Melton club hopes to bowl over new members

The impressive sports venue, off Leicester Road, was once the ‘Wembley of indoor bowling’ when it hosted the national championships for many years.

It is still a vibrant hub of activity but there has been a drop off in membership which needs to be reversed for future members to continue to enjoy it.

The club had 1,200 members when it opened back in 1987 but numbers have now fallen to around 520.

Committee member Sue Fleckney told the Melton Times: “We need about 500 members to break even as a club so we are keen to attract new people to come along, of all ages.

“We lost a lot of members after the Covid pandemic because some of the older ones were worried about coming back to a crowded place.

“But it was actually very safe when we reopened because the bowlers kept their distance and it is a sport where you don’t have to be right up close to people.

“Socially it was very difficult for many of our members during the pandemic because it is a lifeline for those who live alone or who have lost a partner.”

Mick Rawle heads up a committee called the 650 Mission, which aims to build the membership up to at least that number.

He is visiting local schools to drum up interest and is spreading the word the social and exercise benefits of the club to older members of the community.

“A lot of people come from other sports when they want to take up something more leisurely - for example I used to be a runner,” said Mick.

“Quite a few come from tenpin bowling although the technique is very different.

“We offer free coaching people who want to try it out at various times of the week.

“We’ve visited a few schools in the town and the villages and the children love the sessions.

“We take a short mat which you can then roll out in their sports halls.”

The age range of members of Melton Indoor Bowls Club ranges from young children right up to two people in their 90s.

Mobility issues are no bar to taking part because the club has wheelchairs on hand, as well as implements to help pick up bowls and sticks to lean on.

Mick Rawle explained: “Many of us have had replacement hips or knees and it hasn’t stopped us bowling, it really helps with the joints.”

And fellow member Sue Fleckney added: “I rate it on a par with Tai Chi because you are moving around, it improves your flexibility and you get a whole body workout during matches.”

Keeping the club lit and heated can be a challenge particularly with the current soaring energy bills everyone is facing.

The indoor bowls club has 150 solar panels on the roof and it has also lowered the ceiling to reduce heating costs.

But the annual electricity bill has more than doubled from £22,000 and there are plans to install more solar panels to boost natural energy sources.

It is an impressive place inside with a busy restaurant and bar, which are open at lunchtimes and in the evenings.

The plush carpet is their pride and joy at a cost of nearly £50,000 it is very expensive to replace as is required at certain intervals. The club plans to bid for the carpet owned by another local club which has closed when it is auctioned off.

There is a sparkly scoreboard, donated by a former member, which beams out as the bowlers play.

The site where Melton Indoor Bowls Club is located looked very different back in the early 1980s before it was built.

Locals will remember the old Craft Fox pub which then became an Indian restaurant.

That building was demolished to make way for Melton Building Society’s HQ and Melton Baptist Church was built behind it.

The indoor bowls club was opened for play in 1987 with an official opening ceremony involving Lord King of Wartnaby on April 15 the following year.

It was designed and built by a small group of dedicated outdoor Melton bowlers who wanted somewhere to play in the winter months.

Some of the nation’s and the world’s greatest players have enjoyed playing there when it hosted the national championships.

That honour has long since been passed on to another club but it remains one of the area’s most impressive sporting venues.

Members pay an annual fee of £66 and then a payment to play each time. Non-members can also turn up to play.

There are 10 coaches at the club who help new players free of charge at set times of the week.

Juniors play on Saturdays at 9.30am and some of them are very talented and gone on to become internationals.

Regular social events are also organised, including a dinner dance and quiz nighty.

Carol Pick, who takes over as president in April, commented: “It’s a great sport because you can play on equal terms as a man or a woman. Most teams are mixed and we get lots of husbands and wives playing together.”

An open day has been organised at Melton Indoor Bowls Club on Saturday March 18, from 10am until 2pm.

And an open evening will take place at the club on Wednesday March 22.

Click HERE to find out more about the club.