New look for town’s oldest bowls club

The oldest bowls club in Newark will showcase its renovated clubhouse at an open day and coffee morning next month.

Newark Town Bowls and Social Club, behind the old Netto supermarket on London Road, raised around £15,000 to improve the clubhouse, which is more than 100 years-old.

The money, raised by members, was used to provide insulation, a suspended ceiling and a new patio roof made from clear plastic sheets. The building was also redecorated.

The work took about four weeks and was completed earlier this month.

The club’s chairman, Mr David Blake, said he hoped the improvements would attract more people to the clubhouse for social events.

He said the new patio roof, which replaced the old tiled roof, lets in more light.

The club, which has more than 70 members, is the only private bowls club in Newark and raised all the money through club revenues and private donations.

Mr Blake said the club relied on groups and individuals booking the hall throughout the year to keep it going, especially during the off-season.

“It brings in quite a bit of our revenue,” he said. “The building funds were built up over the years.

“We are always looking for new members. One of the main reasons for this open day is for people to come and see what we have got and to have a look around.”

The open day and coffee morning is a week on Saturday from 10.30am. Admission is free.