PLANS by government ministers to relax checks on those who work or volunteer with children and vulnerable adults have been welcomed by a Comet country sports club.

It was announced by central government that only those working “closely and regularly” with children would have to be CRB checked, as part of the Freedoms Bill.

The move has been welcomed by Hitchin Town Bowls Club, which will now be able to resume its program for bowls taster sessions for school children this summer.

It means that members at the club who volunteer for the scheme will not have to undergo “harsh” checks especially for the sessions, as well as volunteers for similar schemes in the area and across the country.

“With the long awaited removal of harsh CRB vetting schemes back to a more common sense level, we are able to resume this program of bowls taster sessions,” said Hitchin Town Bowls Club honorary secretary Ken Porter.

“Bowls is not only a game, and the passion with which the sport can be played can only be understood by someone who has actually tried it out for themselves.

“The youngsters of Hitchin will once more be given the opportunity to try out bowls in a sensible and safe environment.”

The scheme, which started in 2007 with the aid of a grant from Herts Community Foundation, ran during the 2008 and 2009 bowling seasons over a period of four weeks.

Dozens of school children took to the bowling greens, watched over and assisted by bowlers and accredited coaches from the club.

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