Introduce a friend at Open morning on Jan 14

Post date: Jan 4, 2017 2:35:08 PM

With the focus both nationally and locally on social care, Stamford Indoor Bowls Club is doing its bit to provide a facility where people of all ages can find companionship as well as an active sport.

The club was founded just over 25 years ago to provide opportunities for outdoor bowlers to pursue their chosen pastime year round. But in more recent times some of those same bowlers have lost a life partner. However, the friendly atmosphere helps them cope with almost inevitable loneliness.

And while the club is open seven days week, upto 12 hours a day and run entirely by volunteers, providing competitive and social sport for all ages from eight to 80 and beyond, it has found a niche for those who seek conversation as well as competition.

Said one member:"When I lost my husband it was devastating after so many years together. But a friend took me to one of the open mornings at the indoor bowls club and almost immediately I was hooked on the game.

"Not only that but I found that I could pop in at any time, even if I wasn't due to play and watch whatever matches were in progress, get a coffee and guarantee to see a friendly, familiar face.That is so important when you can spend hours, sometimes days on your own."

The club stages the first of its open days next Saturday (January 14), when experienced bowlers as well as coaches offer the opportunity to try indoor bowls and sample the club's facilities.

Adds club president Denis Stapleton: "We have a mixed membership with an average age much higher than most sports clubs but the skill level is very high - from juniors to seniors. Many new members have discovered a whole new world to give them a meaning in life."

Indoor bowls, on the club's state of the art, six rink surface in Exeter Gardens provides a gentle sport to keep the mind and body active. The club also hosts social events including cabaret, dancing and quiz nights.

Often wrongly labelled a game purely for the elderly, it offers the ideal opportunity to those who are perhaps not quite as fit and active as they used to be, to continue to play a sport competitively which often strikes up lasting relationships.

In a recent survey by Age UK, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of pensioners admitted they had not been looking forward to Christmas and New Year, while the Royal Voluntary Service were urging clubs like Stamford IBC to reach out to older people and encourage them to take part in activities.

Over the winter months, cold weather and poor light leaves two million over-65s concerned that they will be unable to get around, compounding the problem of loneliness. However, by attending its opening morning on (from 9.30 am) Stamford IBC encourages everyone to still be an integral part of the community among friends with a similar passion for the sport.

Stamford members in particular are encouraged to introduce a friend at the Open mornings.

For further information call 01780 756452 or visit www.stamfordindoorbowls.co.uk

BW

Stamford's women indoor bowlers carry the club's hopes of national honours into the New Year. Following excellent wins over Leicester and Church Gresley they play Erewash in the next round of the Yetton Plate on Saturday in a bid to claim a place in the quarter-finals for the first time in the club's history.

The club is sticking with its tried and tested formula of selecting a team, so far unbeaten at home, to hopefully set up an aggregate advantage, while the two rinks who travel away to South Nottinghamshire endeavour to keep their opponents at bay, while telephone lines will be hot exchanging scores at regular intervals.

Stamford home - J Foster, B Sims, R March, P Birch; J Robinson, E Wallace, F Rogers, M Bloxham. At Erewash IBC - J Brennan, C Warters, S Suffling, C Ford; M Andrews, M Holroyd, S Moir, G Edwards.

Stamford A will play North Cave (33-32 winners over 2014 champions Boston) in the next round (last 32) of the National Over 60 Double rink on Tuesday (10.30am) . Lincoln has been agreed as a neutral venue as the two clubs are more than 100 miles apart.

Stamford A: D Hudson, D Want, P Edwards, M Dolby; B Warters, M Cullingworth, D King, Roger Martin.

In the battle for bragging rights in the over 60s fours, Martyn Dolby's rink beat Roger Martin's 17-13 to progress into the next round.

With Dave Hudson leading well, backed up by Doug Want and Peter Edwards, Dolby's rink always had the upper hand and 10 shots in five ends put them 15-5 ahead with six ends to play, from which their opponents never recovered.

In the pairs Jay Travis-Jenner and Adam Warrington lost to two from March and in the singles, Tony Barwell went down 21-16 to Martin Simpson from Spalding.

In the mixed pairs, Stephen Harris and his sister Louise lost to Matt Orrey (Spalding).