In a season that has been disrupted by COVID-19, St. Saviour’s Bowls Club are pleased to announce their hugely successful Open Pairs competition, proudly sponsored by JEMEC, will be proceeding over the weekend of the 5/6th September.
In the event of a large number of entrants, players should be advised that earlier rounds may be played on the evenings of the 3rd and/or 4th September.
Bowls Jersey President Greg Davis commented “It’s fantastic St. Saviour’s Bowls Club have been able to help us sample a little normality by re-scheduling the JEMEC Open Pairs. Given our usual program of inter-club Bowls has necessarily been shelved this year – this competition will give players of all Clubs the chance to come together in what is always a quality tournament. It also provides those aspiring to apply or wishing to maintain their places in the elite squad some much needed local competition for their CVs. I wish St. Saviours every success and trust the event will be well supported.”
Entry forms can be found at each Bowls Club – please get your entry in as soon as possible.
Following on from my newsletter over the weekend, notification was provided on Monday that as part of the move to Level 3 in Jersey, the Bowls Greens can re-open.
Unlike under Level 4 where the Government guidelines were that venues similar to Bowls Greens stayed shut, through Bowls Jersey’s consultation with Jersey Sport and Government it has now been determined that the risks can be suitably mitigated to allow the greens to re-open. Great news at last!
It is down to each individual club whether they choose to re-open or not, and when. Each Club has different circumstances. There are many considerations that need to be made so that members can enjoy recreational bowls sensibly.
Bowls Jersey have liaised with all clubs on the island, and issued guidance for the opening of greens for recreational purposes only. The guidelines mean that Bowls activity is very restricted, and the guidelines Bowls Jersey have issued are more stringent than those provided by Jersey Sport, who are the intermediaries between Sport and the Government.
This is done because we are aware that some of you will be nervous returning to the greens, and we totally understand that. You need to be re-assured that you aren’t putting yourselves in harms way, and we need to demonstrate that we are not being reckless. We all know the majority of you would like to spend some of your outdoor hours on a tranquil Jersey green.
Your Club Committees are starting to meet to discuss the next steps, again using video conferencing facilities that Bowls Jersey have provided to cover the duration of this crisis to keep clubs functional. Please be patient, and give your Club Committee your full support.
There will be decisions taken that you agree with, don’t agree with or feel indifferent about. Everybody is entitled to their own decision. Ultimately, even if your Club does open, it remains your choice whether you would wish to use the green or not.
I have every confidence that your Clubs will allow the use of their greens as soon as practically possible (there are a lot of procedures and policies to put in place with regards to cleaning, sanitisation etc) but I am confident the guidelines we have issued support the Clubs in this process.
A copy of the current Bowls Jersey Guidelines is attached below for your reference, and they will be reviewed every fortnight.
As ever, we remain contactable at bowlsjersey@gmail.com and we would be happy to answer any further questions. We remain at the disposal of all Club Committees.
Until then, thank you for your continued support of your local clubs and I hope you feel safe enough to enjoy some green time when the opportunity arises for you.
Bowls Jersey have this evening learnt the sad news of Peter Mavity’s passing. Those who have been involved with Bowls in Jersey would know the footprint he had on the game, and the hours of dedication and loyal service he provided over countless years.
A fine, skilled and successful bowler in his own right and a stalwart of St Brelades Bowls Club, Peter was always involved. Even in his last few years when his health had deteriorated to the point he couldn’t play bowls; he still wanted to help with the administration despite having formally retired from Committee some years before.
Bowls Jersey mourns the passing of a fine servant to the Sport, and, although it doesn’t anywhere repay the hours of toil Peter invested in the Sport, he was the first and sole Honorary Life Member of Bowls Jersey, an honour bestowed upon him at the AGM only in 2019.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time. As a Bowling Community we wish to extend any offer of support that we are able.
Rest in Peace Peter, you will be missed dearly my friend.
The Les Creux Clubhouse maybe shut, the greens off limits, but the kitchen is still on fire! (Well, not literally but figuratively speaking of course…)
If you are worried about the supermarket, stuck in self isolation and need some quality food or if you are like your President and just feeling particularly lazy but want to eat well… get in touch with Matt, Nicola and the team who prepare and deliver the tasty menu below.
You won’t be disappointed, it saves you a supermarket trip as it’s delivered to your door, and you are supporting a local business who have done a lot for our sport in recent times all in one go! What’s there to lose?
