Walton Bowling Club was destroyed in a “mindless” attack
A daughter says her dad’s “lifeline” was destroyed after the Walton Bowling Club was “trashed” by vandals. Walton Hall Bowling Club was broken into by a group of kids on Monday, September 23 and severely damaged.
Helen Mulrooney, 48, from Kirkby, told the ECHO how the club was a “lifeline” for her 85-year-old dad. Richie Armstrong has been a member of the club for 15 years. Amongst the years of history that were destroyed in the mindless act were trophy boards that had her dad’s name proudly engraved on them.
She said: “Chairs, papers and all the trophies that had been won by present players and people who are no longer with us were wrecked. They are worthless, but they meant a lot to the guys at the club and my dad, to remember years gone by and their past achievements.
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“They have defaced all the championship boards, trophies and trashed the bowling club, which is a lifeline for my dad and many others like him. The boards they smashed had my dad’s name on. There are no words for people who think it’s cool or fun to do this to one tiny little hut on a bowling green. Needless to say, Walton Bowling Club has become a lifeline for so many people, including my dad.”
Richie, a former taxi driver from Kensington, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Helen said: “It [the bowling club] was so important to my dad, it’s the only time he gets out of the house. I’m hoping it does get restored and my dad goes back there. Playing games like bowls helped him retain some of his memory.
“Alzheimer’s is awful, it’s one of those illnesses that robs the person slowly. He started forgetting things and forgetting things, and then we finally got him diagnosed. Physically he is very fit, he is 85 and he can walk better than the average person and he still plays pool and bowls. I take him out every week to the local bowls club at Walton Hall park.
“Obviously we can’t do that now. He used to be a good player when he first started there 15 years ago. A lot of those boards that were destroyed had his name on. The club is a concrete memory for him and he still plays. He doesn’t always play so well but the bowls club is so lovely with him. They are so patient, it’s a place for him to go and spend time with people his own age and it gets him out the house.”
Since the club was destroyed members of the community have rallied together to save as much as they can and create a GoFundMe page to help rebuild the club. Helen said: “They have done really well to raise £4,000, it’s a bit of hope that the club will be restored but what state he will be in next year I don’t know because his Alzheimer’s is cruel.”
Merseyside Police has said it launched an investigation following the incident and are appealing for information. Local Policing Inspector Chris Taylor said: “To target a community group and cause significant damage to their club is appalling. It’s caused a huge upset for the people who use the facility and they have been left to pick up the pieces of this mindless vandalism.
“Now that the new school term has begun, our school’s officer is working with schools in the area to provide advice and prevent issues from occurring, as well as to identify suspects and take action. While police and partners are working together, we also need the support of parents to take responsibility to prevent it from happening in the first place.
“With this, I appeal to parents and guardians, and urge them to know where their child is, what they are up to and friends they are with. It’s not only to stop them causing unnecessary distress to residents in the area, but also for their own safety and welfare.”
You can donate to the GoFundMe for the club here.
