The Bribie Island Bowls Club has won for the second year in a row the coveted award for “Best Bowls Club (large)” at the 2019 Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence. The community club, whose motto is ‘where friends meet’ has continued to go from strength to strength. “In my 10 years as CEO of Clubs Queensland, one of my greatest joys is seeing how our community clubs continue to evolve, “said Doug Flockhart, CEO Clubs Queensland.
Featured Image(above): Presenting the Award for the Best Bowls Club Large is Curt Schatz from sponsor Mullins (l) to Bribie Island Bowls Club chairman Peter Patrikeos (r).
“Bribie Island Bowls club is a wonderful example of a community club that has kept its roots firmly entrenched in supporting bowls and at the same time evolved as a magnificent venue for the Bribie Island community.” “Winning this award is another major achievement for the club and they should be extremely proud, “said Mr. Flockhart. “Turning the tide on a declining membership is not an easy task and Bribie Island Bowls has managed to hold steady, and in fact grow its membership because they are continually searching for ways to find new members and offer new and innovative services.”
Bribie Island Bowls Club is the backbone of bowls in the district, running an operationally professional venue that provides the funding to support a very competitive bowls programme, right through to monthly barefoot bowls, and programmes such as the MBRC Older and Bolder programme and the MBRC Healthy and Active programme which are designed to keep seniors in the community active.
The club also believes it is important to help out the local community and charities however they can through cash donations, prizes, vouchers, or the free use of a room to hold a committee meeting. “The club takes a very holistic approach to nurturing their membership and the community. The awards judges were particularly impressed with the way the club engages with its community and has created an intergenerational meeting place for the community, in particular, the diverse range of bowls programmes for all ages,” said Mr. Flockhart.
“This type of relationship with members is what makes community clubs so valuable.” “To continue to provide for our communities, the club sector is always striving to be the best it can be, and these Awards are a way we recognise the incredibly hard work of our clubs and our dedicated club managers and volunteer boards and committees,” said Mr. Flockhart.