A dual investment in community sustainability

Founded in 1925, the Cockburnspath Bowling Club serves as a community hub in this rural Scottish Borders village.  With 73 members, it offers accessible physical activity for older residents and those with mobility limitations. The clubhouse, constructed in 1992, functions as a year-round community gathering space for Cockburnspath and neighbouring Cove, playing an important role in addressing social isolation and promoting wellbeing.

As it approached its centenary in 2025, Cockburnspath Bowling Club (CBC) sought support for two complementary projects to address immediate operational needs and also long-term sustainability.

The combined funding request to the Co'path & Cove Community Fund totalled £47,460 over three years: £27,540 for green maintenance (£9,180 per annum) and £19,920 for solar energy installation. These aim of these projects was to secure the long-term sustainability of the community recreational facility, directly benefiting the 73 members and also supporting approximately 100 additional community members, visitors, and spectators.

Project One: Professional Green Maintenance Services

The Need
The bowling green was essential for the clubs' participation in local and national competitions, as well as providing quality recreational opportunities. However, the ageing membership base could not undertake the specialist work required to maintain a competition-standard playing surface Professional green maintenance required specialist equipment beyond volunteer labour, chemical treatments that members were not legally qualified to apply, and technical expertise in turf management. Without professional intervention, the playing surface would have deteriorated, compromising the club's ability to host competitions and provide a quality experience.

Impact and Benefits
With funding awarded, the project delivered significant direct benefits for the 73 members, including assured access to a competition-standard bowling green, continued participation in competitions, safe facilities, promotion of physical activity, and reduced physical burden on ageing members. It also benefited an estimated 100 secondary beneficiaries, including visiting teams, spectators, community members, and local school children through "TRY Bowls" educational days.

This three-year funding created a stability window enabling the club to build financial reserves, develop income-generation strategies, and work towards self-funding maintenance beyond the funding period.

Project Two: Solar Energy Installation

The Need
The clubhouse had operated with its original 1992 heating system for over three decades with no energy efficiency upgrades. The building achieved a poor Energy Performance Certificate rating of "F" (80), with very high energy consumption and significant carbon dioxide emissions. High operational costs, particularly electricity expenses, threatened the club's financial viability and restricted facility usage during the winter months. At the club's last AGM, members raised serious concerns about these unsustainable running costs.

Funding
Funding supported the installation of 24 solar panels with battery storage, which represented the first phase of the club's comprehensive facility upgrade plan. The project included one 10kW Single Phase Fox Hybrid Inverter, two 5.8kWh battery storage units, and 24 PV Modules with 9.84kW total capacity. The total project cost was £19,920. The battery storage units maximised renewable energy usage by storing excess solar generation for use during evening hours and less sunny periods.

Impact and Benefits
The solar installation cut electricity costs, stabilising finances and freeing resources for essential needs. Lower running costs enabled extended winter facility use, when bowling declined, but the community meeting space remained valuable. By generating renewable energy on-site, the club dramatically reduced its carbon footprint while also serving as a community exemplar. The Energy Performance Certificate indicated that comprehensive improvements could achieve a Band B rating.

As Jean, a club representative, noted: 

"The funding has provided peace of mind, allowing us to free up reserves for other areas while reducing electricity bills. We can keep heating on at lower temperatures, making the space more welcoming, especially in winter."

This improved comfort and reduced costs encouraged year-round usage, made the clubhouse more accessible during colder months, and supported the 30-35 people regularly hiring the space. 

The Impact of Combined Support

These two projects formed an integrated strategy for the Cockburnspath Bowling Club’s sustainability. The professional maintenance ensured the club could continue its core sporting function, while the solar installation addressed financial pressures threatening operational viability. Together, they created a comprehensive solution securing both the club's sporting facilities and its financial future. 

Three years of guaranteed green maintenance funding, combined with permanent reductions in energy costs, provided CBC with unprecedented stability. This certainty enabled strategic planning beyond immediate survival, investment in community engagement and youth development, building of financial reserves for future self-sufficiency, and confidence to make long-term commitments to members and the community.

Conclusion

Cockburnspath Bowling Club stood at a critical juncture. Nearly a century of community service faced potential interruption.  Yet, with modest, well-targeted support from the Co'path & Cove Community Fund, this community asset is now secure for future decades.

For the 173 beneficiaries, and the village community that has gathered around this green for nearly 100 years, this investment represents faith in community, commitment to sustainability, and ensures it continues to thrive.

Read more about the Cockburnspath and Cove Community Fund