I started playing bowls at the beginning of the 2011 summer season mainly to stop my Auntie from pestering me to try it out. She was a member of the club and has since moved away, but I have remained and play outdoors as well as short-mat bowls over the winter. A keen bowler, I enjoy the friendly matches we play with other clubs, as well as our internal competitions and have won the club championship. During the outdoor season, I play for the club in the Southampton and District mixed triples league and in county competitions have made it as far as the quarterfinals of the singles earning my county badge. I also like to volunteer and help within the club, I am a creative person and enjoy crafting and baking; I make cakes for the match teas and decorate the club for Christmas and other occasions.
I am the club’s Safeguarding Officer a role that is a statutory requirement for clubs affiliated to Bowls England, we have a very strong sense of community and are supportive of each other but it is also important that standards of behaviour are maintained on and off the green by visiting teams and ourselves. Its not just about the bowls; our sense of community, the friendly banter and the fact that I have always felt safe and comfortable at the club are all very important to me.