Additional support to clubs in response to Covid-19 and backing for the Commonwealth Games Preparation Programme were the headline decisions at the Bowls England Board Meeting on Wednesday 3rd June 2020.
Supporting our clubs during these challenging times is our top priority. A total of 982 clubs responded to the recent Covid-19 Survey. The Board agreed that the results would be used to inform further club support, including the rollout of webinars covering topics identified be members as important. The Board also heard that a request has been submitted to Sport England for additional marketing material to help clubs who wish to open.
The Board also received an update from the High Performance Director, John Mc Guinness, on the Commonwealth Games 2022 and the Sport England Preparation Programme. It was noted that Sport England has set-aside additional resources (up to £2.65million) to enhance NGB preparation programmes for Birmingham 2022. A total of 20 NGBs that have been invited to apply for a share of this money, which is only available to those athletes who do not receive UK Sport funding. All applicants are expected to make a contribution as part of the bidding process, and the Board resolved to include within the submission a contribution of £100,000 from within current budgets for staff time, British Isles international events and marketing initiatives. We are excited by the opportunity of a home Commonwealth Games to showcase our sport and inspire more people to participate.
On the international front, the Board also received an update on an outline proposal from Bowls Scotland to amend the future format of the Women’s International Series. Initial consultation has been held with the Team Managers and Regional Selectors, and it was agreed that a Working Group consider the detail. It was also noted that both the BIBC and BIWBC had agreed in principle at their recent meetings to work towards unification from 1st January 2022.
This was the first Board Meeting attended by our new Chief Executive, Jon Cockcroft. Over the coming months, Jon is looking forward to speaking with the bowls community to understand its perspective on our sport and aspirations for the future.
Full details of the Board Meeting can be viewed at: https://www.bowlsengland.com/minutes/