children, but families can enjoy spending time together and we have bowls for them to use.
Ian Coker (left) teaches the basics at the Open Day (©AAH/Alan Wright)
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The game attracts players of all ages (©AAH/Alan Wright)
Peter: As a community club, it’s important to be inclusive. We host an Alzheimer’s group and the U3A, and recently welcomed a group from St John’s Church in Broadbridge Heath for a bowls evening. We also host short mat bowls. We have an eight-rink green, but often utilise two rinks to accommodate the short-mat format. The short-mat game appeals to different people and we already have about 60 shortmat members. Peter: One of the ways we attract new members is through Open Days. We held one last summer that attracted 40 people and our January event coincided with the World Indoor Championships, screened on the BBC. People get hooked on bowls in the same way they do with curling during the Olympics, so we attract people who wouldn’t normally play bowls. We also see many people who have previously enjoyed team sports. They still have a sporting mentality, but perhaps cannot continue with rugby, football,
‘People get hooked on bowls in the same way they do with curling during the Olympics.’
cricket or other sports as age catches up with them. We attract a lot of golfers wanting to head indoors for winter, while still getting a competitive fix. Andy: People have this idea that bowls is just for people who have retired, but it isn’t. After coaching football, I was looking for something else to do and fancied giving it a try. I went along for a couple of free sessions before Christmas and was made to feel really welcome. After only a few weeks, the county team was a player short and I was selected for a match at Hastings. What I found amazing was that our
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