Hadnall have been handed a financial boost

Hadnall Bowling Club’s application to the Veolia Environment Trust really hit the mark as the village club has been awarded a grant of £68,000 via the Landfill Communities Fund.

“The grant will be used to provide a new pavilion with fully accessible facilities together with solar panels, a battery array, upgraded irrigation system and renewal of the hard standing area,” said a spokesperson for the village club which runs evening teams in the Tanners Shropshire and Whitchurch leagues.

“In winning what is a hugely significant award, the club was required to demonstrate its importance to the village as our sole sporting facility and to show that we enjoy the support of the widest possible cross section of the local community.

“We are very grateful to our Parish Council, the Primary School, the New Inn pub and the retired Rolls Royce employees association who all enthusiastically endorsed our application.

“The club was also able to include a video showing the existing inadequate pavilion and footage of various community events held regularly at the club.

“Work is scheduled to begin once the current bowls season ends and we expect everything to be in place in good time for the start of the 2025 season.”

News of the grant gives the club, winners of Mid Shropshire’s Harris Cup in 2022, a huge lift after the passing of respected chairman Peter Sargeant at a match last year.

A good spell of form has helped take popular bowler Mark Thomas to another title.

Having captained a first time entry from the Premier League to success in the Shropshire veterans inter-league championship last month, Thomas has now added an individual honour.

Representing Castlefields, he came out on top of 32 entries in the Salop Leisure Shrewsbury Senior Citizens League’s annual singles, held at the club where he plays his Premier bowls, Meole Brace.

“Winner of the main competition was Mark Thomas who beat Dave Povey (Pontesbury) 21-14, with the losing semi-finalists being Mike Rogers (Castlefields) and Patrick Bennett (Oswestry Church),” said league chief Chris Kershaw. “The consolation competition was won by Nick Marshall (Prince Hotel) who beat Ernie Shea (Battlefield) 21-19, the losing semi-finalists being Peter Nicholls (Albert Road) and Peter Jones (Atcham).”

Eight teams contested the veterans inter-league at Chester Road with the Premier side defeating the North Shropshire veterans association team captained by county deputy president Simon Fullard in the six-a-side final.