Chardstock Bowling Club - improvements

What are we trying to achieve?

Please help to improve Chardstock Bowling Club!

The Club wishes to grow its membership and to provide more activities and social events for the local community to enjoy. Following Bowls England’s advertised initiatives to make bowls more exciting and fun for all, the Club would like to offer events and activities for all age groups, from younger children through to mature adults, both able bodied and disabled. Part of the Club’s plan is to offer activities/sessions to local schools. To be able to achieve this, the Club needs to extend the size of its clubhouse to support both matches and social activities that require between 40 and 50 attendees, so that they can be enjoyed in suitable comfort and safety. The additional area measures some 25 square metres.

In addition, the Club has only basic toilet and bathroom facilities and currently does not cater for those with disabilities. We need to upgrade these as a matter of urgency. It would like to be able to welcome bowlers, guests and visitors to the Club who are not be able to visit because of the lack of facilities.

Finally, the Club’s playing green, requires regular and time-consuming effort to maintain throughout the year. The Club has appropriated a second-hand toolset for maintaining its green consisting of petrol driven mower, petrol driven aerator and a petrol driven scarifier. All these items are serviced regularly but all are nearing the end of their usable life. The Club needs to obtain a newer set of equipment and so requires additional funds to achieve this. For a bowling club, NO USABLE GREEN MEANS NO CLUB.

What we need?

The Club is trying to secure funding for a modest extension to its clubhouse to increase space and to providing an accessible toilet facility. It also would like to upgrade its green maintenance machinery.

A total of £35,000 would enable the Club to achieve all the above.

If a smaller sum is achieved, the Club will attempt to obtain a loan from Bowls England to bridge the deficit and will continue to apply for grant funding. Although applying for grant funding over the past few years, the Club has not been successful in receiving any sizeable funding.

Timeframe

It is hoped that sufficient (£25,000) funding can be achieved by the end of July to enable the Club to get finalised estimates, obtain planning permission, contract third parties to perform any clubhouse extension and accessible toilet upgrade with a view to commence the work after the end of the summer bowling season i.e. October 2025. This should enable the Club to complete all clubhouse upgrade work before the commencement of the summer bowling season in April 2026.

If You Donate?

All those who are able to support our project (for donations over £100) will be able to apply for free social membership of the Club. Your efforts will enable us to provide a much-improved clubhouse that benefits both the Chardstock community and the surrounding areas.

The Club

Chardstock Bowling Club, located outside a small village in the far east of Devon, very close to the West Dorset and South Somerset borders, has been in existence since 1957. The Club provides a fantastic opportunity for locals and those living within a few miles to enjoy recreational activities with like-minded individuals in a very friendly environment.

The Club plays approximately 40 friendly fixtures during the summer season (April to September) against other clubs in the South West region, along with a number of inter Club league competitions and internal cup competitions. Outside the season, the Club organises a weekly cribbage league and monthly “meet and eat” activities in the clubhouse. These are normally attended by up to 30 members and friends which is about the maximum capacity for comfortable use in the available space.

The Club would like to offer more frequent and varied social activities over the whole year and to invite larger numbers of attendees (including local schools) to these events. In effect, the Club would become a “social club” outside the summer bowling season.

This will be a great opportunity for the local community to be more involved at the Club and for it to provide activities that they would normally have to travel a distance to experience elsewhere.

Its Clubhouse was originally erected in 1965, and over the years has been upgraded to meet building and health and safety touched up and extended a little to meet building and health and safety guidelines, with no increase to floor space. When playing matches against opposing teams, there is often a need to cater for 32 players along with a number of spectators/supporters who require refreshments and shelter (especially if the weather is poor). Although it can just about fit in 32 players, the indoor conditions are cramped, and it can be very inconvenient to move around (especially if cloakroom facilities are required). The indoor space can be restrictive both for match days and social events.

The Club currently has over 50 playing members and a further 10 social members. A lot of members live in Chardstock itself, but many others come from local areas such as Axminster, Raymond’s Hill, Kilmington, Wambrook, Tatworth, South Chard, Chard and Thorncombe.