CHAWTON Park Indoor Bowls Club in Alton has had its 15 minutes of fame – in front of the television cameras.

The occasion, on November 30, was a ‘jamboree’ celebration captured for posterity by the BBC South Today cameras who came to highlight some of the club’s outstanding achievements.

Kris Temple, a South Today sports presenter, arrived at the club with a cameraman and the event was featured on the evening programme when Kris, determined to give it a try, was able to advise lead presenter Sally Taylor that it was “more difficult than it looks!”.

He had been urged on by jamboree visitors who were there to celebrate the successful culmination of the club’s Bowls4Fun initiative, which had attracted more than 50 members of the public to attend a series of six free, weekly sessions run by the club’s coaching team.

During the event, established members of the club joined with the Bowls4Fun newbies and played a game together. This was followed by a social event with guests of honour deputy town mayor Dean Phillips and fellow town and district councillor Graham Hill, who enjoyed a buffet lunch and a raffle.

The Bowls4Fun project was funded by a platinum package grant from the Bowls Development Alliance, available only to club’s with Clubmark accreditation. The initiative has already resulted in more than 20 new members for the club.

In presenting a cheque for £600 to Chawton Park president David Fox, Chris Parkin, from the Bowls Development Alliance, commended the club on achieving a platinum award for the third year running. He also praised the work of the coaching team and thanked them on behalf of the club.

Clubmark is the universally acknowledged cross-sport accreditation for high standards in welfare, equity coaching and management. Chawton Park Indoor Bowls Club has again achieved the high standards necessary to maintain its Clubmark accreditation, which it has held for seven years and is the only indoor bowls club in the county to hold it.

The Clubmark certificate of accreditation was presented by Harry Stow, sports development officer from the county sports partnership Energise Me, to Hampshire Indoor Bowling Association president and Chawton Park Indoor vice-president John Kellow, who had organised the update along with club welfare officer Sarah Hooper.