Enhancing Community Access at Broughton and District Bowling Club

Broughton and District Bowling Club (BDBC), established in 1925, celebrated its centenary in 2025. To help ensure the club continues to serve its players effectively, BDBC successfully implemented an accessibility project that has created an inclusive and accessible visitor and playing environment. The project has demonstrated how strategic infrastructure improvements can transform community sports facilities, creating inclusive spaces that benefit existing members while attracting new participants to the sport.

Accessibility Challenges, Objectives and Solutions
Having consulted with the Club’s users, the Club identified that some players were experiencing accessibility challenges that limited participation. The primary concerns included a steep pathway approach without handrails and uneven gravel surfaces at the front of the club house. The Tennis Club players that also shared the same access experienced the same difficulties. There were also indications that potential members were being deterred from joining, and the facility experienced limited use during adverse weather conditions.  Through its consultation, BDBC identified three primary objectives: enhancing safety access through handrail installation along the 4.5-metre ramp, improving surface accessibility by replacing gravel with porous rubberised resin surfacing, and providing weather protection through by installing a fixed canopy. The Club recognised that the current steep ramp access was not a safe solution, and planned to install a longer slower decline which would allow safe access for everyone, including wheelchair users. 

Funding 
BDBC approached several sports-focussed funders, but were unsuccessful.  It was at this point that the Club approached Nadara Glenkerie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.  Following careful consideration the Panel agreed to award the total project cost of just under £19,000.

Project Benefits
The completed project has created safe access and a protected external environment that enhances the overall experience of the club.  A neighbouring bowls club was enamoured with the quality surface and is in the process of implementing a similar feature.  

New players have joined the club due to improved accessibility, and the Club’s members feel pride and ownership in the upgraded space. Before the project, parking was also a challenge due to limited space. A new car parking space has been created, reducing congestion caused by parking, and the Club has partnered with the local school to support with overflow parking outwith school hours. 

Conclusion
Clubs run by volunteers can face significant difficulties raising funding as facilities deteriorate over time through wear and tear and essential improvement projects. 

For Broughton Bowling Club, the Glenkerie Wind Farm Fund has provided a lifeline to this local facility and serves as a strong example of how community benefit funding can be utilised to support grassroots sports organisations.

The Fund has enabled the club to invest in accessibility improvements that might otherwise have remained beyond their financial reach, helping ensure their long-term sustainability while making them more inclusive for all members of the community. This project demonstrates the impact that well-targeted community benefit funding can have on local sporting facilities, helping to support long-term sustainability and ensuring accessibility for all members of the community.