The Formation
In the early 1980s a Steering Committee was formed consisting mostly of Newbury Bowls Club members with the aim of building an indoor bowls facility in Newbury:
Members of this Steering Committee were:
Reg Huckle – Chairman Newbury Bowls Club
Tony Dean – Vice Chairman NBC
Ken Irish – Secretary NBC
Maurice Pengelly – Treasurer NBC
Derek Cutts – NBC
Cliff Pearce – NBC
Ted Hill – Hungerford Bowls Club
Ron Bailey – HBC
Basil Jerram – Thatcham Bowls Club
The above members then became the Directors of the newly formed West Berks Indoor Bowls Association Ltd. Their task was to oversee the project including the purchase of the land from C. Vokins, the raising of finance and the build by Tern Southern Limited.The West Berks Indoor Bowls Committee was also formed to oversee the organisation and running of the future club.
The project was funded by a bank loan and by grants from Newbury District Council and the Sports Council. Many Founder members provided an interest free loan to the Club and some of these members included:
Rose and Ted Knights
Gordon Bloomfield, Mavis Miller
Arthur and Beryl Reynolds
Margaret New, Norman Freed
Iris and Bill Coster, Tony and Dulcie Broughton
Margaret Cameron, Norman Catt, Norma Cannon
Olive Barber and indeed many more . . It’s good to see that we have Founder members still playing today.
Here are photographs of the plot of land and the progress of the build of our club, courtesy of Maurice Davis. (Please click to view larger images)
Thanks to the hard work of the Association and the Bowls Committee, West Berks Indoor Bowls Club was officially opened on the 27th November 1985 by Mrs Sanders-Rose, Chairman of Newbury District Council.
Later, following the sale of a parcel of land to the rear of the premises, the club house was extended with a purpose-built function room and kitchen, new changing facilities and improved car park.
Today
As in 1985, West Berks Indoor Bowls Club is owned and run entirely by members for members and all Directors, Committee Members and Stewards are volunteers.