The judging panel has been finalised for our 2023 Awards Night which is being held at the Athena in Leicester on Saturday 24th February 2024.

In total, 14 awards will be presented on the evening of which eight have been opened for general nominations.

Ten of the Awards have been discussed by the expert panel, eight of which be decided by the panel. The Unsung Hero and Diversity and Inclusion will be shortlisted by these experts prior to an online vote on the Bowls England Awards website, which will ultimately determine the winners. This public vote will open in January 2024.

Our expert panellists between them bring many years of bowls and sports industry expertise gained through involvement in every aspect of our sport.  For some categories, they will be joined by specialists in that field.

 

David Tucker – Chair of Bowls England Board  

Bowls England Chair David is also Chair of our Expert Panel. He has more than 50 years of playing experience, has won over 100 Devon caps in the Middleton Cup and has been club secretary of Topsham BC since the early 1970s. He has been part of the Bowls England Board since 2008, becoming Chair in 2020. 

 

Deepak Tanna – Bowls England President  

Following many years of involvement with club and county bowls, Deepak is Bowls England President for 2023-24.  He is an active member of Goodwood BC in Leicestershire and is particularly involved in celebrating diversity in bowls. His role in the Presidential team means he has visited many clubs around the country in recent years. 

 

Foster Johnson – Director of Governance  

Foster has chaired the Bowls England Governance Working Party since joining the board in 2020.  Foster was previously Chair of the Management Audit and Review Committee and is Durham’s Secretary and County Administrator. 

 

Jon Cockcroft – Bowls England CEO 

Since taking on the role in June 2020, Jon has instigated the development and implementation of Bowls England’s Fit for the Future strategy.  He has also instigated new initiatives to benefit the sport such as Bowls’ Big Weekend, Bowls Bash and these Annual Awards.  Jon is Bowls England’s representative on the BDA, Coach Bowls and EBACT board. 

 

Kath Lloyd – Chair, The Friends of English Bowling 

Kath has worked for and belonged to Sports associations from university days to date, at work and voluntary, locally and nationally. She has enjoyed helping with the Bowls England Finance Committee and now Bowls England Management and Review Committee. She also supports the Friends of English Bowling as Chairperson and Bowls Wiltshire as Bowls England Councillor 

 

Malcolm Douglas – Non-Executive Chairman, Bowls Development Alliance  

Malcolm was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director and elected as BDA Chair in May 2017. Malcolm has a wealth of business experience notably as Group Managing Director of Swatch Group UK Ltd, Managing Director of Polar Electro UK Ltd, and as Global President of Polar Electro Group. He is now Executive Chair of Patterson Elliott Management Ltd, and is Independent Non-Executive Director at Anytime Fitness UK Ltd. 

 

Sandy Hazell – Bowls England Women’s Team Manager 

Sandy earned the first of thirty-two caps for the Senior International team in 2007. As part of the Commonwealth Games team in Delhi in 2010, she won Bronze in the Ladies Triples.  

Having previously served on the Kent Executive for a number of years, as selector and co-manager of the Amy Rose side, she became an England selector in 2020. 

Sandy used her experience and expertise to contribute to a successful Team England campaign at Birmingham 2022 and at the 2023 World Championships. 

  

Specialists 

Alan Lewis – Bowls England’s Greens Expert Advisor 

Alan started his turfcare education in the early eighties and went so far as to achieve a Master’s degree. Alan has also become a renowned lecturer who delights in sharing his knowledge for the likes of the GMA (Grounds Management Association), Kew Gardens, and of course Bowls England and Dennis and SISIS. 

Amanda Scriven-Purcell – Coaching Manager, Coach Bowls  

Amanda oversees all coaching courses and is responsible for organising the team of coaches and mentors across the country. 

Bernie Hill – EBUA Secretary 

Bernie is an integral part of the EBUA and is a prominent figure at our Aviva National Finals with a wealth of officiating experience. 

 

 

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