by our bowlers we get the playing surface that we want”


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