Media Release - Bowls Club Involvement

RELEASE DATE: 29th January 2012

RELEASE BY: Steven Dudley - President

The president of the Highfields RSL Sub Branch, Mr Steven Dudley, issued the following statement concerning the involvement of the Sub Branch with the Highfields Bowls Club.

To erase rumours and misunderstanding, the president of the Highfileds RSL Sub Branch said that the sub branch had not purchased the property at 55 Highfields Road, known as the Highfileds Bowls Club. Whist the property was purchased by the RSL Queensland state branch the sub branch was not currently involved in the property. The sub branch does not know the future or the intent of the state branch for the property at this time. Whilst the sub branch, may be able to use the facilities at some point in the future, it does not have a financial stake in the property.

The RSL is an national organisation with 3 main levels of operation, a National body located in Canberra, state branches, with the Queensland branch located in Brisbane, and sub branches located in local communities. In Queensland there are over 250 sub branches, which are the grass roots and backbone of the RSL.

Like all other sub branches, the Highfields sub branch, does not receive financial assistance from the state branch. All funding for the sub branch comes from the monies raised by the members and by the donations made by local businesses and members of the community.

The monies raised by the Highfields sub branch are used for the care and welfare of the local veteran community, currently serving defence members and other local groups or individuals. In the past 12 months the sub branch has provided support to a local junior basketball team and a local disabled swimmer, which is in keeping with a goal of the RSL for the development of the youth of Australia. We have conducted services of remembrance on ANZAC and Remembrance Day for the local community. And as we have been doing for the last 7 years provided an ANZAC Day badge to every primary school student at the all the local schools. Members of the sub branch also attend the schools ANZAC Day services and also talk to a number of classes about service in the military. We also sent 30 care packages to local defence members serving in Afghanistan on operations, and are currently preparing more to be sent in the next few weeks.

In the coming months and with the assistance of the Toowoomba Regional Council, the sub branch will be undertaking our major project for 2012, the upgrade of the community memorial at the cultural centre. This project will see an improvement to the area surrounding the memorial which will make it a more suitable location for the community remembrance services.

The sub branch would like to thank the community for their assistance in the past and look forward to you continued support so that we can provide the support and assistance that the RSL is known for.

If you would like any further information, have questions or would like to arrange an interview with the President, please contact one of the addresses below :

president@highfieldsrsl.org

secretary@highfieldsrsl.org

LEST WE FORGET