The Philip Wright Crown Green Bowling Academy, in partnership with the local Schools’ Games Organiser, have been carrying out a massive schools’ programme in East Lancashire utilising Bowls Buddies equipment. It has involved over 500 pupils from 14 primary schools, as well as our very own Steve Clamp, who is the Academy’s Development Officer. The Academy’s work stands as a model of how innovation, passion, and partnership can reinvigorate a sport and ensure its future.
Perhaps most excitingly, bowls is now formally recognised as part of the School Sport Games offer, supported by the Youth Sport Trust. This means that schools across the country can now include bowls as part of their sporting curriculum and inter-school competitions.
The Bowls Development Alliance (BDA), the national body supporting the sport’s growth, has played a vital role in this progress — providing resources, guidance, and connections that make it easier for schools and Clubs to work together. For those looking to find out how to get started or replicate the success of the Colne project, more information can be found on the Bowls Development Alliance website .
A Case Study of the project can be viewed/downloaded below.
Bowls Buddies 