IT WAS a proud moment on Saturday evening for the Oakley Bowling Club’s Kay Kerley as, at the climax of the Bowls England Awards Evening, she was presented with the Certificate of Merit award in recognition of her fantastic service to the sport of Bowls, both on and off the green.

As a player Kay was twice runner up in National Finals, reached 12 County Finals, winning six and represented Hampshire for 28 years in the Johns Trophy, helping the county to the final on four occasions. Her illustrious playing career has however been more than matched by the support she has given to the sport in administrative roles.

During the last 40 years Kay has been the club captain, its president (twice), county competition secretary, county secretary, county president (1990), England president (2004), an England selector, an international umpire and a coach.

Over the years she has strongly encouraged junior players, several of whom now compete at very high levels. Although no longer playing, she remains the club’s competition secretary and is the vice chair of Bowls Hampshire, a post she has held since the unification of the single gender associations in 2011.

In 2023 she retired as the manager of Hampshire’s performance teams and in putting forward the nomination, the county felt it was the right time to honour Kay for four decades of incredible service.