SPECSAVERS in Pembrokeshire has renewed its sponsorship of the Welsh Association of Visually Impaired Bowlers (WAVIB).

The £2,500 deal sees the stores in Haverfordwest and Pembroke Dock, along with 33 Specsavers stores across mid and south Wales, support 53 players and members of the association ahead of its first championship of the 2015 season.

Specsavers will contribute towards the cost of travel, food, green fees and accommodation for the tournaments played by members of the WAVIB, as well as team kit branding.

With more than 50 per cent of sight loss avoidable, Specsavers in Pembrokeshire first sponsored the association in 2014 to promote the importance of regular sight tests to help identify eye health concerns and to show that people with vision loss can still play sport.

Paul Skoczek, store director of Specsavers in Haverfordwest, said: "The Welsh Association of Visually Impaired Bowlers is a fantastic organisation and we’re delighted to continue to support it again this year.

"If an individual has sight loss it does not have to restrict you from taking part in team sport and the association’s players are a shining example of this. At Specsavers, we’re proud to nurture sporting links within our communities and look forward to working with the association again as they prepare for the up and coming tournaments of the season."

The WAVIB is the umbrella organisation that oversees the six visually impaired bowls clubs in Wales, including Milford Haven, and there are also a number of new clubs in development stage.

The clubs have more than 50 players aged between 30 and 85 years old.

The first tournament of the season is the Welsh Singles Championships held in Haverfordwest on June 23 to 25.

The tournament will decide which of the WAVIB players will go on to compete at the UK indoor championship in Nottingham later this year and the UK Four Nations Championships in 2016.

Bill Marshall, vice-chairman of the WAVIB, said: "There are often considerable barriers faced by our members in terms of transport, accessibility and finance, so having the support of a global, well-known brand really does help to overcome many of these.

"The association provides sporting opportunities for visually impaired members at all levels, from social right up to international level. Sport can really transform lives and WAVIB enables blind and partially sighted people to participate in sport.

"Specsavers’ funding will further assist our organisation to make a real difference for our members."

For details of your local club, contact WAVIB secretary, Steve Kift, on 01792 361 719 or email steve.walesbowls@gmail.com.