By Martin Lee, manager of BSLFC.

The 2018/19 football season is now finished for both teams of Bradley Stoke Ladies FC (BSLFC), who competed in Division 2 of the Gloucestershire County Women’s Football League.

The first team had a great season, finishing in third place and missing out on second place by just one point in the very last match. Their last game was a great battle against confirmed league winners Cheltenham Town, which ended in a 0-0 draw. They were also the first team this season to keep a clean sheet against the title winners, which is a great achievement for the girls. Promotion may be on the cards, depending on how the league structure is next season, so be on the lookout for that.

The development team have worked really hard all season to ensure more girls are able to play regular football. Although things have been difficult at times, they have managed to finish the season as a team and things are looking positive for the future. Their last game was played against Cotswolds Rangers and the girls gave it their all.

Bradley Stoke Ladies were also successful in applying for the Tesco Bags of Help grant scheme for May and June. You can support the club by putting your blue tokens in the BSLFC pot when you leave Tesco! It will go towards more funding for the club for next season, allowing girls and women throughout the area to keep playing football on a regular basis.

BSLFC will also have their usual stall at the Bradley Stoke Community Festival on Saturday 8th June. There will be various different games and fun for all, with lots of prizes to be won. Please come and visit the stall to support the club – it is really appreciated by everyone involved.

Bradley Stoke Ladies are looking for new players for the 2019/20 season. We are a friendly team with a mix of abilities and ages. You can find us training on Tuesdays, from 6.30pm, on the grass at Bradley Stoke Community School, with matches played on Sundays once the season is back up and running in September.

You just have to be at least 16 years of age – so why not come along to a free taster training session? Training runs throughout the summer, with tournaments and pre-season friendlies still to be confirmed.

More: Club boasts FA Level 2 qualified coaches »

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At the spring meeting of Bradley Stoke Bowls Club, a large crowd of members was treated to a brief account of the excellent work of the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC). The charity’s new air base is in Almondsbury, from which they provide pre-hospital critical care services within the community.

It was unanimously agreed to adopt this charity for the 2019 season. Joe Hughes (GWAAC community fundraising coordinator, seen in the photo) explained aspects of the work, the high level of skills of all concerned, and the need to raise £3 million each year.

The major fundraising effort by the club will be at the Charities Day in August and through on-going collections taken at every home game during the season.

Robert Bertram, club chairman, conducting the meeting in his usual affable style, took the business of the club through all the usual housekeeping matters with admirable speed, including welcoming new members, and thanking office bearers and sponsors.

A highlight of the summer programme is to be a visit to the Isle of Bohemia Club, situated on an island in the River Thames at Reading.

The home season is planned to begin on Monday 15th April.

For more information about the club and the charity, visit bsbc.webs.com and gwaac.com

This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 14). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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ALL 650 places for the 2019 renewal of the Bradley Stoke 10k Run, which takes place on Sunday 9th June as part of the town’s community festival, were snapped up within 48 hours of entries opening on 9th February.

Organised by local ladies-only running club Sole Sisters, the race starts and finishes at the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road, where there will also be free car parking, showers, toilets and refreshments for runners and spectators.

The race route takes in much of the Three Brooks Nature Reserve as well as stretches along Brook Way and Bradley Stoke Way.

Open to men and women aged 16 and over, this year’s race will have a time limit of 90 minutes.

As in previous years, the race will use ‘chip’ timing and all finishers will receive a technical t-shirt and medal.

A spokesperson for Sole Sisters said the club would not be operating a waiting list this year, but anyone who has entered but now finds themselves unable to take part can advertise their place on the Bradley Stoke 10k Facebook page and arrange a self-service transfer through the RaceNation website. This facility will be available up to 31st May.

This article originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 14). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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Back in October, on a cold, dark, Friday evening, just over 30 local residents joined members of North Bristol Running Group (NBRG) to begin their journey to become runners.

Week by week, working in small groups, supported and encouraged by a team of experienced runners, the group increased their fitness and stamina. This was achieved by following a routine of walking and jogging for set periods of time, e.g. one-minute walk, two-minute jog for a total period of twenty minutes. Each week, the group were able to increase the amount of time spent jogging and the distance covered.

Sheila Wilcox, one of the run leaders for NBRG, explained:

“It’s about the fifth week of the course when the magic happens. We see people who struggled to jog for one minute in the first week now able to continue jogging for ten minutes at a time and covering the full 5 km distance, it can get emotional.”

Sheila also described how this year’s group worked hard to succeed, not only training on a Friday evening but also once or twice during each week, adapting their busy schedules to accommodate walk/jog sessions.

On Saturday 8th December, the ‘Couch to 5k’ crew met at The Ridings, Chipping Sodbury to participate in parkrun – a free, weekly, timed 5km run. This event marked the end of the eight week course, and their graduation as runners. They were awarded a medal and celebrated with a sip of well-earned Bucks Fizz!

It’s hoped that the graduates will continue with their new activity of running by continuing to attend the weekly runs that NBRG offer. Another ‘Couch to 5k’ course will be offered by NBRG in the autumn of 2019.

Photo: ‘Couch to 5k’ graduates and NBRG members at Chipping Sodbury parkrun.

• More info: ‘North Bristol Running Group’ on Facebook

This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 25). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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