Fawkner Lawn Bowls Club- women only days for new Australians
Promoting and enabling the use of club space and facilities for the local community including non-sporting groups.
As part of Victoria’s Count Me In Too program, local women from Pakistan, India, Iraq, Syria and more are being introduced to the sport to improve health and develop social connections.
On the first Friday of every month the Fawkner Lawn Bowls Club in Melbourne’s north is taken over by an unlikely bunch; a group of migrant women. The women gather to share stories, socialise, and of course, play some lawn bowls. Sometimes up to 30 women attend, mingling with people from several countries including Pakistan, India, Iraq and Syria. Many are trying a sport they had never heard of before, let alone played.
“This was a new thing for me, I didn’t know anything about lawn bowling. I was surprised when I came here and they taught us how to play,” Ayesha Hashmi told SBS News. “I enjoyed it and I’ve joined many sessions here. It was a wonderful experience coming here.”
The mother-of-four arrived from Pakistan two years ago and found moving to a new country with little family support difficult. “Before coming here, I was kind of depressed and there was no social life for me, when I started coming here, my family liked it. There was a positive change in me,” she said. “And of course, when there’s a positive change in the mother, all the family changes positively.”
Key success factors for the initiative included providing a private female-only space that where they can bring their children. It helped convince them it was a good idea.
Contact:
Name Role: Vikki Kennedy, Chairperson, Hall Hire and Events
Email: fawknerbc@bigpond.com
Phone number: 0439 715 355
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