The Quarterly Report has been uploaded to the website.
To view the report, click here.
Latest News
Spring Update – Clearance and New Stores
Over the last months we committed to clearing 128 cubic meters of soil and vegetation to our rear alley. The work was carried out over three weeks with a borrowed plant (thanks Steve) and a never ending series of waste skips. Once clear and level with our volunteers we poured two concrete rafts (again at cost) in order erect the two new concrete buildings now in situ. This whole exercise was labour intensive and perhaps the largest cost we have experienced in recent years.
Our number one priority given the subsidence and condition of the building is to capture funds to start the build of our intended club house and community facilities. Our strategy and need dictated that we must make arrangements for continuity when the existing building starts to come down, we need accommodation to store furniture, our belongings and to house the bowling teams and members, hence the two new buildings.
It is our intent to erect a third building that will be the bowling and members area but that is on hold at present as funding we were promised from Bury MBC did not materialise.
We will keep you updated on all matters and issues, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
WBC Members & Friends – We Need Your Help!
Whitefield Bowling Club has recently applied for a grant from Bury MBC under the Let’s Do It Together strategy.
The strategy aims to provide financial support to community groups to launch initiatives to help improve the quality of life for our communities. More information on the strategy can be found here.
The grant we have applied for will help support our annual distribution of food and gifts to members, friends and neighbours and also help launch our digital awareness sessions for the local community.
Our seasonal reach out programme to distribute food and festive gifts to members, friends and their neighbours has continued for over 30 years. With the added impact of Covid and recent hikes in gas prices, it has become even more important than ever to ensure we reach out to the community and offer support.
To build on our reach out programme, we are also looking to open our premises at least twice a week in the afternoon throughout the winter and encourage the community to call in, have a cup of tea and a biscuit, enjoy the warmth and most importantly talk to people and get out of the house for a few hours.
During these afternoons we will be hosting free, digital awareness sessions, supported by professionals who will be on hand to show visitors how to use mobile phones, laptops and tablets to stay in touch with friends and family by setting up email or social media accounts and using the internet to search for cheaper, better value services and contracts. We will also host sessions on the dangers of online fraud, how to protect yourself online and recognise suspicious websites and potential scams.
We are asking members, friends and neighbours to vote online for our bid by visiting the One Community Bury website and then clicking on Whitefield Pitch. You can then vote for 5 bids from the list of proposals which include Whitefield Bowling Club’s.
Votes can also be cast in person on Sunday 12th December from 2pm – 4pm at The Elms Community Centre, Green Lane, Whitefield, M45 7FD. THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED – PLEASE VOTE ONLINE
Thank you for your continued support, please share this post with family and friends to raise awareness of our bid and also our festive plans and winter afternoon sessions.
Christmas Gift Boxes & Open Afternoons
With the festive season fast approaching, we are all very aware how difficult the previous 18 months have been and the additional pressure this time of the year brings. We want to reach out and get in touch with as many people as possible who would welcome a seasonal gift box (biscuits, chocolates etc) and card this Christmas. It may be somebody that lives alone or somebody that is always putting other people first.
We are also preparing to launch open afternoons (twice a week) in the new year so people can meet new friends, have a “Brew” and perhaps simply keep warm. Partnering with Bury MBC we can also offer various initiatives and signpost specific support if required.
We ask you as a member to think about your neighbours and let us know of any one you think may welcome a small gift and simple “no strings” contact.
You can either send an email with the details of anybody you feel would benefit from a gift or alternatively put their details on the list that is behind the bar at the club.
Membership is now open
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
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- The community interest company provides limited liability for its members.
- 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.
- A community interest company may find community development finance institutions a valuable source of funds and readily accessible.
- Community interest companies are well understood by the business community.
- 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.
- Statutory provisions that prevent its members attempting to remove the asset lock by the special resolution.
- Transparency of directors’ remuneration and use of assets.
- It has legal protection from demutualisation and windfall profits being paid to directors and members.
- It has timely checks by the community interest company legislation.
- 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
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.
Whitefield Bowling Club – New Clubhouse Plans
Whitefield Bowling Club Company Limited – News Update
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
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.
