The Bowls England Presidential Team plays an important ambassadorial role for our sport.  Previously made up of one President and two Vice Presidents, following a period of consultation, a restructure was recently undertaken to ensure the ongoing and sustainable success of the Presidential Team. You can find out more about the 2026 Presidential Structure in the June Board Summary here.

The team is now made up of six regional positions, offering unique roles to help develop the sport at regional level and providing localised support for clubs up and down the county. Vice Presidents will travel to various clubs within their respective regions, advocating the virtues of the sport and developments within Bowls England to bowlers, clubs, county associations and other stakeholders.

Following a nomination process, we are pleased to announce five successful candidates making up the newly formed Presidential Team.  These roles were nominated by County Associations, and all nominees will be elected at the 2026 AGM unopposed.

East – Sue Bard-Bodek

Sue is a member of the The Borough Of Eye Bowls Club and has been bowling for 35 years, after being introduced to the sport by her parents in 1990. She has lived in Middlesex, Hertfordshire, and Suffolk, playing in Johns and Walker teams. In 1997, she won the National Mixed Pairs whilst fulfilling the post of Senior Vice President for Middlesex County Ladies and became their President in 1998 – at which time she was the youngest County President across the country. In 2025, Sue became the President for Suffolk County Ladies – enjoying her ambassadorial role.

“I am proud and honoured to be a County President again and pleased to be giving something back to the sport that I am passionate about and that has afforded me so much enjoyment over the years. I believe my experience of playing bowls and bowls administration will enable me to make a positive contribution to the Presidential Team.”

Midlands – Paul Green

Paul is lovingly known as ‘Nobby the Chimney Sweep’ in his local town of Northampton but still has found time to play bowls for the last 48 years. He is currently a member of the Northampton Express Bowls Club and has held many roles, including Club Captain and President, before becoming County President in 2020 and then the Midlands County President in 2024.

He is currently one of two Bowls England Vice Presidents and has supported many events and initiatives during his current tenure, having attended the British Bowls Championships, British Bowls International Series, club luncheons across England, and more. Paul says,

“I want to support Bowls England in promoting the sport to reach even further and brings bowls to new audiences.”

North – Brian Toner

Brian is currently the President of Bowls Lancashire, a committee member of the Norther Counties Bowling Association and is a member of the Lancashire Heaton Hall Bowls Club. Over the course of his bowling career, Brian has also held various administration positions including Match Secretary and Club President, as well as playing in both the English and Scottish National Finals.

“It is time to give back to Bowls, and this is the way I want to do it. With the change of composition in the Presidential Team, I believe that there is now an opportunity to provide Vice Presidents with responsibilities for various areas and to be Bowls England ambassadors in a more localised way.”

South West – Kim Harris

Kim joined the Fordingbridge Bowling Club in Hampshire at the end of 2010 with her husband and has been a member there ever since. When she moved to Devon, they awarded her life membership as a thank you for all she had achieved at the club. She is a prominent figure in her new club in Holsworthy, where she runs the bar and is the ladies captain for the upcoming season. She also introduced a mentor scheme into the club for all new members to ensure they had a great experience and were provided with all the information they needed. Kim is one of two current Vice Presidents for Bowls England. Speaking of her experience to date, Kim said,

“Having been in the role since February, I understand these positions are very important for Bowls England. As part of the Presidential team, we have visited many bowling clubs around the country and have heard what is happening at ground level. As a naturally curious person, I spoke to everyone I could, to find out information about their club and what plans they have for their future, as well as what they are looking for from Bowls England.”

West – Jennie Cole

Jennie hails from the Brimfield and Little Hereford Bowling Club in Herefordshire and has been playing bowls since 1984. She achieved her markers qualification which gave her the opportunity to play for the England Women’s Bowling Association in celebration games. Jennie has regularly volunteered at national level, at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and on Disciplinary panels as required across the region.

“Managing the Ladies County and overseeing the County Competitions every year fully demonstrates my collaborative and adaptable skills. You need to be adaptive; events can change at the last minute in bowls if the weather is against you. I will bring this experience to my role on the Presidential Team.”

There were no nominations for the South region, so the Nomination Committee agreed that this post will remain unfilled and will be open for nominations next year.  We are confident the five Vice Presidents will be able to fulfil the team’s duties next season and look forward to them being a very visible part of our events and occasions.

The Vice Presidents will undertake an induction by Darren Butler, People Officer, before commencing their new roles at the AGM in February.