As we enter 2025, the work to transition Disability Bowls England (DBE) into everyday Bowls England business is well underway following Helen Lewis-Wall’s appointment in December.  This will continue in earnest over the coming months including club support, arranging matches, competitions and governance.

As the new year starts, Bowls England is excited to officially welcome members and volunteers who were part of DBE and look forward to creating one outdoor bowls family.  We will be setting up a Disability Advisory Group to aid continuity and maintain expertise, and we are reaching out to existing volunteers to advise them of the 2025 season plans.

We’re also firming up plans for disability competitions and the Para International Squad – information relating to these two topics will be updated on the website and shared across the Bowls England channels in due course.

Jon Cockcroft, Bowls England Chief Executive, said:

“We are excited to embrace disability bowls activities, and I expect the coming months to present opportunities for our members living with a disability to continue to enjoy our wonderful sport.  Moreover, we are determined to make bowls more accessible to everybody and will be working hard to grow participation amongst people with a disability.”

 

Helen Lewis-Wall, Bowls England Disability Officer, added:

“I have been working closely with Steve Watson, Judy Plater and Sue Davies from DBE to ensure a smooth transition and I would like to thank them for their continued support.  I am looking forward to 2025 and working together with the team at Bowls England, our members and volunteers to make the most of the opportunities that will come our way, and creating new ones that will continue to shine a light on the inclusivity of our sport.”

Disability Bowls already has a dedicated area on the Bowls England Website where you will be able to find all the information you need.  This area will continue to develop over the coming months, so you have everything at your fingertips. Follow the link below for more:

In addition to this, Disability Bowls content will be integrated into Bowls England’s newsletter, ‘The Jack’, where the team will share news, stories and celebrate those within our community. If you are not already subscribed, sign up to receive the newsletter here. Content will also be shared across the Bowls England social channels so, make sure you follow across the various platforms @BowlsEngland.

Bowls England and all those involved in disability bowls shares the vision that bowls is for everybody and we are excited to see what the future holds as we continue to promote our sport to ensure it is truly accessible for all.

If you have any questions or would like to support our work in this area, please get in touch with Helen at helen.lewis-wall@bowlsengland.com