Carpet bowls and bowls aids
The Pitch
Problem statement
Our aim as an organisation is to foster, promote and provide facilities for the playing of the sport of bowls and social activities and interaction for members, local residents and groups to support health and wellbeing within our community. The equipment we are seeking funding for is aimed at elderly or physically challenged or disabled people. Over half of our members and guest at the club are retired (300 individual p.a.) and the equipment will allow them to play bowls all year round and also for additional years as it overcomes some of the physical challenges they face. We predict that we will see a 5% increase in people and a 15% increase in footfall if funding is granted.
Solution
As people grow older they are less mobile and despite the gentle nature of bowls they find it difficult physically to take part due to poor grip, inability to bend due to bad knees or back and a number of other issues. This leads to them stopping playing and eventually stopping attending the club losing their physical exercise but also the important social interactions with friends. The new outdoor equipment will also allow new people to take part as it will allow them to play bowls for the first time introducing an additional exercise and social network to their lives. Introducing short mat bowling in the clubhouse over the winter months for physical exercise and personal interaction.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
The equipment we are seeking funding for is part of our wider program to meet our organisations aim. We aim to encourage more people to come and use our facility and we are taking practical steps to help this to be achieved. We are building a memorial garden for members who no longer have a garden of their own. We are transforming our main hall into a flexible space to allow us to transform it into an indoor mini-bowls facility to encourage people to continue to use the clubhouse as a social hub in the winter months. Two of our members have completed their Bowls Scotland Coaching training and have started running free coaching classes for members and non-members. We have disability access.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Short Mat Starter kit, carpet, bowls, centre block, bag etc. | £1,860 |
| Bowling arms (4), bowls launchers (4), bowls pick ups(4), walking sticks(4), bowls gatherers(4). | £1,340 |
Beneficiaries
110 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
As people grow older they are less mobile and despite the gentle nature of bowls they find it difficult physically to take part due to poor grip, inability to bend due to bad knees or back and a number of other issues. This leads to them stopping playing and eventually stopping attending the club losing their physical exercise but also the important social interactions with friends. The new outdoor equipment will also allow new people to take part as it will allow them to play bowls for the first time introducing an additional exercise and social network to their lives. The outdoor equipment can also support physically disabled people. The indoor carpet will give physical exercise over winter months, but as important create a community supporting people over the difficult winter months of loneliness and lack of interaction.
Track record
In the past 4 years we have transformed our facilities to support physically disabled people through the introduction of ramps, wider doorways, new toilets and equipment. We have turned the clubhouse around to bring our main social area to ground level to allow access to all and removing the need for those with physical challenges to clime stairs. In addition to this the project team and committee have managed the refurbishment of the Clubhouse which included new doors, windows, roofing and cladding. Internally, as well as new toilets and ground floor social area, there is now a new heating system. Our project team has a record of delivering our projects on time and to budget. You can also see in our Facebook page our social events and interactions with our local bowling community and wider social communities.