March 2019 Newsletter
Biddenden Bowls Club
With just one month to go until our season starts, it's time for a quick update on what has been happening and what is planned!! Pages on the website have been updated for 2019 so please do have a look. So here we go in no particular order.
Fish and Chip Supper with Horse Racing - Saturday 23rd March 7pm at Biddenden Village Hall
Everything is ready for next weekend including fish and chips (!), the bar, the tote and the races. We have a small number of tickets left so if you have friends or family who would like to come along please let Kim, Denise or Martin know.
Don't Forget
Pre-Season Get Together - Sunday 14th April 12.00 to 14.00 - Bring your diaries to fill in your name on the tea rota. League availability sheets will also be on display. If you want to know more about any of the competitions its a good time to chat to Paul, our competitions secretary, or to learn more about the league or friendly games chat to Martin or Kev.it's a good members get together just a couple of days ahead of the new season.
Open Afternoon - Sunday 28th April - 2pm to 4pm - come along and welcome and/or have a roll up with potential new members. Cheese and Wine will be available.
The Green and Surrounds
The workcrew have been putting in a lot of hours and the green really is looking good. The slabs around the green have been levelled and the team have nearly finished laying a new line of slabs to widen the path on the 'squash club' end and install places for extra seating. Ron has painted the inside of the Club House. A lot will be happening over the coming weeks and extra hands always welcome. Feel free to come along any Tuesday morning.
[wider surrounds - The potholes in the car park have been sorted - Well done Roger and Paul for raising this at a recent Parish Council Meeting]
New Toilet Block
This is progressing but sadly may not be done before our Pre-Season meeting on 14th April. We await the final planning consent and agreement from the VHSC but remain hopeful that things will get moving in April so that the new toilet block will be available early in the season. The delays have been very frustrating but the project team have been doing everyting they can to keep things moving.
Support our sponsors "Seventy Seven Wealth Management (who generously sponsor our Ladies Day prizes and pay for a banner.)
"77" have invited club members (and friends) to a Pre-Season Bowls Club Event on Tuesday 26 March 2019 at 10:30am – 3:30pm
at Mercure Great Danes Hotel, Heart of Kent Suite, Ashford Road, Maidstone, ME17 1RE
This is being run in conjuction with Bowls England and will give you a chance to try your bowling skills on a 'Bullseye’ short mat competition and to
test your knowledge with a ‘Bowls Quiz’ . Robert Paxton, from Bowls England will be telling stories and answering questions and 'SeventySeven Wealth Management' will be discussing the world today and how the ever-changing rules could affect you.
A delicious table buffet with a selection of coffee, tea and soft drinks will be served at 1:00pm (A cash bar will be available from 11:30am – 3:00pm). To register please contact: Clare de Jersey-Lowney 01892 770077
This should be an interesting and enjoyable event with a free lunch - if you want to link up to go with someone else please contact Kim
AVIVA FUND and Juniors
We have now received the £1000 grant (well done and thank you to all of you who voted and "encouraged" friends and family to do the same}. We have already purchased some New Age Bowls, targets and cones and will shortly be getting a "bowling arm", lifter and 2 sets of junior bowls. We are hoping to welcome several classes from John Mayne Church of England Primary School in the village to the green for taster sessions leading to an afterschool club. We are also hoping to hold some junior coaching sessions (Kev is undertaking his coaching awards to provide extra support to Chris). This is an exciting new development for the club and will hopefully open up the game of bowls and our club in particular to a wider group of participants.
Friendly Matches, League Games and Club Competitions
All of the fixture details are now on the website and they will also be shown on your 2019 membership cards. There are lots of games to suit all members: Martin, our club captain, and Kev, our vice captain, are hoping that as many members as possible will put their names forward and play.
Details of all the club competitions are on the website and it is already clear that lots of members are entering including a number who joined the club last year which is excellent and should make for some very enjoyable competition days over the summer. Remember you can enter at the start of the year with your registration form or nearer the time for the one day competitions.
A number of the Ladies have again entered the County Knockouts - it will be good if we can emulate Maggie's success last year when she made it to the Divisional Finals in the "2 Woods".
Fun Skills Competition - 2nd May 1.45pm for 2pm to 4 pm.
A good, early season social occasion to test/refresh your skills in a relaxed, but no doubt slight competitive event. Tea and coffee will be available with a few biscuits to keep you going. There is no charge for taking part but a mini 'Cash' raffle wll be held so don't forget to bring a couple of coins.
Fund Raising and Sponsorship
As you will all realise, running a bowls club is not cheap and even with so much work being done by volunteers is it vital that we keep a focus on fundraising and encourage sponsorship. Our Fish and Chip Supper, Quiz Night and of course the Tractorfest will generate funds but the committee would like a small subcommittee to get together to come up with ideas and help organise activities/events and attract/retain sponsors. Roger has agreed to head up this subcommittee with Kim's support but 2 or 3 more members are needed. CAN YOU HELP? Are you an ideas person, can you encourage others, are you an organiser or do you have other skills which would help? Please contact Roger, Kim or Jeannette.
Contact Information
Kim Buggins
- 07795802630
Find Biddenden Bowls Club
The Green, Gordon Jones Playing Fields, Tenterden Road, Biddenden, Ashford, Kent, TN27 8BB
Additional Information
Turn off the A262 (Tenterden Road) into Old Mill Court and then immediately bear left into first car park. Continue past playing field and to the right of the squash club. The bowls club is on the left at the far end of the car park.