First it was a double dip and now it seems that the UK is on for a Triple Dip recession! With all this doom and gloom around, its no wonder that many bowling clubs are like rabbits caught in the headlights.
It seems like there is nothing we can do to ensure the survival of our bowling clubs never mind actually increasing revenue and building a successful, thriving club for the future.
Well, its easy to get caught up in the misery of it all, especially when you look out of the window and see grey skies and rain. Then the news comes on and its all flood warnings and danger triangles! Long summer evenings on the green seem like a universe away!
However, this is exactly the time when you have time on your hands to get your bowling club set up for a bright future.
Ignore the news and just take these 5 easy steps to turning your club around for the long term. I’ve written a new report detailing the 5 most important steps you Must take now to make sure your club is one of the lucky ones. There’s actually no luck involved, its just a matter of employing the right actions at the right time to set your club up for future success that many dismiss as impossible.
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Hello John,
I,ve just recently returned from visiting my daughter and granddaughter in Australia. Whilst walking along the prom there I passed Mornington Bowls Club who were playing a match, the players all resplendent in their whites. As a crown green bowler my only experience of Lawn Bowls were a couple of snobby clubs in the south of England who weren’t interested in me asking them about their sport.
However, I noticed that this club had a sign up saying “barefoot roll-up, Friday nights 5.30 til 7.30pm, all welcome.”
Friday night came and I rolled up at about 6.00pm to find the green heaving with people. Men, women and children all having a great time. There was a hot-dog bbq and club members were on the green giving tips on what to do especially to the children and there did not seem to be any age barrier. I was told that coaching lessons were available on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons by qualified coaches.I paid my money,was given a set of woods and matched up with three other folk and given some basic advice. At 7.30 I went to hand in the woods and was engaged in conversation by some of the members. as a result of this I was able to bowl on for another hour or so and found that I had attracted a fair number of spectators who were keen to see how the “crown greener” was doing.
The Aussies were totally different to my previous experience of Lawn Bowls and were fascinated by corner bowling, the fact that our jack was biased the same as a wood and betting which is prevalent in panel bowling. I was advised to get proper bowling shoes and that I was welcome to join in their social bowling comps on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
In conversations with members on these highly enjoyable occasions, I was told that 7 years ago the club had started to struggle financially and one of the committee members had decided “bugger tradition” and hired the club out for a 21st party. The flak quickly died down when they saw how much income this had generated and in the weeks I was there they hosted a wedding, an engagement and two 21st parties. They also cater for team building days by local firms and always include bowling in the day.
The barefoot rollups attract between 120 and 160 patrons and with fees, bbq and alcohol sales generate between £2000 and £2250 each Friday over the 7 months of the season. They also attract members to the club and get 4 or 5 capable of playing at “Pennant” level ,their equivalent of our league status.
My own club is in the same situation as they were 7 years ago. Dinosaurs living in the past with neither the will nor drive to change and losing money hand over fist. However, last July we hosted a Ladies competition and invited 32 of the best lady crown green bowlers to compete in the Grange Ladies Classic. To see ladies on the green for the first time ever and witness the high quality bowling they provided was fantastic. We also have a ladies slimming club meeting every week and have entered teams in the local Darts and Crib leagues. This is all increasing footfall into the club and hopefully getting rid of the “this is a gentleman’s club” atmosphere which is so strong that when wives of members are asked would they consider joining if that became an option tell us in no uncertain terms, no chance.
I had read John’s book on ways of growing your membership in relation to our club ethos and was not hopeful. However having seen what could be done by Mornington Bowls Club ,I came back more enthusiastic that things can change.
Talking to my friends in the club one of them likened our situation to the javelin in athletics. A short run up to the problem and then launch and you are almost there, when in actual fact it’s more like a marathon with many steps and many twists and turns in the course.
I hope this tale of success in turning round a club helps. The Aussies saw it as lots of little victories (over a longer time span than they would have liked) but they feel that they are getting there. They feel that it is a work in progress!!!