Chairperson’s message,
Wow what a month, this has been and it’s not over yet??
Against all the odds, with no Government or Sport bodies funding for Disability bowls for the past 40 years and battling through illness that swept through the official team hotel, DBE Team England Representative Squad (19 members) returned home with a Gold and 2 Bronze medals and overall, Team World Cup 5th position from the International Bowls for the Disabled (IBD) World Championships 2024 in South Africa. Sadly, Anthony Page was taken seriously ill during the IBD World Championships in South Africa and admitted to hospital, where he is receiving great care, is in very safe hands and is recovering well; we are in daily contact with the hospital (thanks to the lovely ladies from the local bowls club the team met in South Africa who visit him) and the family.
Against our wishes, Anthony’s family and I had to make an official statement to the general bowls public, thanks to the very nasty people who were making up stories, making false allegations and rumourmongering which has been very distressing for the family and DBE Management Team, who went beyond the call of duty to ensure Anthony and everybody else taken ill got the best care possible. I hope these people will hold their head s in shame as !!
The DBE Open singles Tournament had its best turn out for many years, we had had to rearrange the date because of changes to the dates for the Para Outdoor Home Nations. Sadly a number of our VI members could not attend as the new date clashed with the start of the VIBE National Singles & Pairs Championships. The weekend of 22/23 June saw the DBE Open Pairs, Open Singles Playoffs and Aussie pairs taking place at Stoke BC, Coventry who are celebrating their club’s centenary, followed closely by the DBE Team England attending the Para Outdoor Home Nations in Ayr Scotland 28/30 June and we wish everyone great success and good luck.
Finally, our financial situation. We continue to run DBE from day to day, and to do everything we do to ensure ALL our members are given the same opportunity to play bowls at all different levels. We are at a very delicate stage at the
moment and the Trustees of the charity trust are in the final stages of negotiations to ensure we are 110% certain we can maintain the status quo for ALL our members not just the few!!!
The DBE Charity Trust Trustees are hoping to make a full positive
statement in July.
Steve
DBE Chairperson