Lottery opens doors for Orkney club

Tuesday 6 June 2000

Members of St Margaret’s Hope Bowling Club will this weekend celebrate the official opening of their redeveloped bowling facilities, made possible with the help of sportscotland Lottery Fund.

This improvement, which includes a new bowling green, clubhouse with toilet facilities and car parking, was made possible by an award of over £44,000 from sportscotland Lottery Fund.

The Club has been established in St Margaret’s Hope for over 100 years, and the new facilities will help to bring it up to national standards, enabling it to host inter-club competitions.  The provision of car parking will help to ease congestion in the surrounding area, in particular near the local school.

Coaching sessions for juniors, beginners and existing members will help to improve the standard of bowls and the Club hope that this will help to attract new members and encourage more people to try out the sport.

Mrs May Anderton, Treasurer, of St Margaret’s Hope Bowling Club, said:  “Without the above funding from sportscotland Lottery Fund this project simply would have been a non-starter.  Generous funding from Orkney Islands Council has also been  vital to the construction of our new green, together with grants from Orkney Enterprise and our local community council.

“A word of thanks from the Club for all the help given by members and local businesses including the successful contractors who have made such a good job.  Finally, a special word for the small project committee who have worked so long and hard to plan and construct this new community facility.”

Allan Alstead, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said:  “Good quality sports facilities in communities in all parts of Scotland are the key to getting more people involved in sport.

“From Kirkwall to Kirkcaldy, from Shetland to Strathclyde, sportscotland has spent over £85m in helping to make sport more easily accessible to more people by improving and building quality sports facilities.”