‘Save our sport’ plea by indoor bowlers

REMEMBER us: Oldham Indoor Bowling League members with (front, from the left) chairman Jack Ware, Betty Ainscough, Christine Griffiths, holding the petition, and Ian Hodgkinson

BOWLERS in Oldham are making sure their views are not swept under the carpet during the current leisure consultation.

Over 600 signatures have been collected by keen indoor bowlers as part of a Save Indoor Bowling in Oldham petition to ensure the sport has a base in the borough.

The indoor sportsmen and women meet at the bowls hall underneath the main hall at Oldham Sports Centre from September to March. But they fear the current consultation looking into the future of the borough’s leisure facilities could result in them being kicked out of their home, and the sport losing its Oldham base.

Christine Griffiths, secretary of the Vets Indoor Bowling League, said: “Nobody can give us any information whatsoever. “There are no other facilities in the borough — we’re the last bastion of indoor bowling in Oldham. It’s supposed to be for the community, so we would like to know whether they are keeping indoor bowling in Oldham.”

Mrs Griffiths said she attended a meeting in October with council representatives where the sports centre building was described as old and uneconomical to run and either refurbishment or a new development was needed.

She said that while a gym, pool, sports hall were highlighted as part of a new development, there was no mention of a bowls hall, adding: “I wasn’t surprised we were not been mentioned in the meeting.

“Everything now is about big money, especially if a private company buys it because they’ll want a return. But it’s not just supposed to be about that with the council, its supposed to be for all the community. We bring in about £30,000 over a six-month period and a lot of community members take part in the games. We’ve got bowlers coming from across the region including Rochdale, Hyde and Glossop specifically to bowl, we’re bringing money into Oldham. We don’t want to be nasty about it, we only want some reassurance.”

A spokesman for Oldham Council would not comment as the consultation was still ongoing but encouraged people to have their say before the consultation closed on Sunday.

Have your say at www.oldham.gov.uk/future_oldham_leisure