Lawn Bowls’ English roots can be traced all the way back to the 12th century, and it is still enjoyed by ten of thousands up and down the country daily during fine weather. To help even more to experience the fun side of the historical sport, three of the sport’s major players have come together to create fun, free lawn bowls sessions.

Bowls England, The Bowls Club, and the Bowls Development Alliance are joining forces to offer community groups free sessions to grow lawn bowls participation in a fun and casual setting this summer.

There will be sessions taking place in the feelgood festival environment of The Bowls Club, which has two sites in the heart of London – Finsbury Square and Battersea Park. Mixing Bowls England’s ‘Bowls Bash’ initiative with The Bowls Club’s summer event experience will give first-time bowlers an extraordinary way into the sport.

Launched last year, Bowls Bash is an exciting new format of lawn bowls which aims to create a simpler and quicker version of the game. The new format has been launched as an accessible way for everyone to enjoy bowls, and Bowls England and The Bowls Club are giving community groups the opportunity to try Bowls Bash for free this summer with support from the Bowls Development Alliance.

Bowls Bash is being rolled out in Bowls clubs across the country, with Bowls England providing equipment and marketing resources for all affiliated clubs and Bowls Development Alliance supporting with training and community outreach.

The Bowls Club mixes lawn bowls with a day festival atmosphere by including a live MC, a team of actors, comedians, magicians, DJs, street food traders and big outdoor bars to create a celebration of summer like no other event around. They cater towards a mixture of corporate days out and team-bonding experiences within a free-to-enter site.

Their bar in Finsbury Square is the biggest outdoor bar in the City, and both sites operate in iconic London locations with an English Country Garden theme. The bars, premium street food traders and live music are open to the public, while numerous packages for this alternative team-bonding experience are available via the website.

The Bowls Club Co-founder Will Goy had this to say. “We are very proud of how The Bowls Club lets people discover lawn bowls in a fun, modern way. And we’re super excited to be helping signpost people to their local bowls club through this partnership with Bowls England. The more young people that bowl in a cool, trendy environment, the more the game stays alive. We are all about helping that appetite grow to ensure the longevity of the sport.

We love how lawn bowls is a team game and the fact it’s outdoors. We’re so glad to help more people gain access to this quintessential British sport and to get more first-time bowlers bowling. See you on the green this summer!”

Bowls England Head of Sport Development, Alistair Hollis, is excited about the new partnership, stating, “Since launching Bowls Bash last year, we have had some excellent feedback from participants and clubs who have tried out the new format.

We’re excited to partner with The Bowls Club to showcase this new format to the wider community and show that Bowls can be played by everybody irrespective of background or circumstance. The Bowls Club are doing a great job at modernising the game, and so bringing Bowls Bash and The Bowls Club together is a no-brainer!”

The Bowls Development Alliance, Head of Development and Partnerships, Jon Hart, said, “This is a great opportunity for the sport to reach new audiences through another fantastic partnership.

Not only are we working hard to support and develop existing clubs and volunteers through a shared service model but alongside the National Governing Bodies, we are identifying and engaging with a variety of new partners to reach even more people and to fulfil our vision of placing bowls at the heart of every community as an accessible sport for all.”

If you would be interested in volunteering at these community group sessions, please click here to find out more.

The free drop-in sessions are available at Battersea Park and Finsbury Square on the following dates.

  • Battersea Park: July 19-21 and July 25-28
  • Finsbury Square: September 5-7

Timings are from 10 am to 12 pm (except for September 5, when entry is 12-2 pm).

Photography courtesy of the Bowls Club and Ryan Dinham.

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