The Bournemouth & District Bowling Association was founded in 1906. In those days, it was known as the Bournemouth Bowling Association and comprised just five clubs. The founder members were Bournemouth, Boscombe Cliff, Kings Park, Richmond Park and Alum Chine. The affiliation fee for the first season was ½ guinea (10/6d or 52½p). The name was changed to Bournemouth & District in 1909 when the first non-Bournemouth club (Poole Park) joined and to reflect the ever expanding world of bowls.
The Association has expanded over the years and in 2008 comprises thirty affiliated clubs situated in East Dorset and West Hampshire. Some 1,900 bowlers are members of the Association.
The objects of the Association are to promote and foster the level green game of bowls for males in Bournemouth and the surrounding district and to provide an organisation through which affiliated Bowling Clubs can pursue matters of common interest.
The Association organises Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours Competitions that are contested keenly between members of affiliated clubs. It also runs an annual Open Tournament that attracts bowlers from all over the United Kingdom and beyond. In 2008 it will be the 91st annual event.
Two League competitions are played between May and September and consist of a Premier League with 60 teams divided into six sections with a team being four rinks and a Premier Combination League with two Divisions with teams being two rinks.
Inter Association friendly matches are played between the Association and other Associations in the South of England. Other friendly matches are arranged between the Association and touring sides from all parts of the UK. Players have the honour of being awarded a blazer badge after completing a qualifying period.
The Association is an Associate Member of the Bowls Engand and is affiliated to the Hampshire County Bowling Association and the Dorset County Bowling Association. The Association has had the honour to have provided the first Presidents of the Hampshire CBA (Ernest Dean of Richmond Park BC in 1921) and of the Dorset CBA (J Young of Poole Park BC in 1922). Ernest Dean was elected to the Presidency of the English Bowling Association in 1927.
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NOTICE OF CHILD AND VULNERABLE ADULT PROTECTION POLICY
The Association accepts its legal and moral obligation to exercise its duty of care and to protect all children and vulnerable adults participating in its activities, and to safeguard their welfare.
We are committed to do this by acknowledging that:
· The welfare of the individual is paramount;
· Each individual irrespective of age, gender, religion, race or disability has the right to protection from abuse;
· Each individual has the right to be safe and to be treated with respect and dignity.
We shall use our best endeavours to ensure that:
· All allegations of abuse are taken seriously;
· The response to them is swift and appropriate;
· The effectiveness of our policy is reviewed annually;
· A responsible person shall be appointed annually as Child Protection Officer to whom members can address any concerns.
Our Child Protection Officer is :
John Williams (Tel : 01202 518755)
Whilst acknowledging the responsibility of the Association in regards to this policy we stress the need for individual clubs to examine their particular situations. Where there is a regular usage of clubs by children and vulnerable adults a Club Child Protection Officer should be appointed. The Association’s Child Protection Officer is available to give advice on this.