BWBA – A BRIEF HISTORY

The British Wheelchair Bowls Association was formed in 1982 with a handful of wheelchair bowlers at Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury. Stoke Mandeville IBC has remained as the BWBA’s HQ. It now has a membership throughout the UK – England, Norhern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Its first Chairman was Dr. David Peacock who was arguably the first wheelchair bowler proper. He worked closely with Peter Bradshaw the inventor of the Bradshaw Buggy and was instrumental in getting wheelchair bowlers accepted into national competitions. The first national association to agree to this was the EBA back in 1993 closely followed by the EIBA a little later. Sadly David died a few years ago but his legacy is a significant one.

Another previous notable Chairman was the late Andy Wallace who was a great advocate of wheelchair bowls, a very enthusiastic fundraiser and was instrumental in bringing on board our first President, Tony Allen. Tony’s contribution over so many years has been fantastic. His list of achievements is too numerous to mention.

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.