‘I love the team spirit and the teamwork.’ – Nigel, Genesis client and Boules team member
The Bath Boules tournament started on 2nd July in Queens Square and we were delighted to have two Genesis Trust client teams participating on the day. One of the teams made it all the way through to the semi-finals!
I was talking to some of the players and many of them have been playing for Genesis Trust since 2018 – an eight-year commitment! There’s always so much anticipation for our team members from springtime onwards and into the Boules season. The Boules league begins in April, running every other Tuesday evening. But the league is a ‘warm-up’ for the tournament in July. It’s ‘all the buzz’ around our Gateway Centre.
‘It’s been so good to play. I prefer playing from my wheelchair. It’s quite hard playing leaning on my walker. But I’m really enjoying it.’ – Olivia, Genesis client and boules team member
Brief history of Bath Boules
It’s really a fundraising event for local charities which has raised over £500,000 thanks to sponsors, partners and players. It began over 30 years ago as a one-day event for local people in and around Queen Square. Gaining popularity over time, it became an annual event and has grown into a long weekend tournament with dozens of teams from across the community.
How does Bath Boules support our clients?
The sport is only part of the excitement. It’s also the community and the friendships that have developed through Boules. In fact, the players are always excited to organise themselves to practice together on a Saturday morning and then get a coffee afterwards.
‘I’m grateful for Genesis and for the Boules because it’s given me a taste of what a social life could be like because I’m not a very sociable person.’ – David, Genesis client and boules team member
Nick Crooks has been volunteering with Genesis since 2017. In 2018, he offered his time to help organise our clients to play in the Boules league and tournament. Now he does less and less because the team members have become more independent and organise more themselves.
‘The great thing about Boules is that anyone can play regardless of levels of fitness and can enjoy it. But it’s more than just the sport. It involves interacting with the other team members and the broader community as there are so many other people at the tournament. Our team members have to engage socially which is very good for them. It helps our clients to become more confident in this area.’ – Nick Crooks – Genesis volunteer
On the day…
As a spectator watching on, I was impressed with how much the Genesis team members took responsibility for organising themselves. They made sure everyone was looked after and supported. They made sure everyone got a turn at playing and were aware of what time they were playing and at which piste (the ‘lane’ they play on).
I also noticed how sacrificial many of the players were by kindly standing aside so that others could get plenty of play time. That shows such growth and sensitivity to the people around them.
Each team member was so polite to everyone around them. At one point a team of volunteer students from Royal High School replaced a team who hadn’t shown up. The Boules leadership asked the students to fill in and play our team at a moment’s notice. I was so proud to watch James, one of our team members, kindly instruct the students on the rules and some strategy. He did such a good job that the game ended with a close score of 9-6. Our team showed real kindness and maturity.
A huge congratulations to the teams for being such good participants and reaching the semis. Thank you to all the Bath Boules organisers and to you, our supporters. Your support allows our clients to participate in events like Bath Boules which gets our clients outdoors, socialising and learning so many other valuable skills to better integrate into the community.
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