Development updates

9th August 2011

LATEST NEWS from BORDERS CURLING DEVELOPMENT GROUP
The Group recently had a meeting with Caroleann MacLellan, the representative of Peoples Millions, Big Lottery, from whom they won the grant of £47,686.00 last year. The purpose of the meeting was for Caroleann, to evaluate how the 8 to 80+ Project has been delivered & received by Borders curlers. This Project is now in its final stage, with some residue funding left over, to allocate between September/October (due to the snow last season).
This amazing funding has been a wonderful boost to the number of new curlers, young curlers, established curlers, wheelchair curlers – indeed the Border Ice Rink entirely! It has probably been the greatest achievement of the Border Curling Development Group thus far?! Caroleann was very pleased with the way the Project had been set out, delivered, records kept & communication of all. The final end of year report was apparently a role model for other projects?!
The Group attended both Border Union Show & Duns Show & spread the word about the funded Come & Try ice available, for all who would like to come along to try (FREE) the sport of curling from 1.30pm onwards on 22 October, 2011. Please encourage any friends to give it a go – come along with them to help, always appreciated!
The Curling stand will be at Kelso at St James Fair Saturday 3^rd & Sunday 4 September, any people willing to help man the stand, will be most welcome.
The Monday Club youngsters are hoping to benefit from sponsored ice during the coming season, as the Group feels that extra ice would encourage/enable continuing successes. There will also be the facility of an 8 to 80+ sheet (FREE) per local Club available this season for Club newcomers, similar to last season. This ice can be booked for any time in the season but MUST be “booked” by the end of October so that it will be paid within the 8 to 80+ Project timescale. Please enter details of all participants as previously, in the Club files, as this helps all to build a data base for the Project.
If any curler has a few hours spare – why not try to attend the Assistants Coach Course being held at our Ice Rink on 1^st October 2011 – ask Liz Cullen for further details. There is no cost involved as the 8 to 80+ Project is funding these courses. The coaching staff is always needing new recruits!
THANK YOU Border curlers & friends for supporting the Group in these worthwhile enterprises. The Group would love to hear about new members in particular, but indeed, of any way the Group could help their Club.

15th April 2010.

Dear Club Secretary,

On behalf of the Border Curling Development Group I would like to tell you about the Peoples Millions Grant we have received & what it can do for your members & Club.

NEWS Important offer for your Club definitely not to be missed!!

You may book 3 sheets of ice with your ice allocation this year for FREE. Please highlight this ice as Peoples Millions ice when you book it & aim to take this offer up before Christmas so that a new allocation can be sorted for post New Year. This ice is to be exclusively used to bring friends, colleagues, relatives, neighbours to try curling. You do however, by Peoples Million rules, have to book 2 coaches to attend these sessions & fill in attendance sheets. It is ideal if the 3 sheets are used to have a 3 session plan continuous teaching plan. (i.e. the same 1 to 8 people taught for 2 hour session on 3 occasions). This gives your Club the unique opportunity to introduce new curlers to your Club. If you have more than 8 people wanting to take part - either ask your dedicated coaches to split the time or ask the Group for permission to book another allocation of ice. All details or further information are available from Helen Mathieson at thesmiddyfolk@btinternet.com or 01890 840 204. This is part of a total of £13,824.00 ice money.

As a Club Curler there will be 32 sheets of ice dedicated to improver lessons for all for FREE. These events will be advertised as soon as we can establish what ice will be available & run on the same lines as previously which address any problems or altering that your curling style may need to improve your consistency of play!!?? This is a total of £2,048.00 ice money.

Alongside these great opportunities for your Club will be opportunities for schools (£3,000 = 250 children x 3 weeks @ £4), wheelies (£3,328 = 8 x 2 wheelies x 26 weeks @£8), teenagers (£480) & juniors (£3,072 = 32 children x 2 sheets of an hour @ £3 per child for 16 weeks). This is a total of £9,880 ice money.

