Introduction

For many years the sport of crown green bowls has started to see a steady decline since its height of popularity in the late 20th Century. This decline in popularity, since the 1980’s, can be attributed to several factors.

During the 1980s, crown green bowls was a widely enjoyed sport, however, an aging demographic of players has impacted this. As older generations, who were avid players, have aged, there has been a lack of younger players taking up the sport.

Another contributing factor is the rise of alternative leisure activities. With the advent of digital entertainment, such as video games and streaming services, younger generations have more options for how they spend their free time. This shift in leisure preferences has drawn potential new players away from traditional sports like crown green bowls.

Additionally, the maintenance of bowling greens and facilities can be costly. Many clubs have struggled with funding and upkeep, leading to the closure of some venues. This reduction in available facilities has made it more challenging for people to find places to play and to be introduced to the sport.

Whilst acknowledging this, there is still as much demand, if not more, for people to be able to play the sport. We have seen in recent years, the growth in participation numbers within pockets of our Associations, and we need to build on the development work that has started.

As a sport, we need to break down the stereotype that the sport is there for ‘older people’ – the image needs modernising to enable us to attract a new audience. When you review our demographics, whilst grassroots Clubs have a predominantly older membership, the competitive aspect of our sport is much younger. As an Association, our challenge is to support our Clubs in developing their membership with this younger demographic.

The BCGBA has identified the lack of a National Development Strategy as a key priority in enabling us to grow participation and support our member Clubs and Associations. This strategy document will be updated on a regular basis to allow us to adapt to an ever-changing modern landscape and will be reviewed annually.

Our key aims are identified throughout the following pages and are supported by our ‘8 Point Development Plan’. By working collaboratively as a sport, we can sow the seeds of growth and start to see a return in popularity for many years to come.

BCGBA Board

Please click on the link to read the complete National Development Strategy and take it back to your clubs…….

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (PDF)