1. Hertfordshire Bowls Development Alliance The Team Lawn Bowls Diana Tribe & Graham Marriner Indoor Bowls John Hay Short Mat Bowls Roy Duke Jeanette Gayler & Pauline Taylor Coaching Stuart Stamp www.bowls4all.com

2.  Review the 2011 performance -using the accumulated knowledge in the room  How did you succeed in gaining new members What approaches did you used?  Why did you not gaining new members What stopped you?  What factors stopped your members re-joining?

3. Initiatives included:-  Taster Sessions Mostly rolled-into Open Days at clubs  Bowls4Free Coaches sessions based on 4 x 2hr sessions leading to a ‘signed-up’ club member  Have Mat Will Travel Promoting the game of bowls in ‘very’ public locations.

4.  Baldock Town  Berkhamsted  Bishop Stortford  Buntingford  Harpenden (Indoor)  Harpenden (Lawn)  Hatfield IBC  Hemel Hempstead  Hertford Castle  Herts IBC  Hitchin Town  Hoddesdon (Rosehill)  Kitcheners  Potters Bar  Radlett  St Albans  Stevenage Town  Tring  W&D New members recruited 151 (55-64 years) 107 (65+) 46 (younger age) Total: 304 new bowlers Budget £10,758 Clubs received (total) payments of £5,534

5.  April 2011 @ the Howard Centre W.G.C.  16 clubs supported the Event  150 ‘shoppers’ tried Short Mat Bowling  100 gave their contact details  ~50% were young or very young  Disappointing ‘follow-up’ by the clubs What could have been done differently? (participating clubs)

6.  HBDA budget 2012  Bowls Development Officer in your Clubs?  Plan for recruiting & retaining Do you have defined targets to effectively focus your resources? - 10 new bowlers? - Losses only due to health or relocation.  Identify ways to present bowls to have greater public awareness and appeal. E.g. through youth initiatives?

7. Funding 2012 c.£5,000 available to each County  Open Days up to £40. Also {‘Bring a Friend ‘ nationally - 28 th April-7 th May}  Taster Sessions up to £40 target. {10 new bowlers with (min) 7 to ‘join-up’}  Bowls4Free sessions to £150 {4 x 2hr “Bowls for Free” sessions}.  Club Mark £150 {up to 2 clubs}  Main purpose (and funding) - new bowlers 65+ years old  Have Mat Will Travel: Encouraged to host at least 2 visits per year. Reasonable venue costs will be covered.

8.  Constituted Groups are more likely to attract additional funding.  Herts. County Sports Partnership and Local Authorities guide us on ‘funding pots’  Impact & support of clubs working as a “bowls community” to help to recruit new members cannot be overestimated.  We need to consider clubs in the greatest need of support and those that have the most potential for recruiting new members

9. Hertfordshire Bowls Example of Development Role  Working with Primary & Secondary School children  Latest project; managing the Youth Games 2012 10 teams (new bowlers) each representing their ‘local’ Community Sports Network – Sports Development Officers.  Age group 14-19 years  Coaching in schools and at 10 lawn bowls clubs across the County for 6-8 weeks in preparation for the Games. More than 160 new young bowlers  Establishes bowls firmly in the schools sector and in the Herts. Sports Partnership.  Do not underestimate the ‘information channel’ children have with the parents

10.  Allows coaches to operate in schools across the county with just one CRB clearance from Hertfordshire County Council  Ensures that coaches working in schools have attained a minimum operating standard - known nationally as Minimum Standards for Deployment  Overcomes potential problems caused by differences in interpretation of procedure between schools  Safeguards young people who take part in sport  Sportivate Funding dependant on coaches being coachmarked.

11. The standards are :  Appropriate coaching qualifications  CRB registration  Appropriate liability insurance  Attendance at Safeguarding & Protecting Children training  Suitable references  Commitment to a code of conduct

12. www.bowls4all.com