Berwick Bowling Club - Green Edges Need You!

Aim: Two of our green edges are crumbling and need new supports to ensure the green is stable and safe to play on.

Who are we? 

Berwick Bowling Club is the oldest bowling club in Berwick, founded in 1895 and is supported by 100 playing, associate and junior members, visiting bowlers, Bowls Scotland and many local businesses. We are an active and fully inclusive club with members ages ranging between 10 and 90.

Berwick Bowling Club is situated in a beautiful location just outside the Elizabethan town walls and is the ideal setting for a relaxing game of bowls, a drink and a blether.       

Photo courtesy of unknown drone operator

Supporting our club’s fundraising efforts has a range of benefits for individuals, whatever their age, and for the wider community. Why? Because bowls is a social and physical activity. It is a low impact sport which can be played by people of any age and people with mobility difficulties helping to improve coordination, social isolation and mental wellbeing. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

The continued success of any bowling club relies on the quality of its green and all the parts surrounding it. The reason we are crowdfunding is that two of the green edges are crumbling which affects the quality of play and also makes them unsafe to play on. Two of the edges are set on timber supports which have a plastic fascia and the supports have rotted. The plastic fascia has caused the wood to retain water and rot.

We replaced the other two edges in 2023 and were advised that it was only a matter of time before the other two needed replacing. That time has now arrived and we are seeking help to fund the undertaking of the work. Sport England have awarded a conditional grant towards replacing the edges. This covers half the cost and we need to raise the other half - £4,800.

We host a range of competitions at local, district and Scottish national level which means the green is in constant use from April to October and it is true to say that the more we use it the more damaged the edges become. Maintaining the green in good working and playable order is essential for the future of the club as it allows us to generate income to cover the costs of running the club.  Replacing the remaining two edges would give the green an extended playing life of 20+ years.

How we’ll spend the money raised

We are aiming to raise £4,800 which will all be spent on replacing the rotted wooden supports with concrete supports in the remaining two edges. This will allow the green to be stable for play for the next 20 + years. Any additional funds raised would help the club continue its primary function as a bowling club.

The picture below does not show the problem clearly because of the plastic covering of the wooden support, but if you were to stand close to the edge of the green you would feel the sponginess of the turf and see your bowls roll off the edge into the ditch as the edges now slope downwards.

Community Impact

Berwick Bowling Club is a social hub where people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds come together. Supporting our fundraising means that the club can continue to provide a welcoming atmosphere for social interaction. We encourage non bowlers to try bowls and run a range of club internal and open competitions, umbrella nights and friendlies and other social activities.

We participate in other community events by offering our facilities to The Stanks football competition, participate in the town Open Gardens Scheme and support the running of a defibrillator on an external club wall. Our club is run by volunteers and we manage to do most of our own maintenance work but the replacement of the green edges is a specialist job and cannot be undertaken by our members – hence the need to fundraise. 

How you can help

• Make a pledge – it’s really important. We have a limited time to raise £4,800 so it is essential to respond quickly.
• Spread the word. Share our appeal on your social media and with your contacts. The more people we tell the more support we will get.
• Offer rewards. If you are a local business get involved by donating cash or incentives we can offer to our supporters. Obviously we’ll give you a shout out. And if you would like to sponsor the club please contact us for more information.
• Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own “fundraiser” – maybe a sponsored activity or an event please use the contact button at the top of our page to let us know.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 28th July 2025 at 4:57pm