Blackburn Olympic Badminton Tournament 2012

Blackburn Sports Club are running a badminton tournament for league players in partnership with Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council. The tournament will take place over 2 days on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May 2012 at Audley Sports Centre.

• Juniors U16 - Boys Singles, Girls Singles, Boys Doubles, Girls Doubles
• Seniors - Mens Singles, Mens Doubles, Ladies Singles, Ladies Doubles, Mixed Doubles

Download the entry form here. The deadline for entries is Monday 21st May 2012.

Birmingham Badminton Bonanza 2012

The smash hit Birmingham Badminton Bonanza makes a welcome return to the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham this June offering a big weekend of friendly competition and family fun.

The world class arena, which plays host to the All England Open each year, opens its doors to badminton players of all ages, sporting ability and ethnicity on 23rd & 24th June as action over 28 courts takes centre stage.

This year there are 4 standards of game play to choose from with social, local club, local league and junior age group categories to play in.

So, if you are new to the world's fastest racket sport, learning the craft on court, a seasoned pro on the club circuit or a regular league player there is something to suit your wishes!

To download the information booklet and entry form click here. Alternatively, enter online by clicking here. The deadline for entries is Friday 25th May 2012.

Whitefield League Presentation Evening 2012

Congratulations to Forrest Whitefield A who have gained promotion to Division One by coming runners-up this year.

The league presentation night is this coming Friday at Bury Drill Hall function suite. If you haven't already ordered your tickets can you please contact the League Social Secretary Miriam Brown ASAP. Lets have a good turnout to celebrate another success this year.

Summer Club Nights

Our summer club night sessions will be starting on Wednesday 18th April and running all the way through to September. As usual they will run every Wednesday at Bolton Arena from 8pm until 10pm. All players of a league standard are welcome to attend. Beginners should consider attending our summer coaching sessions which will be starting on Friday 11th May. Prices for each session are as follows:

• Members £3
• Juniors £2
• Visitors £5

To ensure that the club nights are a success and that all can enjoy them we are looking for volunteers to assist in the running of the club nights. If you would like to volunteer please contact any member of the committee, David Travis, Ray Schofield, Lisa Harrison or Carolyn Wood. You won't need to commit to being there every week and the more volunteers we have the better!

We look forward to seeing you down during the summer club.

Ladies Badminton Sessions

Welcoming Ladies

Forrest BC would like to invite you to enjoy a game or two of friendly badminton. These social sessions will be run by our own female club members who will be on hand to offer advice as well as an enjoyable atmosphere. We will provide the necessary rackets for those that have none. There is no catch, just turn up and play a game or two. We would be asking for a contribution of £2 per session.

Sessions will run from 8pm until 9.30pm. Starting from Wednesday 18th April at Bolton Arena.

For more information please contact Lisa Harrison. We look forward to seeing you down at the Arena.

Bolton League Cup Final Result

On Wednesday 4th April our B team played against Park in the final of Bolton Badminton League's Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup. Unfortunately they missed out on the trophy by only two points, losing 369-370! Well done to the B team for doing so well throughout the competition and coming runners-up. The B team will collect the runners-up prize at the Bolton Badminton League Presentation next week.

End of Winter Coaching

As the league badminton seasons come to a close, so too do our winter coaching sessions on Wednesdays and Sundays. We will be having a short break over Easter before our Summer coaching sessions start. The first summer session will be on Friday 11th May 2012. Check back right here on our website a little closer to the date to find out all the latest information regarding these sessions.

Markland Hill Junior Badminton Tournament 2012

On Sunday 22nd April 2012, Markland Hill are running a junior badminton tournament. There will be two different age groups, U16s and U13s. The tournament will feature competitions for boys singles, girls singles, boys doubles and girls doubles. The entry fee is £4.50 per player per event and the deadline for entries is 17th April 2012.

For more information check out the poster here and the entry form can be downloaded here.

Liverpool Badminton Bonanza 2012

In its third year, the Liverpool Badminton Bonanza will once again be taking place at the ECHO Arena. This year it will be taking place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May 2012.

The bonanza sports all the normal competitions of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Each competition is split into a variety of abilities, including:

• Under 16 Bronze and Under 16 Social
• Adult Social, Club and League
• Over 40s Social, Club and League

To download the information booklet and entry form click here. Alternatively, enter online by clicking here. The deadline for entries is 4th May 2012.

Whitefield Presentation Evening Change of Venue

Please note that the Whitefield & District Badminton League Presentation Evening this year will now be taking place at Bury Drill Hall instead of Ramsbottom Cricket Club.

Greater Manchester Junior Badminton League Finals 2012

Last Sunday the finals of the Greater Manchester Junior Badminton League were played at Belle Vue Leisure Centre. Both the Forrest Younger and Older teams were in with a shot of becoming league champions after working their way to the first divisions during the season.

For the older age group the battle went all the way down to the last match of the day. Unfortunately Forrest's older team were just pipped to the post, coming in second after losing by only one game! It was a similar story in the younger age group. After all matches had been played three teams were tied after winning two matches each. Taking into account the number of games won, the Forrest younger team ended up coming in at third place.

Congratulations and well done to everyone who represented Forrest thorughout the season. We hope you have enjoyed playing in the league and are looking forward to playing again in November when the new season starts.

Upcoming Coach Education Courses in 2012

Interested in coaching badminton? The following is a list of the next coach education courses taking place in the North West.

• UKCC Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Badminton
  Starts 13th May 2012 @ Markland Hill Racquet Sports and Fitness Club, Bolton.
• UKCC Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Badminton
  Starts 21st April 2012 @ Bellevue Leisure Centre, Manchester.

If you are interested in attending the course or require more information contact coaching@badmintonengland.co.uk and check out badmintonengland.co.uk/coaching.

Lancashire ICC Matches at Bolton Arena

Come down and support Lancashire's 2nd team as they battle it out against Yorkshire in Inter County Championship Division 1 top of the table clash being held at Bolton Arena on Sunday 25th March. Starts at 12noon and will feature top local players Tom Monk, Mark Tuttle, Alan Clarkson, Darren Whitley and Lizie Holt. At 1pm you will also be able to watch Lancashire's 4th team who are in action against Derbyshire.

Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup Final 2011/12

Congratulations to Forrest B for making it to Bolton Badminton League's Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup Final. They will play against Park in the final which is to be played on Wednesday 4th April at Bolton Arena from 8pm. Supporters are welcome to attend so make sure you turn up to cheer the B team on!

The Badminton Mile for Sport Relief 2012

On Saturday 24th March 2012, Wigan Sports Development will be supporting Sport Relief by encouraging everyone to take part in "The Badminton Mile" at Howe Bridge Sports Centre from 10am - 11am. To complete 1 mile, fundraisers will need to walk, jog or run 120 lengths of a Badminton court. This can be done individually or in a team (max 3 people). Prizes will be given for the winners in both categories.

For more info on setting up a Sport Relief Giving Page, visit the Sport Relief website.

If you have any questions please contact 01942 404982 or e-mail s.dixon@wlct.org.