A Bristol bowls club’s membership is booming off the back of two hugely successful national initiatives.

And ahead of Bowls’ Big Weekend 2023, they believe they can continue to use the innovative UK-wide bonanza to propel participation to a new level.

Kingswood & Hanham Bowling Club boast a bigger membership than ever after making prolific use of the events in 2021 and 2022, where clubs across the country hold open days to encourage new players to give the sport a go.

The event gives the bowls community the opportunity to come together and celebrate the sport, with clubs opening their doors for free to enable new participants to discover everything that is great about the sport.

Like all clubs, Kingswood & Hanham have previously struggled with both the impact of lockdown restrictions during the pandemic, and with the preconception of bowls as a sport only for older people, but Bowls’ Big Weekend has combatted both of those issues.

And club secretary Val Molton, who was recently named Volunteer of the Year at the Bowls England 2023 Awards Night, can’t wait to welcome more new members to the club both this weekend and beyond.

She said: “The first one in 2021 was a massive success for us, we really got behind it across the three days.

“We had loads of people attending and managed to recruit around 30 new bowlers, which was fantastic. Then last year we reduced it to two days, but I think we recruited a good half a dozen to ten people.

“Currently our plan for this year is that we are pushing out on social media, we’ve got signs all around the bowls area and I’ve sent our messages to all of our members to ask them to share with their friends.

“We’re planning to run an event on the Bank Holiday Monday, with two sessions across the morning and afternoon. We’re geared up and we’ve also got some sponsorship, which is going to be helpful.”

Molton first took up the sport through her husband, going on to make a significant impact at Kingswood & Hanham after stepping into the role of club secretary and steering them away from potential closure.

And now she is thrilled at how the club has transformed in recent times, largely thanks to Bowls’ Big Weekend.

Molton added: “The benefits of bowls are that it’s socially interactive. I find it a really good outlet having been at work all day, to go and play bowls in the evening and weekends. You have to really focus on the job at hand, you can’t be thinking about anyone else, so it’s a real good stressbuster as well.

“It’s absolutely something for everybody as well, you can come or play with your children and grandparents, or your partner. It really is a level playing field and it truly is a sport for all.

“I think a lot of work has been done to change the perception of it being a certain demographic, and that certainly is the case at Kingswood & Hanham.

“The average age following our two lots of Bowls’ Big Weekend has been reduced right down, to get that profile out there is just amazing.”

To find your nearest participating club and sign up for a free session go to bowlsbigweekend.com