With Bowls’ Big Weekend approaching, one club in Buckinghamshire has been explaining how the event has proven to be an important part of their plans to grow the number of people playing the sport.
Bletchley Town Bowls Club have taken part in Bowls’ Big Weekend since its inception, and their Secretary Malcolm Davey explained: “In 2022 we had the best part of 20 people turn up, ranging from 30-year-olds to those in their 50s, not the normal retiree age like people expect!
“With Bowls’ Big Weekend we’ve also had people from different backgrounds, last year in total I think we had the best part of 20 people turn up, and about half of them actually went on to stay with us long term.
“The majority of the people who came through the door had never played before, although one chap Paul had been a bowler in the past but had to stop playing because of a back injury. We managed to help coach him properly, get him playing in a way that was good for his back and he’s still playing regularly now.
“We like to combine Bowls’ Big Weekend with our own club Open Day, and it’s another means of bringing new people in.
“As a club we try to stay active, in the winter we use the clubhouse for quizzes, bingo and so on just to keep people connected to the club and it’s things like that which are important.”
Bowls’ Big Weekend gives people across the country the opportunity to play the sport for free in a relaxed, informal setting.
