Category: Announcement

Membership is now open

Posted on by admin

Application forms are now available at the bar and the green keepers shed and also available to complete online here.

Please complete one form per member.

An annual membership fee is £25.00 per person.

Please hand completed forms in at the bar or in the green keepers shed.

Once forms have been processed you will be contacted regarding the status of your application and given details of how to pay the membership fee.

If you have any questions please free to speak to any of the directors.

We would like to thank you for your continued support and look forward to sharing the next chapter of this clubs wonderful history with you as we become a Community Interest Company.

Whitefield Bowling Club becomes Community Interest Company

Posted on by admin

We are proud to announce that we have now secured transfer of Whitefield Bowling Club Co Ltd into Whitefield Bowling Club Community Interest Company. 

The shareholders (owners) agreed last year for the transfer to take place and after a great deal of hard work and substantial costs, this project is now complete. We will be working with partners to further establish the direction and intent of the new Community Interest Company (CiC). We are also finalising the membership detail to open up our new membership for the beginning of November 2021. 

Our CiC is a relatively new type of company which was established by the government in 2005 under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004. The intention of introducing the community interest company was to allow social enterprises who want to use their profits and assets for the public good and provide benefits to a community or a specific section of a community.

The Directors must make sure that the community interest companies are not:

  • Politically motivated.
  • Set up to serve an unduly restrictive group.
  • Operating as a charity.
  • Carry out any unlawful activities.

The advantages of  being a community interest company:

  1. Asset Lock: This is the essential feature of a community interest company and it ensures that our entire assets (land and buildings) are used exclusively for the benefit of the community. Any assets and profits are retained within the company and they are further utilised for the community benefit or for the social purpose. However, there are certain cases where assets could be transferred, but only to the other asset-locked bodies – i.e. to those organisations which already have an asset lock, which implies that assets could be transferred to charities, or to the other community interest companies.
  2. We provide continuity of purpose: Once a community interest company is incorporated, it will continue to provide benefit to the community until it is dissolved or converted into a charity. And in case, it gets dissolved at any stage under the Insolvency Act 1986, any residual assets, after getting confirmation from its creditors, will be transferred to another asset-locked body such as charity or another community interest company.
  3. The community interest company provides limited liability for its members.
  4. We as a community interest company can take advantage of a company’s risk-taking feature by accessing the debt markets for loans and bonds such as the intended rebuild project should grants not be available.
  5. A community interest company may find community development finance institutions a valuable source of funds and readily accessible.
  6. Community interest companies are well understood by the business community.
  7. As compared to other charitable company, Community Interest Company has greater flexibility in terms of activities, no trustees and no trustee control, fewer reporting and administration requirements.
  8. Statutory provisions that prevent its members attempting to remove the asset lock by the special resolution. 
  9. Transparency of directors’ remuneration and use of assets.
  10. It has legal protection from demutualisation and windfall profits being paid to directors and members.
  11. It has timely checks by the community interest company legislation.
  12. Regulation ensures the community interest company maintains the asset lock and we provide benefit to the community we were set up to serve

Looking to the Future – Plans released for clubhouse redevelopment

Posted on by admin

Whitefield Bowling Club has been at the heart of the community for over 130 years, providing first class bowling and social hub for the people of Whitefield.

With the existing clubhouse facilities requiring major building work, the club have engaged architects to produce plans for a modern, light and spacious clubhouse which will provide the best bowling facilities in the region, alongside a fully accessible community space to be enjoyed by all.

The new building will be built with environmentally friendly features at it’s core, these include:

  • A percentage of the roof will be graded and allow wild plant growth to bring bees and insects and offer a habitat of sanctuary and safety
  • Our boilers will be able to use natural gas and hydrogen to capture the change agenda and clean operation
  • We are investigating ground source heat pumps to reclaim increased temperature differences at depth 
  • We will have large scale solar collection to generate as much electricity as we can for the buildings and tenants (again lower costs)
  • Surface (grey) water will be stored and used for bowling green maintenance and irrigation, we will no longer draw on utilities and clean drinking water
  • We have established significant glazed areas/roof lights to allow natural light, retain and reflect heat and lower construction costs and time
  • We are aiming for sector leading life cycle costing of components to eradicate failure and short term replacement and maintenance
  • All lighting will operate on movement sensors to areas that will turn off when not in use
  • Fully adapted to accommodate people at all levels (DDA complaint)
  • Recognition of gender neutral/friendly washroom facilities

The full plans are available to view at Whitefield Bowling Club, please check the opening hours if you wish to come along to view. You can also download them as PDF documents at the bottom of this page.

We will provide further updates when available. Thank you for your continued support.

Details of new membership are available here.

New Clubhouse – Front View
New Clubhouse – Aerial View
New clubhouse – From the green view

Whitefield Bowling Club – New Clubhouse Plans

South Visualisation 1Download
South Visualisation 2Download
South Visualisation 3Download
Axonometric View BDownload
Axonometric View ADownload
Floor PlansDownload

Whitefield Bowling Club Company Limited – News Update

Posted on by admin

After 134 years the Co Ltd has made the momentous and significant decision to give the land and buildings to the people of Whitefield!

