Grants Announcement

Club Grants Program Yanchep headlines Grants initiative

An initiative by the Bowls WA Club Development Committee the Club Grants program was strongly supported with 27 clubs making applications for funding. With more than double the budgeted $40,000 requested by Clubs and many exceptional applications a total of $41,823 has been approved with 22 clubs receiving the good news. The full list of recipients is shown at the end of this article.

This program which allows clubs to apply for funding towards local club run projects or events has seen many clubs looking to embrace their local community to attract more people to our sport. Other areas of focus were with junior bowlers, schools program, disability and inclusion events and family based bowls programs.

Bowls WA President Doug Kelly along with Regional Bowls Manager Clive Adams visited one of the successful clubs in Yanchep as part of the announcement. Yanchep will receive $5,000 the maximum available to fund an exciting initiative which is being driven by their President Jodie Nikolic.

“The submission by Yanchep embraces the Bowls WA Strategic Plan of making Bowling Clubs stronger by playing more bowls more ways more often. The inclusiveness of all abilities bowlers and families into our bowls reflects how all clubs can build their participation in the sport” remarked President Kelly.

Yanchep will run a program of five separate events through October and November 2022 which is focused on attracting young participants, families and people with disabilities. The days are designed around being fun, family oriented and inclusive for all.

President Jodie who represented WA at the Multi Disability Championships in Queensland had a somewhat rocky road to getting started in bowls.

She plays out of a specially built wheelchair designed for bowlers which also protects the surface of the green with rubber tyres.

“I came down to the club and enjoyed watching the bowlers play so much that I wanted to get out there myself. Understanding there were requirements around the wheelchair being on the green I found that it was not so easy to get started but we managed to eventually get a specially made chair for bowling. This funding will allow us to buy two more wheel chairs and have them available for others who want to give bowls a go. We already have people asking when the chairs will be available,” said Yanchep Club President Jodie Nikolic who was thrilled when receiving the good news. "This funding will allow us to buy two more wheel chairs and have them available for others who want to give bowls a go!" – Jodie Nikolic

Through a connection with her workplace which deals with Spinal Cord Injury Prevention she met Chris Easter. Chris who has over a decades experience in the fabrication industry and is also a wheelie himself was blown away when he found out how much it cost and remarked that he could probably build one much cheaper.

So much cheaper in fact that he now can provide a modified for bowls wheel chair at less than half the price of what Jodie initially had to spend for hers.

Chris has now started his own business called Wheeled Engineering which specializes in repairs, maintenance, modifications and custom adapted wheelchairs is hopeful these chairs will give more people the chance to bowl at a much more affordable price. He even has chairs designed for use on the beach or off road which are fitted with mountain bike tyres.

• Yanchep club member Barry Tocock, Yanchep President Jodie Nikolic,

Bowls WA President Doug Kelly, Adam Ferguson, RBM Clive Adams and

Chris Easter from Wheeled Engineering.

• Adam and Jodie enjoying a roll up at Yanchep together.

The good news for Bowls is that Yanchep are also supportive of other clubs borrowing the wheel chairs if they have someone who wants to give bowls a go.

The other aspect of the Yanchep program is of course involving families and the younger generation.

“To future proof our sport we need to attract a younger membership base and embrace the family aspect of the sport within clubs,” said Regional Bowls Manager Clive Adams. “Bowls is one of the few sports where an entire family of kids, parents and grand parents can all play together.”

One of the clubs younger participants is Adam Ferguson whose parents are members of the club. “I like to come and watch mum and dad play and I like to have a go myself but I wish there were more young people playing too,” said Adam during a roll up. This is something the club is obviously hoping to change very soon.

Yanchep have already engaged with their Local Government who will be supporting this program and the club will be getting word out to the Yanchep Community and surrounds to come on down and give bowls a go.

The full list Bowling Clubs who were successful Club Grant recipients are: • Bedford • Bunbury • Cockburn • Como • Dalkeith Nedlands • Doubleview • Dunsborough • Emu Point • Forrestfield • Fremantle • Mandurah • Moora • Morley • Mt Pleasant • North Beach • North Perth • Osborne Park • Pinjarra • Quinns Rocks • Victoria Park Carlisle • Wagin • Yanchep

Doubleview bring in the juniors

Doubleview Bowling Club is looking for its next era of champion bowlers and recently held its first Bring a Junior Bowler day.

Eleven youngsters took to the greens on a day which encouraged members to bring along a junior to play, the club had already successfully run a similar Bring a Mate day last season.

Doubleview Committee member David Cosgrove said, “In the 2021/22 season we already had three junior boys play Men’s Pennants. In addition, we have another three boys who have been playing regularly with their granddad as well as a sister playing so have a small nucleus of juniors involved and we hope we can continue to grow those numbers.”

Having members introduce a family member to their club is a proven way of bringing new people into the sport as they feel more comfortable with their initial visits whilst they build up a rapport with other club members and bowlers.

“We have found when new bowlers start the generation gap can be large, not only within the team but also the opposition. We are hoping we can create a larger pool of junior bowlers and if other clubs are able to do something similar, having a regular junior competition can only be good for the sport.”

Doubleview have scheduled more events for juniors on the upcoming school holidays 27-29 September with a junior Pairs competition on September 30th. Following that they hope to have a regular weekly training afternoon for junior bowlers during the bowls season.

For more information on the Doubleview Junior Program contact David Cosgrove 0412 624 312.