For those of you who have been involved with WEBSF for a while, you will be aware of the important work our volunteers do in the community to increase participation in the games of billiards and snooker. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of working with a diverse section of society and our volunteers have made a huge difference to individuals both on a personal and sporting level. You may not necessarily be aware that our volunteers also provide a vital lifeline for some of our more vulnerable participants, who can sometimes have complex social and/or health issues.
In order to sustain an organisation such as ours which operates on minimal funds, we rely on membership and small funding applications to help us with some of the hidden costs such as paying for specialist training, improving our resources and developing initiatives to increase participation. With this in mind and in the run up to the Gold Masters on the 26th May 2018, we will be running a Prize Draw, to raise funds for the work we do across the region.
To encourage people to purchase tickets, we need to acquire a number of prizes. This is where you can help by signposting us to companies or individuals who might be willing to donate a prize for the draw. In recognition of their generosity, we would be able to promote the company on our website and on the night of the draw (unless they wish to remain anonymous).
If you have any suggestions, we would be grateful if you could forward the company or individual’s contact details so we may write to them. Please send their details via direct message to any member of the WEBSF Management Team or email websf_uk@yahoo.co.uk
We are extremely grateful for any help you can give.
Snooker Group Totally Rewarded for their Community Work
The West of England Billiards & Snooker Foundation (WEBSF), a not-for-profit community group, is seeking people to get involved with their activities around the region. The organisation is run by a team of volunteers who have given thousands of voluntary hours since the group first started thirteen years ago. The main aim of the foundation is to develop and facilitate ‘Billiards and Snooker for All’ throughout the West of England by holding coaching sessions and tournaments as well as promoting the benefits of volunteering.
The foundation launched in 2004 and is proud to have six times World Champion, Ray Reardon MBE as their Patron. Over the years, volunteers have helped hundreds of participants enjoy the sport ranging from those who want to play just for fun, to the more serious players who have gone on to compete at International and Professional levels. The group also caters for players outside the region, where no similar organisation exists, and has regularly attracted players from Wales, West London and the Midlands in the past. Attendees are very diverse, from children through to retirees with both male and female participants across all abilities. In addition, players from China, Russia, Scotland, Jersey, Guernsey, Switzerland have also played when visiting the region.
This season, the foundation has been fortunate to attract sponsorship for three of its events from Totally Reward, Human Resource Consultants, who have offices in London and Bristol. The company is led by Silvia Mondello, Senior Specialist and recognised HR Professional, who has more than 20 years’ experience in corporate HR. The sponsorship has been instrumental in allowing the foundation to enhance their activities around the region and in particular ‘The Bronze Open’, ‘The Gold Series’ and ‘Gold Masters’ tournaments.
Co-founder of the WEBSF, Steve Canniford, said “We are extremely privileged to have been approached by sponsor, Totally Reward, and we see this funding opportunity as an acknowledgement of the continuing hard work undertaken by our volunteers in supporting the wider community to access the sports of billiards and snooker”.
The WEBSF holds various billiards and snooker tournaments between September and May and prides itself on providing value for money as well as encouraging participants to use the events as a platform for personal development. Through regular coaching sessions, the WEBSF provides a safe and informative environment where players can form new friendships and learn new skills. Using billiards and snooker as a tool for learning, coaching sessions not only concentrate on developing further knowledge about the game but also help to increase confidence, improve social skills and work on aspects of literacy and numeracy. Volunteering opportunities are another way to get involved and develop new skills as no prior knowledge or experience of the game is necessary. There are many different ways people can volunteer their time including short or long-term research projects, digital marketing, administrative support, accounts management, funding applications or becoming a 1:1 befriender as well as opportunities to offer more technical expertise by becoming a coach or volunteering as an official.
If you would like to get involved either as a player or volunteer, please visit http://websfsnooker.com or contact the WEBSF Champion, Steve Canniford, on mobile 07891940995 or email websf_uk@yahoo.co.uk.
Casper White, Danny Bolt, Wayne Branton, Dylan Chilcott & Danny Wicks 2005
A FUND-RAISING snooker tournament, staged in Plymouth and inspired by a story in the Evening Herald, raised £261 to help the charity Wessex Heartbeat. After reading the Herald article on the courage of four-year-old Melissa Thackery, members of the West of England Billiards and Snooker Foundation coaching school were so moved they decided they wanted to try and do something to help.
Brave Melissa, from Stoke, has recently undergone open-heart surgery and has been fitted with a pacemaker. The Plymouth youngster was born with a hole in her heart and had to endure an operation to remove tissue, which had blocked her aorta artery. Melissa’s dad, Thomas Thacker and his nephew Mark Sargeant, are planning a 14-hour snooker marathon next month to raise money for the charity, which supports Southampton General Hospital where she had her operation. So touched were the St Budeaux based club that 16 members decided to do there bit as well.
The competition produced some memorable snooker with Danny Bolt taking the winning position in the senior category after defeating Danny Wicks 2-1 in the final. And in the junior event, Dylan Chilcott won his final showdown against Casper White 1-0. The other semi-finalists were Ryan Elcombe and Dan Bellamy, in the senior event, and Shaun Covey and Reece Cunningham in the junior category.
All monies raised will be presented to Mr Thacker on July 2nd, before he embarks on his 14-hour snooker marathon at the Embassy Snooker Club.
WEBSF 