Ottershaw Bowling Club Green Repairs

Aim: Our Project aim is to replace broken, rotten, wooden back boards around our bowling green. This will make it safer for all of our players.

Who are we?

We are Ottershaw Bowling Club.  The club was founded in 1942 and we have been playing at our location in Ottershaw Memorial Fields since 1961. 

We are a very active and fully inclusive club with players aged between 6 and 91.  Not only do we just have members who play bowls we also have social members who come to support our matches or for our monthly quizzes and special events. 

Supporting a lawn bowls club’s fundraising efforts can have a range of benefits, both for individuals and the wider community. Why? because Bowls is a low-impact sport that provides physical exercise, improves coordination, and promotes mental well-being. Many older adults benefit from the social and physical aspects of the game, helping to combat loneliness, encourage an active lifestyle and even ward off dementia.

We feel we are a lifeline for some of our members and we truly have a real family community spirit.  We pride ourselves on encouraging our youth players whilst also offering a meeting place and friendship for our older players.  

Why are we crowdfunding?

The reason we are crowdfunding is because our timber edging is rotting away and becoming dangerous for all of our players, especially those who are not steady on their feet. This is a real health and safety issue. We want to make sure all of our players and guests are safe and can access the green without harm. 

We host other local Bowls clubs regularly in league and friendly games, also weekly competitions and roll ups, so the green is in constant use. The rotting broken wood is becoming a real issue. 

This year one of our members reached the Surrey County Singles Finals. We also had teams in other County finals which is an incredible achievement.  In the 2025 season we will be entering more teams than we ever have before! Our club is growing and we really want this to continue with new members joining from our local community.  With this in mind it is of the utmost importance that our Bowling Green is in a good condition and so then we can host competitions on a safe green.  

How we’ll spend the money raised

The full amount we are aiming for is £5000 which will be spent on the renewal of the timber surrounds and edge reinforcements to ensure our players can play safely.

Unfortunately the picture below may not show how severe the structural damage is.  However if you were to stand on the timber you most definitely would feel it creaking and moving. 

As you can see in the picture below our timber surround is broken and uneven, a real health hazard and dangerous in places. We need to prioritise the safety of our members and guests. 

Community impact

Ottershaw Bowling Club is open to everyone regardless of age or gender! We have a wonderful community and offer a weekly open evening every Tuesday from 5pm (May-September).  Everyone welcome - Tuition and Bowls provided! 

Ottershaw Bowling Club is a social hub where people from different backgrounds and age groups come together. Supporting our club’s fundraising ensures it can continue to provide a welcoming space for social interaction and community cohesion in the village of Ottershaw.

Last year we also trialled a Friday evening Mum's & Dad's night! Bring the children and have some fun! (dates for 2025 tbc). It was so rewarding to see many local families attend and have a good evening out and no screens or technology in sight! 

Bowls is seen as an old persons sport however it is slowly becoming a great young persons sport. If you watched any of the Bowls World Indoor Championship on the BBC it was very evenly matched between the age groups.  We at Ottershaw Bowls Club really want to break that stigma and encourage absolutely everyone to join us and find a lovely community.

As you can see in the video montage of our 2024 season above it really is a fun sport for all and therefore means that the impact we have on our community is incredible and so necessary.

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! Perhaps you might consider sponsorship please talk to us for more information. 

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!

One of our rewards is a ticket to win the below

Framed and signed photo of the 1966 World Cup winning team, signed by George Cohen, Alan Ball and hatrick hero Geoff Hurst. Complete with certificate of authenticity from the big blue tube company, limited edition 4 of 500