Other Sport / bowls
Bowls club at risk of losing home after 98 years
A bowls club in north Bristol which is due to celebrate its centenary in just two years’ time could be forced to shut due to a spat with the charity who now manage the site the club use.
Ardagh Bowling & Sports Club have played bowls at the Ardagh on Horfield Common since 1926 but their future is now uncertain.
It comes after the club failed to agree on a leasing proposal they received from Ardagh Community Trust (ACT), the volunteer-led group responsible for managing the Ardagh.
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The trust said that the club declined their offer, which consisted of charging them for the sole use of the green for competitive lawn bowling during the upcoming 2024 season.
In an email to the club, the trust said that “this matter is now concluded, as ABSC have declined our offer by the deadline” and as a result the sports club have been given notice to leave their home of 98 years.
But the club claim that they have “not declined the offer of sole use and wish to negotiate”.
There has been a bowls club at the Ardagh on Horfield Common since 1926 – photo: Mia Vines Booth
The club’s statement says: “We would like to advise the community of Horfield and beyond that as a result of an unsigned communication from the Ardagh Community Trust, the site lease holders, the bowling green will no longer be available to the club for competitive bowling.
“We as a club have been given ‘hon-negotiable’ option to use the bowling green for competitive bowling in 2024.
“The terms, conditions and specifically costs, are in the charity’s words ‘significant and carry a degree of uncertainty’.
“The costs demanded are excessive and have been positioned significantly higher than the bowling club can afford.
“We feel that ACT are not fulfilling their charity status in their demands, and have not shown any reasonable endeavour to reach an agreement.
“The Ardagh Bowls Club is due to celebrate its centenary in 2026 and has, since 1926, fully facilitated and provided a club for the community to enjoy.
“We would like to continue competitive and social bowling at the Ardagh but need the local community’s support to enable us to do this.
“We would like to emphasise the social, health and wellbeing attributes that our bowling club can provide for everyone.
“The bowling club still wish to work constructively with ACT and promote access to bowls for all.
“We really hope that the Ardagh Community Trust which values our community will reconsider.”
Ardagh Bowling & Sports Club want to continue competitive and social bowling at the Ardagh – photo: Mia Vines Booth
The trust say they hope to keep the bowls green open throughout 2024 for social bowling and other “complementary activities” such as yoga and tai-chi, while its long-term future is considered.
In a statement, an ACT spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that the future of assets in parks in Bristol continues to be under threat following reductions to local authority spending in general, and for parks in particular.
“These financial decisions produced a shift in Bristol City Council (BCC) policy in 2010, when the council decided it would no longer subsidise the cost of leisure activities in parks – including sports.
“For some of the background to this issue, and the events that led to the Ardagh bowling green being removed from the local authority’s sports strategy in 2020 – which has led to an ongoing decline in quality – please see this timeline and these links.
“When Horfield Common and the Ardagh were threatened with development, ACT was formed to develop a community asset project, following negotiations with Bristol City Council in 2016.
“The Ardagh Bowling Club decided not to join in with this project.
“As the council had intended to sell the Ardagh site for development, there has been a 30-year lack of investment, necessitating significant capital costs which need to be met in in the medium-long term to ensure that all areas of the site can continue to be used safely.
“ACT is working hard to secure funding to pay for this, but there are, of course, no guarantees.
“ACT have taken responsibility for managing the Ardagh site to ensure its survival and ongoing availability to our local community – as a public asset – as well as to ensure that it stays available for community use rather than being developed.
“ACT offered the green to the bowls club for sole use for competitive lawn bowling for the 2024 season at cost and this offer was declined.
“The bowls club is a private club which ACT is not permitted to subsidise; ACT’s offer to the club was based on recovering only actual expenditure on the green.
“ACT will continue to facilitate social bowling but cannot subsidise competitive bowling.
“ACT intends to continue to make the green available for social bowling and complementary activities (e.g. yoga, tai-chi) through 2024, while trustees consider its long-term future.”
The Ardagh Bowling & Sports Club have played bowls at the Ardagh since 1926 – photo: Ardagh Bowling & Sports Club
Green Party councillors for Bishopston & Ashley Down ward, Emma Edwards and James Crawford, told Bristol24/7 they “hope that a solution can be found that satisfies both parties”.
In a joint statement, they said: “Bristol City Council made the decision to transfer the bowling club over to the Ardagh.
“However, this is not the only instance of the council transferring assets in the city.
“Unfortunately, the harsh reality of 14 years of austerity has meant that the council is unable to continue to fund some facilities such as the green.
“We know that the Ardagh has worked with officers and with Avon Bowls Association to determine the costings for the green.
“However, we appreciate that these costs are higher than those incurred by the club in the past.
“We have met with both the bowling club and the Ardagh and we hope that a solution can be found that satisfies both parties.”
Main photo: Ardagh Bowling & Sports Club
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