In response to the Disability Bowls England (DBE) statement (dated 5 August 2024) we would like to acknowledge the incredible work of Maggie Smith MBE, Steve Watson and all the DBE trustees and volunteers who have led the management and development of disability lawn bowls over the last two decades. Their passion, dedication and energy has been admirable, and they have provided hundreds of people living with a disability the opportunity to enjoy our great sport, be part of a community and better their lives.
The governance of bowls is complex with numerous organisations responsible for areas which, in almost all other sports, would fall under one National Governing Body. This has diluted our collective efforts, created inefficiencies and held our sport back from realizing its potential. Relative to the size of our sport, and the scale of opportunity to increase national activity levels, lawn bowls receives low levels of public funding. The financial position in which DBE finds itself is a reminder of the limitations of our current model, not a reflection on the efforts of the DBE leadership.
Bowls England has been, and continues to be, fully committed to advancing disability bowls. Over many years, Bowls England has provided an annual donation to DBE, promoted disability bowls, worked with affiliated clubs to increase accessibility, incorporated DBE Finals within our Aviva National Finals and supported the Para-Bowls team at international events. Most recently, we secured Sport England funding for England to able to field a para team at the 2023 World Championships in Australia. All DBE members playing outdoor bowls are Bowls England members, follow our regulations and are part of our community.
What’s more, Birmingham 2022 presented tangible evidence of the benefits of an integrated approach for disability bowls. In the months ahead of the Commonwealth Games and during the event, able-bodied and Para athletes and management joined together under one, Bowls England led programme. Led by Para Team Manager Helen Lewis-Wall, our para bowlers were able to benefit from the expertise and support of the wider Bowls England team, a one-team approach was hugely rewarding for all involved and it was positive to be able to showcase the inclusivity of our sport to a wider audience and key stakeholders.
In this vein, following today’s announcement by DBE, we will work with Steve Watson and his team to explore how we absorb their work into our operations ahead of the 2025 season. We are confident that existing DBE members and volunteers will feel the benefit of integration within our NGB’s club services, competitions, events, communications, governance and finance functions. Moving forward, it will be critical to harness the expertise, time and enthusiasm of all those who have been instrumental in DBE’s great work as we embark on a new chapter for disability bowls.
Jon Cockcroft, Bowls England Chief Executive, added,
“Our Fit for the Future strategy is focussed on growing participation. We are working hard to make our sport truly inclusive so that everybody can enjoy it irrespective of their background or circumstances and believe there is a huge opportunity to grow the number of players and secure new funding streams. We are looking forward to immersing ourselves in disability bowls and, in parallel with the English Indoor Bowling Association and alongside the DBE trustees, explore how we can collectively build on their excellent work.”