The Group would suggest that your new comers be advised that they can join Saturday sessions most weeks during the season for FREE too. This keeps them interested in curling until they can join your club. Likewise , any juniors will be welcome at the Monday night sessions.

Hoping all this information will help you gain NEW MEMBERS for your Clubs & help the Border Ice Rink to continue successfully thriving into this new decade.

HM.

17th December 2009.
The AGM of the BCDG was held in the Ice Rink last night.
President Bert Duncan welcomed a good turn out on a cold wet night.  After the formal browse and adoption of the 2008 minutes the President gave a report on the year gone by, which noted some details of the projects now completed with an overall success, leading on to the new "Virtual Club" in the new year.   Thanks were extended to the Stark family for hosting the BBQ and to members of the group in winning the "Ice Diamonds Award", securing the grant for the 8 - 80+ Project and the work carried out at the local shows.   Individual thanks were made to David Stark, Bobbie Forrest, Jim Buchanan, Peter Bowyer, Helen & Rob Mathieson and his wife Sophia.
The Finance statement was distributed and some explanations made by Treasurer David Sturrock.
Bobbie forest gave report on coaching and Jim Buchanan kept everyone informed on the development side.
The election of BCDG office bearers resulted in the following:
President: Jim Cullen
Vice President: Bert Duncan
Treasurer: Luigi Massari
Secretary: Helen Mathieson
Committee: Roberta Forrest
                     Oliver Stark
                     Harry Dodds
                     Glynnice Lauder
                     Hillary Bowyer

By Helen Mathieson. 21/3/09

The Group and indeed curling, has had a great deal of local press exposure lately, which is great for the sport. The publicity will continue with attendance at local shows this summer, to advertise the Ice Rink and the Newcomers Project. Indeed the local sports columnist has taken part in the Newcomers Project and is going to write a piece about her experience from within?! This should appear very shortly as Fiona Scott has been to the first “set” of three taster sessions and sat her White Skills Award to show the standard she has attained during her curling course. The Newcomers Project sponsored by the Awards for All/Sport Scotland is enabling the Group to run a programme to encourage the 30 – 55 year age group beginners to learn to curl for free over a 3 x 2hour session plan with the aim that these curlers will then be confident/capable enough to join Clubs for the following season and increase our member base. The first Saturday this was held the coaches helped 19 potential curlers take their first steps to curling stardom! Fourteen of the Newcomers on the last of their sessions, sat the White Skills Award and are hoping to have a much prized certificate, to show how well they have started in our sport. The Project will be signed off in December, but there will still be forward booked ice to complete the Project successfully. The next set of sessions will run in October (3^rd, 10^th & 17^th) followed by November (14^th, 21^st & 28^th) for Newcomers and with some “improver” sessions (open to all curlers in this age Group – watch for the notices) to be arranged thereafter. Could all curlers please tell their friends about these free sessions. It is such a great way to get new members for your Clubs. At least 10 of the people are joining local rinks from the first “set”. It is up to you to help, to increase our member base from the new Project. However, the outcome will not be easily seen until next season or even 2010/11? The schools programme will finish with schools Bonspiels which have more entries than ever this year. Many of these juniors attend our Monday night sessions too, so the future is good. Certificates of Proficiency have been awarded to many school children. The Group has also helped to support junior competitive teams again this year. The under 15’s will compete in the S.A.L.S.C. final at Braehead. One of their member was a last minute substitute in Gail Munro’s rink in the Henderson Bishop and at 14 helped to win a major Scottish Ladies Competition!! Let’s all take these opportunities to make Border Ice Rink a huge success story and be the best it can be?!

16th December 2008

Border Curling Development Group secure £8400 grant

The BCDG have secured a grant from "Awards for All" for the development of Curling in the 30 to 55 age group.

The grant will provide a platform to develop the sport and enncourage new members within the target age group in the Borders Area.