A little while ago Fintry Indoor Bowling Club wrote to the BWBA to say what facilities they had at the club that were wheelchair accessible. A further update has been received from club official Donald Chalmers.
Donald, who has multiple sclerosis, found his handicap too much to continue bowling so he was pretty dejected. He enjoyed bowling at Kippen BC outdoors and Fintry indoors and was naturally disappointed that his bowling activities might come to an end…or so he thought.
His friends persuaded him to use a special bowls wheelchair – a Bradshaw Bowls Buggy – which was available at the Fintry club. Initially reluctant, he did give it a go and he has not looked back since. The chair allows him to get up and down the green easily and helps him to stay balanced when he is delivering his bowls, particularly helpful for his MS.
Don enjoys it so much that he decided to encourage other disabled people to have a go. Of course, more wheelchairs were needed. Through grants, donations, fund raising events and lots of hard work he has managed to raise £12,000 – enough to buy another five Buggies.
At a recent reception where he received a cheque for £8,000 from the Lottery funded ‘Awards For All’ Don said, ‘The chair has given me a new lease of life and I want other disabled folk to benefit in the same way I have. With the help of the British Wheelchair Bowls Association we have formed a section at Fintry Indoor Bowling Club and I am very keen to hear from anyone who would like to have a go. No experience is required as we have coaches at the club who will get you started.’
Donald’s initial goal was to help people within the club but due to the success of the fundraising campain his ambition now is to try to make these facilities available to a much wider group of bowlers. Donald continued, “I want to put Fintry Bowling Club on the map as a venue for disabled bowling.”
The club has its own website so you can find out more at www.fintrysportsclub.co.uk