as many simply cannot afford not to. Many clubs are still against mixed bowls, and that may well be part of the reason why the sport has struggled in recent years to move with the times and embrace changes. In my time here, I’ve found that where there’s mixing there’s success,” he adds. “Marine Gardens was going downhill fast until it introduced change, so we’re keen to fight against traditions that slow down the progression of what is a fantastic sport.” Proof of the intent among many of
Worthing’s bowls clubs is seen in the wealth of competitions and events that the town now stages, such as the Worthing Unified Open, a mixed tournament established in 2009 that fits with Bowls England’s long-term vision to broaden the game’s appeal and drive up recruitment. “The change of outlook from Bowls England really came in January 2008 when the Women’s English Bowls Association (WEBA) and the English Bowls Association (EBA) amalgamated,” explains Alistair Hollis, the governing body’s development officer. “We recognised that the biggest challenge for our sport was keeping the numbers up, and felt that this could be best approached as a unified body with the men’s and women’s game working as one.” Problems with recruitment and a steady decline in membership numbers have been the biggest cause for concern for a sport that has been tainted by a stereotypical view by outsiders, and a struggle to get the broadcast coverage vital for all sports to broaden their appeal.
In the last ten years, annual membership figures released by Bowls England show a fall from 165,545 in 2001 to 122,458 calculated for the coming 2011 season.
“Every sport has a certain amount of natural wastage,” says Hollis. “It’s unfortunate that ours has traditionally had more, as we have always been seen as a sport for the older generation.” A belief not only “misleading” but “totally incorrect”, he insists. “It’s part of my job to ensure that all ages are exposed to and can access the sport. What we are working towards is knowing the best ways to attract younger people.” ”It’s no use trying to attract young
people with an advert in a free local newspaper. This approach is still relevant for some sports, but we can no longer rely on the same methods of recruitment and advertising - we need to utilise valuable new social networking media like Facebook and Twitter.” As part of this drive to make the country’s 2,500 bowling clubs more in touch with the best ways to increase recruitment, Bowls England is rolling out plans over the next years to run a series of seminars and workshops, spearheaded by Hollis, which will help show clubs how they can tap into new avenues in their areas. “There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Each club has to be willing to be active and look at their own demographic and what the best means to attract members are. An inner-city club will not operate in the same way as one in rural West Sussex, but it’s my job to make sure people know what they can be doing.”
While the image of the sport is one still dominated by that of an older generation, at the elite level the picture is a very different one, with the recent visit to India to compete in the Commonwealth Games demonstrating the high level of talent coming through at junior level. The majority of the England team that went to the Games, the sport’s premier event, were under 35 and saw two of their youngest players take the biggest honours - 21-year-old Natalie Melmore winning the women’s gold medal in India and Sam Tolchard, also 21, being pipped at the post for a bronze medal, coming in fourth.
This is the vibrant, younger image that Hollis and Bowls England want to get across, and the way the sport needs to move in future. “The Commonwealth Games has shown that there is real quality at the younger level, yet this rarely gets any attention from the broadcast media, which could massively
Commonwealth Games gold medal
Natalie Melmore with her
boost the appeal of the sport,” he says. “The comment you always hear about bowls is that people are too young to play the sport, and that it’s an old people’s game. Yet, actually, it’s the only sport that spans the ages and can be played by anyone from eight to eighty- eight! And, when people do take it up, they always say they should have started earlier. We need to continue to push on and ensure that we can reverse the trend in membership, and allow the sport to be enjoyed by people of all ages, from all backgrounds and of all abilities - something that you cannot say for too many other sports.”
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