This act is to ensure the land can never be sold (as contrary to rumours it could) and built on and we had received several bids of circa £2.3 million. Our solicitors are at present working to facilitate a change of company status to a Community Interest Company. A huge thank you to all the owners for the brave and forward-thinking act of giving away this valuable and loved asset.

We are working with several partners in the social sector to determine what other activities and community facility we can provide at this venue (creche, training centre, café, cycling club) but be assured Crown Green Bowling and a Social Club will always be at the heart of our mission.

You will be aware that the existing buildings require major work owing to severe and continuing movement and the very real fact that they are at the end of their natural and practical use. We have engaged Architects to prepare a new design that we will put forward for funding and this is currently being prepared and bids written. We will share the plans and designs with you to ensure we capture your thoughts and comments. The new buildings will be aesthetic, economic and sustainable for the next 100 years.

All membership with WBC Co Ltd will end on Sunday the 31st of October 2021. No memberships will or can carry so all would be members will need to apply (via new membership application forms). We will be limited to membership numbers owing to future site restrictions and access, so our intent is to close the membership by 14th November 2021. Please be aware that if you are not a member by this date you will not have any previous or future right to claim membership. There will be one class of membership at £25.

Whitefield Bowling Cub to become Community Interest Company

Posted on by admin

Founded in 1891 to provide a community facility and wholly owned by its shareholders, Whitefield Bowling Club (WBC) has continued to provide first class bowling facilities and social hub to the local community of Whitefield for over 130 years. 

Despite the rumours that the land could never be built on, our building and land has been under threat over recent years by hostile approaches from builders and property developers. To ensure the continuity and security of the land and underline our commitment to the community, an extremely brave and altruistic decision was made. The Directors, unanimously backed by the shareholders, agreed to liquidate the Company Limited and to form a Community Interest Company (CIC). This decision and the change to a CIC will mean that land, with a market value of £2 million, has been “given” to the people.

The CIC is in the final phases of set up and that should be finished in the summer months. WBC has committed to engage with partners to provide more services, sports and educational projects from our site. We have commenced engagement with agencies and funders to establish finances for the rebuilding of new club premises that will accommodate more members, visitors and guests at WBC and extend the building life into the next century.

The new articles of association will capture the fact that the community own and run the land and premises. WBC will ensure total transparency. We will ensure that equality, diversity and open access is the foundation and ethos of this Club. 

By inviting local partners and agencies into the management and decision making process, we will ensure the needs of the local community are supported. All monies that are not needed for delivering the core business will be distributed across local partners and agencies that reflect and support our vision.

Support Needed

We do need your support as participants, members and most importantly helping with delivering our services. We need directors who can lead and support our aims and principles. Step up and join us in establishing this exciting and rewarding enterprise.

For more details please contact us.

whitefield bowling club

Bowling for Beginners

Posted on by admin

Whitefield Bowling Club are currently holding sessions for beginners every Saturday from 11am.

If you fancy giving crown green bowls a try, why not come along to Whitefield Bowling Club on Church Lane and give it a go.

Bowls will be provided so just bring yourself along. Call 0161 766 2825 or enquiries@whitefieldbowlingclub.co.uk for further details.

Membership of Whitefield BC is just £20 a year for bowling members and £10 per year for social members.

whitefield bowling green

Bury Hospice – Light Up A Life 2020

Posted on by admin

Whitefield Bowling Club are proud to be supporting Bury Hospice’s Light up a Life this December.


LIGHT UP A LIFE 2020

Bury Hospice’s annual remembrance service entitled ‘Light up a Life’ is an important and greatly valued moment in the hospice’s calendar.

Bury Hospice’s ‘Light up a Life’ service is an event that takes place during the festive season, bringing our community together to remember, reflect and celebrate the lives of loved ones, and those who have touched our lives during this year. An important part of the afternoon is the opportunity to remember the person close to your heart by lighting a candle and recording their name in our book of online memories.

Please consider joining us in December at our ‘light up a Life’ event which is a celebration of the memories of those most precious to us. Everyone who would like to experience our Light up a Life event can do so by joining us online within your own home (as we are providing Light up a Life packs).

Bury Hospice – Light Up A Life FormDownload

For further details about Bury Hospice visit https://buryhospice.org.uk

How to run a business in lockdown: Whitefield’s 138 year-old bowling club

Posted on by admin

Whitefield Bowling Club has recently been featured in an article by Tide Business Banking, looking at the difficulties faced running a sports club during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 800 Tide members run sports clubs or businesses, and hundreds more run other recreation activity businesses, either self-employed or running a company. Many found their work paralysed in March 2020 when, to slow down the spread of coronavirus, the Government ordered clubs, gyms and leisure facilities to close and gatherings to be cancelled.

Tide member David Bevan is the Company Secretary/Director and one of three Trustees of Whitefield Bowling Club, near Bury in Greater Manchester.

Please click here to visit the Tide website to read the article in full

New Website Launched

Posted on by admin

We have recently launched our new website. The website will be used to keep members up-to-date with links to local leagues for all the current teams at WBC. It will also feature an events diary containing listings for all competitions and a news section for announcements and notices.

We also hope to attract new members to the club and the website will provide an easy to navigate platform with online forms for people looking to hire the green or join our club.