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Save Our Greens Campaign - overview
The Suncastle (North Parade) Greens are under threat and a new organisation has been formed (NPBGA - North Parade Bowling Greens Association). They are proposing to take over of the running of the greens from ELDC.
In chronological order, this is a series of progress reports about the campaign
to keep the long established home of Federation bowling alive.
Updates will be made as matters progress.
For those who use facebook, there are 3 relevant pages. The first is NPBGA's page.
After logging into facebook, search for the text in green, or, use the https to go direct:-
Save our Bowling Green Skegness
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560768477347
Skegness September Bowls Tournament Federation
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566709246744
Skegness Over 55 Bowls Tournament (EBA code)
https://www.facebook.com/skegnessover55bowlstournament
Suncastle greens: maintenance
Petition
For anyone wanting to support a 'save the greens' petition, there is the option of gathering signatures on a sheet of paper stating what it is for. They need 1000 signatures to raise a meeting with the council. A sample form is attached to this page, it can be used for none East Lindsay residents.
The link below is to the facebook group Save Our Bowling Green Skegness. The main post on the group was on 7Jun24 and begins "PLEASE HELP US SAVE THE NORTH PARADE BOWLING GREENS". A message from 8Jun24 includes "for any enquiries please either message the page or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ".
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560768477347
Suncastle greens: maintenance
East Lindsey D.C. recently declared their intention of ceasing maintenance of the greens after our National week in August 2024. The situation, as at 22Jun24, is as follows.
Several NEC members had a meeting with the Council on Friday 7Jun24 and the NEC was represented at a meeting at the Suncastle on Wednesday 19Jun24, during the Over-55 week.
Further information hopefully will be forthcoming following that meeting. Richard Underwood (Suncastle management) is leading the campaign and volunteers have come forward to help the 'committee'.
Also, meetings of the NEC and National Delegates have been called for 30Jun24 to discuss what is happening.
Petition
For anyone wanting to support a 'save the greens' petition, there is the option of gathering signatures on a sheet of paper stating what it is for and take them to the Over 55s tournament. They need 1000 signatures to raise a meeting with the council. A sample form is attached to this page, it can be used for none East Lindsay residents.
The link below is to the facebook group Save Our Bowling Green Skegness. The main post on the group was on 7Jun24 and begins "PLEASE HELP US SAVE THE NORTH PARADE BOWLING GREENS". A message from 8Jun24 includes "for any enquiries please either message the page or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ".
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560768477347
To E.B.F.
East Lindsey District Council has for many years supported and financed the bowling offer in Skegness, the only bowling venue in the district to have received this level of support, however the council feels that the best way forward is for these types of facilities to be managed and run by the people using the facilities, they clearly know what is best for this type of facility to thrive and develop, to this end for several years I have been trying to find a long term solution which would see a local group, business or bowling organisation take over the ownership and running of the greens and infrastructure.
There now seems to be a local organisation emerging which could take on this role and the council would like to work with this organisation to secure the future of this area in providing a bowling offer.
The council working with this group, would look to invest in the infrastructure, with the possibility of a yearly grant, reducing over time, until the group has a firm management and fiscal structure, I would hope that this can be achieved within the next 12 months.
I hope this gives the bowling clubs comfort in the sustainability of the Greens, the council wishes to see this succeed but does not see its future as being the organisation running the Greens.
If there is anything further that I can help you with please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards, Graham
Graham Marsh
Member for Alford Ward
Deputy Leader and Executive Member
Email from Dave Woods to the County secretaries 3Jly24
Draft Minutes
When these minutes are approved the above heading will be removed.
If there are any corrections, they will be highlighted in red.
