Equipment storage building

Aim

We want to create a first class bowling green for our community and we desperately need a new equipment store.

Who are we?

Hello!

We are super excited about this crowdfunder so thank you so much for being here. We really need your support!

We are a volunteer run community bowling club who are aiming to create a first class green to better share our passion for the game as widely as possible. Bowls is a great sport for mind and body.  It combines low-impact activity with mental engagement in a social environment, making it ideal for people of all ages, genders and fitness levels, promoting overall well-being.

There are some great rewards on this funding page, so have a browse and please share our project with your friends.  You can also simply make a donation if you prefer.  Don’t forget to tick gift aid if you are a UK taxpayer to make your donation worth even more to us.

Why are we crowdfunding?

A few years ago we took over the maintenance of our own green after years of decline. We raised funds, bought a lot of new  equipment and through the hard work of our volunteers the quality of our green is noticeably improved. This has been recognised by being chosen to host the Lancaster Bowling League 2026 Trophy.  Our existing metal shed is not big enough and was damaged in the winter storms so we have to keep much of our equipment off site as we have nowhere dry and secure to store it at the green.  We completed a planning submission and were granted approval to erect a new storage building. We have been conditionally offered £3750 through a grant from Sports England and we are crowdfunding to raise another £3750.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Our green is surrounded by trees which help to make it a uniquely beautiful and tranquil setting for a bowling green but the trees also make it difficult to maintain the playing surface and to erect a building that does not adversely effect the health of the trees.  The money will be spent on a base for the building that is compliant with tree root protection standards and to purchase a 10’ x 16’ wooden storage building made from pressure treated quality timber.  The building will allow us convenient access to the tools and machinery that we need to improve the bowling green. Club volunteers will build the base in accordance with an arboreal method statement supervised by a qualified arboreal consultant.  The building will be erected by the supplier.  An overview of the costs are as follows:

The club has already funded the planning submission, flood risk assessment and arboreal impact assessment; costs were around £800.

Construction of the base including professional fees will cost around £2230.  We intend to use a composite material rather than wood to retain the tree root protection cellular confinement system to ensure longevity of the building base, hence the costs are a little higher than they would have been otherwise.

The building will cost around £5250 including erection.

Community impact

There were around 55 people from the local area last year who enjoyed the physical activity and social engagement of bowling at Overton and we are currently recruiting for the 2026 season.  We have the capacity to accommodate more people whether that is playing for our club in one of the local leagues or simply playing socially or in our internal club competitions.   As the green becomes more resilient, we aim to offer more opportunities to bowl during the day over a longer season and in the autumn evenings.  We would like to offer children the opportunity to play through engaging with the local school and we would love to host inter-school competitions.

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