Lawn bowls, once the most popular sport in England, is on life support, having suffered a dramatic loss of both players and clubs.
Although bowls has always been viewed as a genteel activity for the older generations, figures show that more than ever it has become the preserve of white men in their later years. In order to arrest that trend, Bowls England is embarking on a campaign to attract a new generation of players from across society.
The number of paid-up members of clubs affiliated to Bowls England has fallen by 44,290 in the past 15 years, from 135,784 in 2007 to 91,494 in 2022, figures obtained by The Times reveal. More than 100 affiliated clubs have disappeared in the past four years —
