Emergency replacement of Tank and Sprinklers-Bowls

Aim

This project will enable the Bowls Club to replace the water tank and sprinkler system which due to its age is leaking and malfunctioning.

Who are we?

Friendly but waterless!  We are a friendly bowls club, in the London Borough of Bexley, of about 50 members, founded in 1977. Our ages range from 18-87 and we spend the summer months enjoying games of lawn bowls, both against each other and matches with other clubs, home and away. We run several social events too - quizzes, coach trips to seaside clubs, winter get-togethers, winter breaks; all very well attended. Several of our members are single, their partners having sadly died, and it is a great opportunity for them to meet up with others.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We have always tried to keep our subs low, as we are not in an affluent area, but as  the local council has withdrawn all subsidies,  this means we are greatly stretched money-wise as not only do we have to pay for the maintenance of the green and pavilion, but also for all utilities, water, electricity, rates, etc. We do supplement our income with quizzes, monthly raffles etc. but we just don't have the money to replace the tank and sprinklers.  As you can imagine, without water our green will ultimately perish, as would all of us!  Not only the green, but our beautiful gardens, also maintained by our volunteer Green Team, which deservedly, with the green, have for the last many years been recognised in the Ruxley in Bloom Competition, this year with a Silver Gilt.

We also support our local community with contributions towards street parties and, in the last year, we have donated c£800 to our local Hospice and British Heart Foundation in memory of passed members.

In 2017 we had pleasure in inviting the Mayor of Bexley and his friends for an end or two of bowls in aid of his charity for that year - Parkinson's UK.   A great day for us all and for a worthy cause!

How we’ll spend the money raised

We don't know how old the current metal tank is, but we believe it was there prior to when our club was formed in 1977 (other clubs were using the green at that time). This will be replaced with a plastic tank. The sprinklers that water the green and are also leaking, so water is currently being wasted.  The breakdown of costs, excluding VAT, to replace these items is: Tank (£500), Submersible pump (£2,500), Controller (£595), 4 sprinklers (£2,295), Fitting and Travel for installation (£1,610)

Community impact

We also maintain the toilets, which are open whenever members of the green are present, so closing the green will impact people using the recreation facilities, particularly the children who are using the adjacent playgrounds as well as tennis players now using the refurbished courts next to our ground.  We do support local street parties.   Passing members of the public are always welcome to come and watch games, have a go, and join us in a cup of tea.  Our local charities will also feel the loss as we raised in the region of £1,000 for them in the past year.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made