National Volunteer Award Profile – James Booth
The latest winner of the Bowls Scotland National Volunteer Awards is James Booth from Falkland Bowling Club in Fife. Jim, who has managed the green maintenance at the small club for many years, was chosen as a winner for leading by example, committed long service to volunteering and outstanding contribution to the local community.
The role of greenkeeper at Falkland BC has some unique challenges, as a former curling pond the green is surround by grass banking on all sides. As a small club with an aging membership, Jim gets limited support in his role and still manages to find time to compete in the clubs’ friendly matches, senior league and Scottish and County ties. We asked Jim how he first got involved in a voluntary role at the club and about the unique characteristics of the ‘Old Curling Pond’ green…
“I took up the greenkeeper role shortly after I joined the club back in 2018. At the time, there wasn’t a regular greenkeeper and the green wasn’t in the best condition. It’s been great seeing the green gradually improve over the years, and I’ve really enjoyed learning about the techniques and treatments to use to make the green more playable.
“As the green was the former curling pond of Falkland Palace, it’s surrounded by bankings which means it holds dew longer, and takes longer to dry out after rain. This means moss will thrive if you don’t keep it in check, and I need to scarify the green more frequently to maintain good drainage.
“The other challenge of having the green surrounded by grass banking on all sides is keeping the grass short. Once the growing season starts, mowing the banks feels like painting the Forth Bridge - once you finish it’s nearly time to start again!”
Jim also dedicates his time to helping to maintain the club’s machinery throughout the year, contributing to significant financial savings to the club. He told us more about his background and where he gained the skills and confidence required for this…
“I grew up on a farm, and I was a dairy engineer by trade, so I’ve always taken a hands-on approach to equipment maintenance. I believe most people have the ability to perform basic maintenance, but maybe lack the confidence to try.
“The biggest challenge is diagnosing a fault, and that’s where my experience has saved the club money. If a machine isn’t working, I’ll be able to ascertain the problem and know whether I can fix it onsite, or need to take to a specialist.”
Finally we asked Jim about the rewards he gets from his volunteering and why he would recommend taking up greenkeeping to other volunteers across the Scottish bowls community, he told us:
“Anyone considering taking up green keeping should realise it’s a big job. It involves a lot of work and although there’s not as much to do in winter, it’s still a year-round commitment. However, that’s why I think it’s a great thing to do in your retirement, if your health allows you. It keeps you fit and active, you have to learn new skills (or maintain existing ones), and seeing the results of the effort you’ve put in should give you an enormous feeling of satisfaction.
In saying that, to me, there’s nothing better than preparing the green for a competition. Seeing it freshly cut and rolled, surrounded by freshly mown banks, hosting six rinks of players … that’s the reason why you do it."
The time and dedication that James has dedicated to the club hasn’t gone unnoticed by his fellow club members. Cameron Page, recognised James’ efforts with a nomination for this award, explaining that without Jim, Falkland BC would cease to exist. When asked what led to nominating James for a National Volunteer Award and why volunteers are so important to our sport, Cameron told us:
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of any club and although they might not want recognition it is important to honour them. I nominated James as the work he does is phenomenal considering he is in his eighties.
“Our green was constructed on an old curling pond and as a result it has steep bankings around it so as well as his work on the green he has all the surrounding cutting to do. He also upkeeps the buildings and machinery to an excellent level. He also plays in all our friendlies and our midweek Cupar and district seniors league.
“James’s work is keeping our club going and as an ageing club he will be irreplaceable which would result in our club struggling to survive.”
Congratulations to James on behalf of everyone at Bowls Scotland for receiving his thoroughly deserved National Volunteer Award!
For more information or to nominate someone, please visit: https://www.bowlsscotland.com/club-development/volunteering