ENGLISH BOWLING FEDERATION
Emergency Joint NEC/NDC Representatives Meeting
MEMBERS PRESENT
Mr. M. Carr (Chairman), Mrs I Ballam (President (EWBF), Mrs. B. Beresford (.D.P. & Hon Secretary E.W.B.F.), Mr. K. Fox (Umpires Secretary) Mr. W. T. Roberts) Treasurer) Mr. B. Bevans, Mr. D. Woods (Secretary). Also in attendance were the following clubs. Cleveland Men and Ladies, Derbyshire Men and Ladies, Humberside Men and Ladies. Huntingdonshire Men and Ladies, Lincolnshire Men, Norfolk Men and Ladies, North Cambs. Men and Ladies North Essex Ladies, Northants Men and Ladies, Nottinghamshire Men and Ladies, and Suffolk Men and Ladies.
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PRESIDENT'S WELCOME. The meeting was opened by the Ladies President Mrs I. Ballam who welcomed everyone to the meeting. |
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Mike Carr then went on to introduce Steve O’Dare from Skegness Council and part of the team who have started the Save our Greens campaign. |
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Mr. T. Flatt (President) Mr. D. Thomas (Deputy President) Mr. R.Taylor. . (Junior Deputy President) Mrs. J. Phillips. (Junior Deputy President EWBF) Mrs.J.Murphy (National Safeguarding Officer) Mrs. J. Croxall. Durham Men, and Northumberland Ladies, |
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The meeting was originally called after we received a letter from E.L.DC saying the greens would not be maintained after our Championships in August. Steve O’Dare a Councillor from Skegness has agreed to give us an update on what is now happening. Steve went on to give us his own background having served in the Army for 23 years, worked for the Police force and will be a Town Councillor for at least the next 4 years. He was also the Town Crier for 3 years a job he thoroughly enjoyed. He went on to say that 3 weeks ago he was approached to be part of a working group set up to save the greens at Skegness This followed. Mike Carr attending a Council meeting, where it was stated that they did not want anything to do with the greens. Steve, Richard Underwood from the Suncastle and Carl Macey then started a petition to save the bowling green’s. They called a meeting not knowing who would turn up inviting local business including the Hoteliers and members of the general public. Over 150 people attended the meeting and a number of people had signed a form to save the greens. They then formed the North Parade Bowling Greens Association which is fully constitutional. They are now in constant contact with E.L.D.C. All buildings have been inspected and we now have a professional body working on the greens from an outside source. A full committee will be formed in the near future. E.L.D.C has said they will help with funding although it is a paltry sum. The meeting was then opened to questions, Norfolk made it clear they do not want to leave Skegness, Humberside would be happy to stay at Skegness if the greens were improved, What is needed is more competitions to be played, there used to be 2 in June 1in July and one in September, plus the National Championships. If the greens do close then Skegness will be poorer without the 2 competitions that are now held there. What is required is the support of people, we have noticed that less people are now attending and the reason being is the state of the greens. It is hoped that with the new firm working on the greens that this will improve them, but it will take time. The E.B.F have had a police report saying that unless the people are causing damage there is nothing they can do. Unfortunately a large fence can’t be built as it is a Heritage site and we would not get permission, also there are 7 or 8 openings around the Suncastle and gardens which would have to be left open. However it is intended to put a smaller fence around the greens like the one they have at Great Yarmouth. The fence would be hooped, but first of all we would require permission from the English Heritage. The fence would be connected to the concrete around the greens. There are CTV cameras on the green and these are controlled from Boston, the trouble is the Police have no powers because it is an open space 1122 All this will depend on funding, a minimum of £30,000 would be required, £8000 per green and the remaining £6000 would be used to fund other bowls projects.
It was suggested that the hotels should add on £1 per night to all their customers, this would bring in quite a lot of money for the committee. The new organisation called Sands may help. This is the new Hoteliers organisation, it is hoped that someone from the Hoteliers Association will join the committee. It has been quoted that the week brings in 2 to 3 million for the week we believe it is nearer 1 million. The trouble is, it’s the Hoteliers and Businesses that make the money, not the Council. As everyone is now aware things are moving quite quickly and that is why we invited Steve to our meeting, to give us an update on what is going on. We have been trying and have had meetings over the last two and a half years, but have got nowhere. Steve, Richard and Carl have only been involved for about 3 weeks and things are developing very quickly. The E.B.F fully support everything that Steve, Richard and Carl have done, we must now look to the future and not the past. The organisation will now be called the North Parade Bowling Green’s Association. It is now hoped that all our members will join the face book page of save our bowling green’s. Jayne Croxall from Nottinghamshire had sent a letter to Steve covering most points we have discussed. We have given the new organisation our commitment to holding the Championships for a long time at Skegness if the greens are improved to a Championship standard. The meeting ended by all Counties showing their appreciation for what the 3 people have done and thanked Steve for attending the meeting and giving us a very good insight to what is now happening. An email from Graham Marsh is attached to these minutes.
