Rising council fees and reduced discounts may force elderly members to leave a Surrey bowls club, impacting their wellbeing.
Sue’s club pays fees to Runnymede Council, which maintains the bowling green. The council fee is going up soon. It will increase by 11.11% in April, raising membership from £135 to £150.
Sue is also concerned about discounts. Senior citizens now get 50% off, but this discount will drop to 25%. Sue says this hits older people hard, as they struggle to afford even small fees. Some can’t play friendly matches because it’s too costly for them.
The club also gets less service now, and the bowling green’s condition is getting worse. Volunteers do a lot of work, maintaining the gardens around the club. They hoped for better green service, but that has not happened.
Sue worries about the increased fees’ impact. Bowls includes people of all ages, ranging from ten to ninety years old. The sport lets people exercise and socialize and is inclusive, even for those disabled.
Sue feels the club benefits the community by keeping people active and less lonely. She thinks the council didn’t inform them well, and the players were not ready for the changes.
The council values sports clubs. Runnymede Council still offers sports facilities, which many other councils stopped doing because these facilities were very costly.
The council admitted it subsidizes bowling clubs and seeks sustainable ways to run them. They want to reduce reliance on subsidies. Fee increases were agreed last year, but the council says the fees still need subsidizing.
The council plans new ways to manage sports facilities, outlining this in a service plan. They will talk with sports clubs about it. Council staff communicate with the club, did winter work on the green, and plans to keep working with them.