Try bowls!
Taster Day at Stamford Indoor Bowls
Sunday 12 January 2025 10am - 4pm

With the focus both nationally and locally on social care and activities for young and old, Stamford Indoor Bowls Club provides a facility where people can find companionship as well as healthy sport.

So the club which has its six-rink stadium off Exeter Gardens is hosting an open day on Sunday, January 12 from 10am to 4pm, when coaches and experienced bowlers are on hand to provide free tuition and encouragement with equipment provided.

It’s an opportunity for all ages including families to try a new sport which will serve them well throughout their lifetime.

The  club was built by the local authority in 1990 to provide opportunities for outdoor bowlers to pursue their favourite pastime and since then Stamford IBC has become more than just a bowling facility.

What it has achieved has been exceptional during the time of its existence not only competitively but in its inclusivity of all abilities and ages. 

Having recovered since the Covid epidemic from severely reduced numbers, it now has a burgeoning membership and caters  for a broad range of ages and abilities including those with mobility impairment.

And with its viewing gallery, cafe and bar it also provides a haven for those seeking to meet friends and share a chat as well as enjoy a sport in which anyone - even in a wheelchair - can enjoy.

One, recently widowed member recently observed : “ I lost my husband and  it was devastating. But a friend took me to one of the open mornings and almost immediately I was hooked with the chance to make new friends.

"I can pop in at any time, even if I wasn't due to play and just watch whatever matches were on, get a coffee and guarantee to see a friendly face. That is important when loneliness is an issue and you can spend hours, sometimes days on your own."

Youngsters are also discovering new skills through its regular junior academy, while friendlies, domestic leagues and matches against other clubs provide plenty of competitive edge.

With its state of the art six-rink carpeted bowling surface, the club has a mixed membership of over 500 with an average age higher than most sports clubs but a skill level that has kept the club among top teams in the surrounding counties.

Often wrongly labelled a game purely for senior citizens, bowls offers the ideal opportunity to those not quite as agile to be  competitive and play a sport while striking up lasting friendships.

While parking and tuition is free at the open day on Sunday, the club merely asks potential participants to bring a pair of smooth-sole shoes or trainers.