I promise these emails will not become too regular a feature – I know some of you feel that you hear enough from me as it is! However, in these challenging times I think it is only right we display some leadership and let you know that the Bowls Community won’t suddenly cease to exist even if our freedom to enjoy our greens is going to be delayed!
I’d like to thank you all for your positive responses to the Community Initiative we launched. For those who didn’t get the original email and know nothing about it you can find out more on the link below. We now have several volunteers and also several members who have requested some assistance – and we will be making plans to support you imminently. Please do not be afraid to ask for help if you need it – we genuinely will do what we can. To sign up to volunteer or seek support, please Click Here – there is no shame in asking for help in these difficult times even if its just someone to talk to!
The reason for emailing this time is a personal plea. I really need to ask for everyone’s ongoing support to your clubs. If as a collective membership we do not rally to the challenge of supporting our clubs who still need to make ends meet, the scary reality is for some clubs they may not open their doors again. The message all across the UK on bowls message forums and chatboards is that many hundreds of clubs run the risk of closure. I am sure you will agree, that we cannot let our treasured past-time be confined to history because we let COVID-19 beat us. The reality is, whilst there may be no set date currently, we will be allowed back on the greens and whilst the 2020 season may look incredibly different, there are still grounds for hope these restrictions on our way of life will be lifted for us to be able to enjoy some of our 2020 season.
There is no doubt we will need to be creative – to form new competitions and mini leagues as one-offs for the 2020 season but Bowls Jersey and your individual clubs will rise to the challenge. I am really heartened by how much engagement we’ve been able to enjoy with all the clubs – and I know that this will continue. It’s equally important to me that Bowls Jersey continue to engage directly with it’s members – some of whom would have felt no connection to us previously. We’ve already got some exciting ideas and initiatives to maximise whatever green time we may get this season and we know many of you will be keen to make up for lost time! I hope we get old and new faces taking up the opportunities that may arise.
Like all of us, your Committee’s are helpless in this situation but remain passionate to do the best for your Club and have transitioned to video conferencing supported by Bowls Jersey. From me, thank you to everyone involved in these meetings for your no fuss transition and I am delighted we have been able to at least keep club governance functioning in this way.
To my own Committee and all the Club Committees – you had invested so much time preparing for this season and I hope that not all of it will be in vain – I cannot thank you enough for your continued efforts for our sport.
As I finish, I’d like to advertise the first Bowls Jersey “Pub Quiz” which will be done online via Zoom. Instructions will be sent out in due course. I propose doing this on Thursday 16th April, as we will be half way through the first mandatory lockdown by then, from 7.15pm so everyone can have dinner first! If you’d be interested in taking part, please Click Here to Register Interest.
To close, it seems that most of you already will be adhering to all advice but I do ask you to follow instructions, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance and of course naturally, stay safe and healthy.
I’ll be in touch again soon and I look forward to seeing you all on the greens for what will be a very different but special 2020 season – but firstly maybe even on our experimental quiz night!
Please Click Here to learn more about out new Community Initiative – Bonded by Bowls – to support and bring together our members during the challenging times of self-isolation.
Jean Lowery, President of JBC, has kindly written us some thoughts to break up the doom and gloom. Well worth a read – and thank you to Jean for sharing!
If any other members have some thoughts they’d like to share please get in touch!
Anyone returning to Jersey, from any country, is now required to self isolate for 14 days.
In addition – Social Distancing is extended to people of all age groups and not just those Under 18 or Over 65.
Please follow the Government advice to help control and stop the virus getting out of hand on Jersey if not for yourselves but for our more “at risk” community and healthcare professionals.
If you are self isolating or social distancing and are “at risk” and need some help, please do email bowlsjersey@gmail.com and we will see what we can do to help you.
Bowls Jersey Management Committee last night met for the first time ever via Video Conference.
Preparations continue for the upcoming season in line with Government advice and common sense, but plans were discussed for helping our more “at risk” (and the wider community) and showcasing why Bowls really is the Community Sport. We will keep you posted of our plans, but in the meantime urge you to please keep safe, keep healthy and look after yourselves. Follow the guidelines and if we can do anything at all to help you, please reach out to bowlsjersey@gmail.com where we would be delighted to see what we can do to assist – even if you just want a chat.
Stay Safe, Be Kind and in a world where you can be anything – don’t be the person who buys more loo rolls than you need!
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