Mo Monkton honoured with Bowls England Certificate of Merit

Somerset’s Mo Monkton is the latest recipient of the prestigious Bowls England Certificate of Merit, presented by Bowls England President Bill Smith and Director of Governance David Tucker, at the recent Bowls England Counties Meeting.

Bowls England awards the Certificate of Merit annually to individuals that have provided outstanding service to the sport of outdoor bowls at club and county level in England.

Mo has been a successful bowler for many years, winning county and national titles and also playing at international level. At her Club she has developed the Junior Section to include 25 members and just over a decade ago took on the role of Team Manager/Coach for the junior girls in Somerset.

Mo is on the Board of Directors for Disability Bowls England, a position she has held since it became a registered charity and is also the Performance and Development Manager. She was appointed as Para-bowls Team Manager for Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 as well as on the Gold Coast in Australia earlier this year.

Mo offers an incredible amount of passion and commitment and works tirelessly with Coaching, Development and Recruitment as well as managing and coaching the International teams. She also organises International events for Disability Bowls England as well as assisting in arranging its National Championships throughout the year.

As well as all of the above Mo has been an International Selector for the Bowls England Women’s International Teams since 2002.

Upon receipt of her award, Mo said: “The moment that I realised that the citation referred to me was slightly bewildering and then to be presented with a Certificate of Merit was quite overwhelming. I genuinely had no idea!

“I have been fortunate to play, coach and manage at all levels and I am indebted to my club, county, Bowls England and Disability Bowls England for their encouragement and support. Bowls is a sport that can give so much to so many and I am most thankful for the opportunities it has given me.

“Anyone who knows me will confirm that I am not a “badge sort of person” but I will definitely cherish this special award and thank Bowls England for considering me worthy enough to receive it.”

Bowls England introduced the Certificate of Merit to recognise the work of volunteers to support the sport at Club and County level – from Secretaries and Treasurers to Greenkeepers and Umpires.

The award is open to anyone who is involved with a club, county, organisation or association affiliated to Bowls England, except for those who have already received Life Membership or Honorary Membership of Bowls England.

For more information on the Certificate of Merit, contact john@bowlsengland.com.