Our Stories  Issue 64 Frankleigh Star Bowls
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Splash of Colour for Bowling Club

Our Stories: Issue 64 

Frankleigh Star Indoor Bowls is a bowling club based in Westown, New Plymouth. A new purchase has left the club looking brighter. 

Bruce Durdle, Secretary-Treasurer of the club, said a lot of the club members were having trouble picking out the colours of the bowls at the other end of the mat. “The traditional bowls colours were black and brown, since those were the materials available in the fifties and sixties. Because a lot of the members are getting older and also because of the changes in lighting, the bowls were hard to distinguish."

"After a merger with two other groups back in 2013, we inherited a lot of bowls from different places and they were starting to show their age," Bruce said. The club started looking for funding just before the Covid-19 Level 4 lockdown in 2020.

“We had a long relationship with the TSB Community Trust and a lot of the other places weren’t as quick off the mark or had a lot more complexity in the application process."

A grant of $4,500 from TSB Community Trust allowed Frankleigh Star to purchase coloured bowls so there was a clear contrast. As well as retaining the black bowls, the club purchased yellow ones, to match the standard colour set of black and yellow.

"Getting the grant was a smooth and easy process. We have around 30 members and it has enabled us to keep a lot of our older members enjoying the sport. We hope to be able to keep attracting younger ones coming through as well.”

“The new bowls set is a positive indication that we will be around for a while and makes it that much easier for new members to get involved. We have had great feedback from new members and managed to retain most of the ones that have given it a try," Bruce said.

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