BWBA 50-50 Scheme – Update
This scheme has offered 50-50 funding to bowlers who need a wheelchair to bowl. It has been a great success, much more than was anticipated when it was launched.
We have received 44 applications for funding; the average grant has been £1,100 and we have spent over £30,000 helping bowlers to play the sport they love. The BWBA is immensely proud of this.
However, funds are not limitless. And because we have to make sure the charity is properly funded then we have taken the decision to pause the Scheme for the time being. Further details are in the article in the News section of the website.
The BWBA is recognised as the governing body for wheelchair bowls in the UK.
It is available to help bowlers, clubs, associations and anyone with the interests of the wheelchair bowlers at heart.
Some examples of how we could help are – advising a club on improving wheelchair access; advice on equipment especially bowls wheelchairs; and offering opportunities to play in BWBA events.
The BWBA is a registered charity and has to raise all of its funds as it has no government or official funding. To carry on it relies on the generosity of others.
Thanks to the BWBA you can play, on a day-to-day basis, at your own club, as a bowler and not just as someone in a wheelchair.
BWBA – A BRIEF HISTORY
The British Wheelchair Bowls Association was formed in 1982 with a handful of wheelchair bowlers at Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury.
Dr. David Peacock, its first Chairman was the first wheelchair bowler proper. He was instrumental in getting wheelchair bowlers accepted into national competitions with his first success back in 1993.
Since its beginnings, the BWBA has forged links with the governing bodies of the able bodied game and these association, both national and international, look to the BWBA for guidance on issues affecting wheelchair bowlers. These links have greatly helped the integration of BWBA members within their local clubs.
To the present, the BWBA continues to work with anyone wanting to forward the interests of wheelchair bowlers and has a justified reputation for being the governing body for wheelchair bowls in the UK.