Bowling club in Blyth aims to attract new members with refurbishment before the new season starts

Cowpen and Crofton Welfare Bowling Club is hoping a fresh lick of paint and new efforts to get its name out there will help to attract new members ahead of the 2024 season.

Ted Foster, the joint secretary of the bowling club, said: “At the minute we are busy painting and decorating the place.

“We actually want the outside done as well. That will probably get done as soon as we get volunteers to do it from within the club.

“We are trying to promote the club so we can attract more people, people of any age, to get them interested in bowls.

“The more we can do to this clubhouse, the more interest we might generate.”

Ted added: “We are trying to attract various clubs here to have coffee mornings and stuff like that. Hopefully this might do the trick.”

For Ted, bowls is a sociable sport and a great way to get some fresh air and exercise.

The 71-year-old from Blyth said: “I started bowling when I retired, which was just a couple years ago, and I honestly wish I had been here 20 or 30 years ago because it is addictive once you start playing.

“You make new friends, you meet up with old friends.

“We are just trying to keep the place going, trying to attract more people, especially younger people.”

The season starts at the end of April and runs until August.