A North Yorkshire bowling club is blooming, both on and off the greens.
Opening doors to juniors and non-playing members has seen membership of the club at Great Ayton climb back towards pre-covid levels and a grant of £500 from Broadacres’ Community Development Fund will help provide a colourful backdrop.
The money will replace wooden planters at the club that for many years has been an integral part of the village at the foot of Roseberry Topping, gateway to the North Yorkshire moors.
“The old planters date back to when the club first opened in 1996 and are falling apart,” said committee member Jerry Catterall.
“With the generous donation from Broadacres we’ve managed to buy eight new planters which will really help to brighten the place up.”
Like many clubs, Great Ayton bowls was forced to close and saw membership plummet during the pandemic but this has now been built back up to over 60 members.
The club is keen to dispel the myth that bowls is just for old people and have organised evening sessions so people can play after work and also taster sessions for young and old alike who are new to the game, with a group of girl guides being the latest visitors.
The clubhouse, which is situated just off Little Ayton Lane, is used as a place for playing and non-playing members to meet up with friends over a cuppa and hosts regular social activities.
Jerry says the club recognises its role in the community is two-fold.
“There are the health benefits of enjoying regular exercise and this includes local leagues for those who want a competitive element and then there is the social side, a chance to get out of the house, to keep in touch with friends and make new ones.”
The playing season runs from early April to mid-September.
“Anyone who is interested is invited to call in at the clubhouse any Tuesday or Friday afternoon from 1pm, or Thursday evenings from 6pm, when they will receive a warm welcome,” said Jerry.
Alternatively, they can get in touch through the club’s Facebook site or contact Jerry direct at greataytonlbc@gmail.com.
The Broadacres Community Development Fund supports local organisations, groups, and projects in areas where Broadacres has homes. All grants are approved by the Association’s own residents via a voting scheme using tokens similar to how Tesco award grants in its stores.
To apply to the Fund visit https://www.broadacres.org.uk/customer-area/getting-involved/community-development-fund/
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