Launched in October 2014, the Love Fisher Brown Award set out to identify, recognise and reward organisations providing participation opportunities for disabled bowlers. In the subsequent months, fifteen entries were received from clubs, leisure organisations and care groups from across the country. With entries closing on the 29th May, 2015 the Love Fisher Brown Award Panel consisting of representatives from the Bowls Development Alliance, Disability Bowls England and the award sponsors, AeroBowls assessed each of the applications and after much discussion and thought are delighted to announce that the following entries were selected as this year’s prize winners:
- 2014/15 Love Fisher Brown Award Winners – Plymouth Life Centre IBC
- 2014/15 Love Fisher Brown Award Runner Up – Bowls Daventry
- 2014/15 Love Fisher Brown Award Runner Up – New Earswick IBC
On behalf of the award panel, Paul Humphreys (Development Manager and Disability Lead for the Bowls Development Alliance) said “the standard of entries proved to be exceptionally high and the nature of the activities detailed within them were both inspiring and humbling. All fifteen entries had much to be commended for and it is extremely heartening to hear of the fantastic work that is taking place to provide opportunities for disabled people to participate in bowls. Ultimately, however, there has to be a winner and Plymouth Life Centre IBC were the award panel’s unanimous choice to receive the 2014/15 Love Fisher Brown Award with the entries from Bowls Daventry and New Earswick IBC securing the two runner up prizes.”
Throughout this month, as part of Disability Bowls August, every Love Fisher Brown Award entrant will be profiled and their great work showcased. The first entrant to be profiled is the 2014/2015 Love Fisher Brown Award winners:
Plymouth Life Centre has a wide range of disability bowls activities taking place on a weekly basis which engages over 100 people with various impairments. The club provides adaptive equipment along with expert coaching and guidance from a dedicated team led by the countries first Working with Disabled Bowlers tutor, Gilly Ainslie. The club is keen to stress that the activities offered are about more than just bowls, but about ensuring a club structure and culture that enables participants to develop physically, mentally and socially.
As well as the weekly sessions the club also arrange fundraising events and over the past twelve months have hosted a Thelma Heart Charity Day and where approximately 100 members have raised over £2,500 for the Plymouth Highbury Trust.
At the heart of all the activities is fun and enjoyment with the regular sound of laughter heard coming from across the green and a resulting carnival atmosphere radiates from the bowls hall. For those who have the pleasure of spectating at the sessions it is evidently clear as to why there is a waiting list to join!
As part of the Love Fisher Brown Award winning prize, Plymouth Life Centre IBC will be hosting a celebration event on Tuesday, 22nd September (11:30-14:00) at which Ellen Falkner (CEO Aero Bowls UK and three time Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist) will be in attendance to take part in the sessions and answer questions from participants, coaches and club members. For more information regarding this event please contact Liz Slater on 01752 307129.