April is the start of the lawn bowls season. Whether you are a long-term player, or new to the sport, you are probably excited to start the 2026 season and tackle new challenges, and achieve new goals. And for some people playing the sport is more than just a pastime.
Active Rother knows how important bowls is to peoples’ health and wellbeing. So, in November 2024 our programme awarded Sidley Martlets Bowls Club a grant to support the training and development of volunteer/coaches. This meant the club could deliver an expanded programme of bowls sessions for people with a physical, emotional or mental concern during the 2025 bowls season.
In addition to allowing more people to play the sport, part of the grant was used to buy mobility aids for players with mobility issues. The aids included walking sticks with specially adapted ferrules that can be used on a bowls green without leaving marks on the green.
Inviting players
The expanded programme of sessions targeted residents with depression, dementia and Parkinson’s Disease. Active Rother awarded funding to Bexhill Primary Care Network* (PCN) so its Social Prescribing Team could identify and invite those people to access bowling.
Sidley Martlets Bowls Club worked with Bexhill PCN to deliver hour-long sessions of bowls (including coaching as required) followed by tea and biscuits to promote social interaction.
Each person was able to access up to six bowls sessions free of charge. The PCN covered the costs of sending invites, gaining consent for promotional purposes, keeping a register and gaining feedback from people and carers in order to measure outcomes/benefits.
*NHS Bexhill PCN is a collaboration between GP Practices in Bexhill which work towards a healthier community.
Recruiting volunteers
The club recruited volunteers from its membership who helped run the bowls sessions from October 2024 to July 2025.
Each volunteer was able to be DBS checked, engage in safeguarding awareness training and to qualify as a Level 1 bowls coach with Coach Bowls, the nationally recognised training company for lawn bowls qualifications.
Taking part
There was 135 attendances during the season, with 20 individuals attending more than once. The depression group was the most well attended.
Unfortunately, the number of patients accessing the bowling was lower than hoped. The Social Prescribing team said this could have been due to many different reasons including medical appointments, ill health, poor weather conditions and no available transport on the day. Some of these reasons reflect the challenge of supporting patients with a medical condition and the fact that due to their condition, attending a session was just not suitable for them on certain days.
Encouraging feedback
The Social Prescribing Team asked participants for feedback at the end of some sessions, and were told:
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I enjoyed it. Nice to meet other people and have a social get together. Thank you everyone for their help
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The organising and support from the club volunteers is excellent
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I have really enjoyed the events. The bowls club were so kind & generous as I live alone, it was such a pleasure to have company. I would certainly return again”
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Everyone very helpful and understanding of my husband’s condition
Supporting recovery
One person who attended the sessions was feeling depressed and had not left the house for several years, as a consequence. The Social Prescriber saw the potential to re-socialise the patient, and invited the person to the bowls sessions. They have got a lot out of the sessions, has made friends and has joined the club in order to continue the activity. Their mental health has vastly improved and they are getting enjoyment out of the activity and the social interaction.
Another participant was bereaved and feeling anxious and isolated. Remembering how the person had previously been a bowls player, the Social Prescriber invited them along to participate. Although the person struggled at times with their mood, the support from club volunteers and the PCN staff, enabled them to continue the sessions and to make friendships and some confidence back.
For further information on playing bowls at Sidley martlets Bowls Club visit Sidley Martlets Lawn Bowls Club, Bexhill on sea