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Draft Minutes
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly8w60dkkno
Email from Dave Woods (Secretary) which had an attached letter from Mike Carr (Chairman)
Email from Dave Woods. To NEC & County Secretaries
Letter from Mike Carr To NEC & County Secretaries
4th September 2024
Dear Fellow Bowlers,
Proposal to the AGM regarding the future funding of Skegness Bowling Greens
Hopefully those of you who were present at our recent National Finals, have now recovered from the weeks festivities and have reflected on the successes or otherwise of your county bowlers.
I have decided to write to all County Secretaries as the NEC will be putting forward a proposal to increase the National Levy from the next financial year (2026). The reason for this proposal is purely to help secure the future of the Skegness Bowling Greens, and to become a stakeholder / partner in the North Parade Bowling Greens Association the new organisation taking over the running of the bowling greens from East Lindsey District Council, hopefully from April 2025.
Some of you will have heard Steve O’Dare who spoke at the special meeting held in June to discuss the future of Skegness, and at that meeting all Counties present gave their full support for what Steve and his colleagues are doing, and following on from that, at a Finance meeting held during Skegness week it was unanimously decided to propose to increase the National Levy by £1 to help finance the ongoing work required to, first of all get the greens back to pristine condition and then to ensure they are kept in a condition worthy of our National Championships.
It is certainly my opinion that we must now take this opportunity to be fully part of the future of the greens and in some degree, be in control of our own destiny. I am sure you will all agree that Skegness is integral to the future of the EBF, without Skegness I would fear for the long-term future of EBF bowling. The proposal will also include that we will set aside the sum raised by the additional levy purely for the Skegness project, and we will give the new organisation a sum initially of £10,000 per annum as our contribution to the budget of this body, but on the understanding that it would be specifically used as funding for the maintenance of the greens.
In return, the EBF will become the major stakeholders in the new organisation, and I will become a member of the new Committee set up to run the greens, and as such I will ensure that the money we pay over will be used for the purpose intended. Any additional money from the special levy, will also be ‘set aside’ in our accounts and shown as a separate item in the accounts.
I hope like me you will feel that anadditional levy of £1 is a small price to pay, to help get the greens at Skegness back to what they should be, great work was done by the contractor we hired to improve the greens and I am confident his good work will, in time reap rewards for all who play on the greens in the future hopefully in partnership with the EBF.
The NEC would therefore ask for the support of your County at the AGM to enable the addition levy to be raised.
Yours sincerely
Mike Carr. Chairman English Bowling Federation.
A group of volunteers, led by Josie Tyers, will run the reinstated "September Bowls Week".
On 8th Oct 24 Josie told the other volunteers:- It is 99% likely that the handover of the greens (ELDC to NPBGA) will happen in April 2025 if not before.....I have booked us in for September 7th to 12th 2025.
Key points about the Tournament
- Federation rules (but no direct connection with EBF/EWBF)
- Open singles, Pairs & Triples
- No age restriction
- Number of entries will be limited, details on entry form
- Some sponsership, more may follow
- Entry forms released Feb 1st, closing date end of March
Quoting from the 'over 55' facebook page . . .
Good news to give. Yesterday at the full ELDC meeting the business plan from the NPBA was ratified and early next year the leasing agreement will be sorted and signed. The view is to hand over the greens April 1st 2025.
...the professional greenkeeper will be employed to get the greens up to a standard we will enjoy.
Quoting from the 'Save our bowling green Skegness' facebook page . . .
 Save our Bowling Green Petition.doc |