(Carole De Silva)- President

Carole De Silva, 73 years young. I have been Involved with 4 inc. groups in the past 14 years. Peel Volunteers Resource Peel Community Learning Centre Peel Women’s Health Assn Scribblers Writers Group. And now Peel Bowling and Social Club Inc, Peel Senior of the Year (2007) WHEN: - June 2004 I was elected President to Mandurah Blind Bowling Club with only 22 members with a threatened closure at Xmas. WHERE: - Coolabah Avenue, Mandurah, behind the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre on Pinjarra Road WHAT DO WE DO? As a registered Charity we provide Social Bowling for Vision Impaired, and other people with disabilities. This means that we are, legally, able to have 2 helpers to 1 disabled person on our register. This enables us to keep low membership fees as most of our members are pensioners. If people do not have the skills they used to have and want to have FUN please come and see us and let us know what they would like to get involved with. We also have a new social club within the club called “WICKED WHEELIES”. This was a brilliant idea from one of our members called Don Hollis. It’s about people who have gophers, shop riders, wheelchairs and pushers. We say it is for people (Of All Ages) who use wheels for legs. Age is No Barrier. It is very new and we are planning to have all sorts of activities. All of the activities are all about FUN. We were at the Seniors Expo at the Atrium in Mandurah on Nov 1 st. and 2nd November 2007. The extra FUN that we organised was a free tryout for gophers. I have to admit I thought it would be so easy. It wasn’t easy but it was exciting. After I worked out what was needed to be done to actually go around the set path I settled down and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was very well accepted by everybody. Congratulations to Don Hollis Wayne Young and Don De Silva for their sterling efforts to help the Gopher Grand Prix. WHY: - When I was recovering from a knee operation and I wanted to do some shopping. I was bundled into a wheelchair. I was ignored by anyone who decided to stop and talk to my husband ABOUT ME. They ignored me and treated me as if I had become speechless. I started to get mad. I really hit the roof when my husband decided to “park me”. I got mad enough to push myself around and ended up with a very sore neck and shoulders. I was not in the wheelchair long but I never forgot the feeling of helplessness that over whelmed me. I was lucky. I recovered and have not been in a wheelchair ever again. I realised then that wheelchair people don’t have a choice But they are still people with feelings and don’t want to be abandoned to no life at all for many years. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THIS? Can you imagine what it like to have the only outside activity you have is going to the shopping centre and return? Do you know anyone like this who wants a change? Why would you not have fun with others that face the same challenges? This is a call to any one of any age who would like to have something else in their lives apart from the TV. This club, “Wicked Wheelies” is being set up, for instance, to have trips out at reasonable prices. We, also, have access to an expert when it comes to give us the ‘good oil’ and help us with our gophers, shop riders, wheelchairs and pushers. Come and join in an empathetic environment with people who want, like you, to have fun. Help us to create the club that YOU want. We are proud to give you some information about this week. On Wednesday 9th January 2008 will be a red letter day for the “Wicked Wheelies”. Shaun O’Brian from Mandurah Mobility will deliver our very first wheelchair customised to allow the ‘wheelie’ to bowl. We have one excited gentleman who has little use of his legs and has always wanted to bowl. He will be our tester on Wednesday. If this successful, we have another member who is an amputee and used to do country bowling. I am sure he would be delighted to resume bowling. Watch this space we have other things happening at the Club this year. Do you or would you like to try out for Bocce ( Patonk, Boule, or Bochia) We are going to have an open day for all comers in late February 2008 . I will tell you more about it later. Stay tuned! Leading Seniors were named at the gala ceremony in Perth on Sunday 28th October 2007. The award ceremony, which will kick start Bankwest Seniours week 2007 will highlight the enormous value seniours bring to Western Australia through their dedicated community work. W A Seniors Minister Sue Ellery said the calibre of nominations in the 2007 awards was extremely high. All of our individual finalists are inspirational people who refuse to adhere to the tired, old stereotypes of ageing, Instead, they are putting their considerable talents, experience and knowledge to use for the good of the wider community,: Ms Ellery said. Among their stories, we have seniors who are helping to make the community safer, preserving our heritage and history, caring for disadvantaged children and encouraging fellow seniors to be more physically active. "The W A Seniors Awards gives us an opportunity to give them the recognition they richly deserve." The winner of the prestigious BankWest Senior of the Year Award will be selected from the winners of the four main categories Community Achievement Connunity Participation, Business Participation and Aboriginal and Tesses Straight Island Leadership awards. Another award, the Active Ageing Leadership Award, recognises a group or organisation for it's innovative planning or response to the ageing population. Many of the finalists have also been honoured by being named Senior of the Year in their own region. After recently winning the Peel Senior of the Year award Carole De Silva will be vying for the Regional Senior of the year award.