St Helens Bowlers sheltered by Banks Developments' grant

Wednesday 04 June 2008

Members of a St Helens community bowls club have somewhere warm to shelter from the British summer this season, after a grant from developer Banks Developments paid for refurbishments to their club facilities.

The Bold Miners Neighbourhood Centre received a £10,000 grant from The Banks Community Fund to cover the cost of improvements both on and away from the bowling green.

And members believe that the improved facilities will encourage greater use and activity levels across the community, as well as supporting their membership drive.

A new enclosed viewing shelter has been built next to the pavilion, to provide somewhere for spectators to watch matches from in comfort and for players to retire to if the weather turns bad.

Work has been carried out to improve the bowling green surface and surrounding areas, and new carpets, windows and doors have been installed in the home and away changing rooms, which have also both been painted.

The Bold Miners Neighbourhood Centre was formed from the former Miners Welfare Institute after the coal industry in the area came to an end, and provides a ‘one stop shop’ for a range of community-focussed service and facilities.

David Gavin, Regeneration Projects Manager at St.Helens Council, whom works with local communities to secure funding to enhance key community amenities, says: “The facilities at the Centre have had little done to them since they were built by local miners at the peak of the regional mining industry and were in increasing need of being spruced up.

“The funding Banks has provided has been extremely well received, and will add significantly to the longevity of the buildings and the bowling green.

“The Club facilities are now much more comfortable and will encourage more people to use them more often, which can only help boost the numbers of local people getting involved.”

Banks Developments is behind the ongoing £140m transformation of a derelict and underused 50-hectare site at Moss Nook, Sutton in St.Helens, which will turn one of the largest areas of neglected land in the town into a vibrant 1,200-home community including high quality housing and amenities, tree-lined boulevards, village greens and allocated open spaces

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds: "This is one of the few remaining bowling greens in the St Helens area, and we’re very pleased to be able to help secure its future.

“Community centres such as this play a vital role in keeping communities together and we hope that as many local people as possible will take advantage of the new facilities.”

Last updated: Wednesday 04 June 2008, 11:05 AM