New Watering System - Bristol Greenbank Bowls Club

Aim

To raise £12000 for a new watering system. Our 40 year old equipment is failing and needs to be replaced or we won't be able to play bowls.

Who are we?

Welcome to Bristol Greenbank Bowls Club. Established in 1926  the club is nestled between allotments and playing fields in the heart of East Bristol. It is a place of tranquility in the busy city where the members look after each other and work together to make it a friendly and supportive club.

Club opening day April 2023 - Good to be back bowling

Our Crowdfunding Campaign

Our Immediate Target

Bristol Greenbank Bowls Club are Crowdfunding to raise money for a replacement watering system as our current one is over 40 years old. It leaks, the jets no longer function at full strength and the water tank needs replacing. It takes almost two hours to water the green.

The new system will cost £12000. We have accepted an offer from Sport England to match our target by 40% which amounts to £4800. This means we have to raise £7200 from our members, our local community and beyond. Sport England's offer is through their Places and Spaces crowdfunding initiative which is linked to United by Birmingham 2022.

• If we don't reach our target with at least 75 individual supporters then no funding comes from Sport England and all donations are returned to the donors. So you can imagine how keen we are to raise the money.

How our project will be United by Birmingham 2022

United by Birmingham 2022 is a legacy of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. The profile of lawn bowls was raised in the media, especially through TV coverage. One of the aims of our Crowdfunding Campaign is to get across the message that Bowls is for Everyone. 

We want to welcome people of all ages and diversity to our club.

Lawn bowls in the UK is a sport traditionally associated with older people. We have members in our club who still play in their eighties which shows that bowls does promote physical and mental well-being and stops social isolation.

But, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 bowls competitions made it clear that lawn bowls is a sport for all ages and we want to build on that legacy. It is a vibrant, fun sport.

What we have done so far

Our membership dropped during the pandemic which severely affected our finances. So. last year we distributed 6000 leaflets, telling the local community about our week of Open Mornings and increased our membership to almost 50.

Some of our members in front of our shelter painted by our very own Greenbanksy 

Our Vision

To encourage people of all ages in our local community to become involved in bowls.

How do we plan to do this

By making the local community aware of our club through our free Open Days, from Saturday 6th May to Friday 12th May, 10am to Noon. 

These open days are an integral part of our Crowdfunding Campaign.

We will have stalls at these events selling plants, cakes, books and bric a brac through the Crowdfunding Page. 

Our Open Day flyers, which will be on the Community Facebook Pages and in local cafes, pubs and supermarkets, will encourage people of all ages, including families to try out bowls.

We have rewards on our Crowdfunding page such as bowls experience sessions, discounted high street gift vouchers and the offer of publicity to local businesses through the display of banners both within our club grounds and on the adjoining Bristol and Bath Cycle Path.

Children from a junior church are visiting us again for a bowls morning. Part of our mission is to be able to offer parent and child bowls sessions during the school holidays.

Members of a mental health support group are coming to one of our taster sessions. East and North East Bristol u3a and the local WI have expressed interest in coming to our Bowls Experience afternoons.

Last year, we started informal bowls sessions on Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings for people who work during the day. Members of the local community now come and play for a small fee. Tuesdays are becoming a local community event. We have a licensed bar which is popular when the games have finished.

Our vision is only possible if we have a viable watering system. We need this for our club to survive

We have lively, fun social events, such as Pig Racing Nights, quizzes and indoor games evenings.

See the furry pigs run

A long standing annual weekend trip to Torquay in November to play indoor bowls is always well attended.

And we even found time to play a different sort of bowling.

Whose bowl is nearest to the jack?

How we'll spend the money raised

Our target of £12000 would be used to replace the defunct watering system. This involves digging out the ditches around our green and laying new pipe work plus installing a new water tank in a different location.

Stretch Target

Any money raised over our target would go towards buying sets of junior bowls so we can offer parent and child bowls sessions. At the moment we have to borrow them and they are not always available.

Our awning needs replacing. This area allows players to have somewhere to sit near the green without unlocking the clubhouse building.

You are very welcome to visit us

Our aim is to attract players of all ages and backgrounds to our club as bowls is such a fun and vibrant sport. If you'd like to have a go at playing bowls, drop in on a Tuesday evening or a Sunday morning. Or at another prearranged time.

Contact us at [email protected] if you're interested.

Finalists in the NE Bristol Bowling League Knock Out Cup

How you can play your part

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

1.Make a donation.Don't delay if you're going to support us because momentum is key to our success! Even the smallest amount will help as it all adds up and helps us to reach our target of 75 individual pledges and increases our involvement in the local community and beyond.

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! Tell your friends and family. Please forward this email.

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! Or talk to us about displaying a banner in our grounds to advertise your business.

This project successfully funded on 9th June 2023