A bowling club is aiming to raise £160,000 in one year to replace its derelict clubhouse, and to secure the club’s future and enable the sport to be played all year round.
Hurst Bowling Club has 72 members who love the sport, said fundraiser Ronnie Ashley who has launched the appeal for support.
The club, behind The Castle Inn, also offers a haven of fun and friendship to mainly older folk helped by Wokingham’s Link visiting scheme.
Up to 20 people go along each Thursday for bowls, tea, cake and chat – but only from April to September.
Mrs Ashley said: “They love coming and we’d like to offer them a larger, warm and dry clubhouse for carpet bowls in the winter.
“At the moment, as soon as there’s a heavy shower the wooden clubroom begins to flood and mould grows.
“The building is 160 years old and derelict, with no heating or hot water.
“We can’t use it in the winter, and we can’t repair it any more.
“I don’t think people appreciate we are a historic green,and to lose it would be a shame.
“It would mean our members and our Thursday visitors had nowhere to go.
“We are a part of sporting history and a stalwart in Berkshire for centuries.”
The club is said to have England’s second oldest bowling green, with records dating back to 1745.
Legend also has it that the green was laid for Charles 1 who stayed at The Castle Inn when hunting in Windsor Forest.
Mrs Ashley added: “Financial support from the community in general is vital; any contribution would be valued and acknowledged.
“We have obtained planning permission and met the additional requirements associated with our position in a conservation area.
“Fundraising currently is challenging. Our request is to businesses – large and small, corporations, building firms, Wokingham Borough, and individuals, please support us. “Please become a part of something positive.”
The club’s giving page is via its website www.hurstbowlingclub.co.uk, and you can Mrs Ashley at v.m.ashley@btinternet.com.
The club is also set to reapply for a National Lottery Community Fund grant.
