Recruitment needs a boost NOW!

Post date: Dec 14, 2019 7:56:05 AM

Stamford IBC chairman Keith Rippin (left) with EIBA Development Director Mike Lambert.

Stamford Indoor Bowls club is embarking on an ambitious recruitment drive to encourage more potential members to take up the sport.

Despite the millions who will tune in to the TV coverage in January for the World Indoor Bowls singles championships at Potters, bowls as a participant sport is in serious decline nationwide with clubs closing because of its ageing demographic and a lack of players turning to the sport competitively or socially.

However, the Stamford indoor club in Exeter Gardens, which is run completely by volunteers, is determined to buck the trend and is appealing to the local sporting community as well as its 500-strong membership to help it find new players.

Club representatives Keith Rippin (chairman) and management committee members Bob and Carol Warters, recently attended a seminar at Lincoln and District IBC, at which English Indoor Bowls Association development director Mike Lambert, painted a gloomy picture of the future of bowls if clubs don't act now.

While he admitted that Lincolnshire - one of dozens of affiliated counties he was visiting during his three year term - was more progressive than most, every one of its 11 clubs needed to 'recruit to survive.'

"With an average indoor club member age of 73, compared to just over 60 in the 1980s, it is fairly obvious we are approaching a crisis point, he told a stunned audience of the county's club officials.

"How many of those 73-year-olds (and older) are likely to be bowling in ten years time? We are talking of half your club memberships. Steady declines will be a thing if nothing is done.

"It will be like falling off a cliff," he warned.

"Clearly the answer has to be recruitment - regular recruitment. The minority of clubs who are really tackling this issue are seeing rewards - financial, social and with new committee members to pass the club on to the next generation."

Mr Lambert warned it would not be easy and there was no 'golden bullet' with recruitment.

"But there is a 'golden shotgun' with a multitude of pellets spreading out requiring careful planning and hard work including posters, (thousands not just hundreds) of leaflets, promotions and banners."

And despite the demographic of its membership, clubs should embrace social media and neighbourhood websites which will advertise the club and its events free of charge.

"The Swale indoor club recently gained 40 new members from one Facebook placement alone," he revealed.

The Stamford club has been quick to move on its plans to ensure it halts the current worrying decline in bowlers.

As well as confirming its forthcoming open weekend on Saturday January 11 (from 9.30-noon), Stamford IBC has joined the Bowls Development Association programme and is set to appoint a recruitment team leader and squad of volunteers to embark on a series of initiatives to improve its membership.

If local bowlers are prepared to volunteer help with the programme to boost membership, they should register their interest with Keith Rippin or any member of the management committee who are having a meeting with Annie Dunham from the Bowls Development Association at Stamford IBC at 1pm on Thursday, December 19. BW