The start of the 2017 bowling season began at Ross Bowling Club on Saturday, April 15th.

Club President, John Perks, welcomed visitors and members, old and new, to the bowling green on Saturday afternoon, and he thanked all of the volunteers who had got the club ready and made their facilities look their best.

Mr Perks also presented cheques to representatives from two local charities, Jill Davies from the Friends of Ross Hospital and Jean Harrison from Ross Stroke Club. £1000 was raised during last year’s bowling season, for the President’s charities, so each charity received a cheque for £500.

Mr Perks explained that his President’s charity for the forthcoming year will be the Ross Action Committee, who run a mini-bus and ambulance to take elderly local residents on outings and shopping trips. Mr Perks told the club that they are fundraising to pay for a new bus, and he hoped they could help them achieve this.

Jean Harrison from Ross Stroke Club told the Gazette that the charity have lots of ideas about how they will use the money; they will share some of the funds with the Stroke Association, as this national organisation have supported the local Stroke Club by giving them materials and training. Some of the funds will also be put towards intensive physiotherapy, which is not available on the NHS, which will benefit local residents who have suffered a stroke.

Jill Davies from the Friends of Ross Hospital said that the money will be put towards the group’s next big project, which is to purchase new curtains to be put around every hospital bed on both wards at Ross Hospital. Jill added:?“We are so grateful to people like the bowling club for giving us this money, it is marvelous.”