Community bowled over by club’s warm welcome

Harehills Park Bowling Club has seen a huge surge in new players since signing up to become one of the city’s Warm Spaces, a network of venues helping people in Leeds manage their home energy costs and get free support, advice and guidance.

Since officially becoming a Warm Space in January, the club, which has been established for more than a century, has been welcoming hundreds more people to free, accessible bowling sessions every week alongside other games, a heated pavilion, food and refreshments.

Regular participants range in age from 30 up to 90 years old, with absolute beginners joining in to learn the historic sport’s intricacies from seasoned bowlers.

The club’s sessions have even included blindfolded bowling, with bowlers donning eye masks to play alongside a partially sighted fellow competitor, and a specially adapted wheelchair for players with mobility issues, named The Bowls Royce.

Club captain Laura Hassoun, who has been bowling since she was three years old, said: “There are just no barriers in bowls, it’s an intergenerational sport and the only sport where a nine-year-old can play against a 90 year old and they both have the same chance of winning.

“It’s also one of the most accessible and sociable sports and a great way to get some gentle exercise, meet some new people and make new friends, particularly when so many are struggling with the cost of living.

“The club’s always welcomed new players, but becoming a Warm Space has meant we’ve been able to offer these free sessions and put on more events - and that’s made a huge difference to the local community.”

Laura says attendance at the club is now more than double last year, and they are currently looking at expanding their free sessions through the rest of the year and forming some new teams to compete in local leagues.

As well as the game itself, the club also helps signpost any visitors who need them towards food banks and where to go with any housing issues. They’ve also joined the National Digital Inclusion Network, supporting older people and those on low incomes to access the internet.

Laura added: “We have a real mix of people who come here and might be struggling and in need of support, and then people who are just here to play - but the important thing is they’re all together, helping each other.

“We’ve even got a couple of people who come along to share seeds and some gardening tips, but most people do prefer to play bowls once they’ve tried it.”

More details on how to get involved at Harehills Park Bowling Club can be found on their Facebook page.

The club is not alone in welcoming people struggling with the cost of living, with 174 similar venues across the Leeds being visited by more than 40,000 people since January.

The city-wide initiative has seen the council working with partners across the city, including Voluntary Action Leeds, third sector organisations and faith groups.

Examples of other venues which have taken part in the scheme include a Heritage Café, in both Harehills and Garforth, which provides food tips and a safe place for local young people to socialise. They’ve also helped a number of people gain their food hygiene qualifications.

Elsewhere, New Wortley Community Centre has run regular film clubs, using social media to poll local residents about what film they’d like to see that week and offer something different, sociable and fun.

Operations manager Rebecca Houlding said:  “It’s about being labelled. People didn’t want to be seen going to the warm space as they didn’t want people to know that they couldn’t afford to feed themselves or heat their homes.

“Some families are just too proud; many in-work families face pressure and stigma that they have never felt before. We had to think out of the box.”

Despite winter being over, many of the city’s Warm Spaces will be continuing to provide support throughout the year, with participating venues available to view online at the council’s dedicated webpage at www.leeds.gov.uk/costofliving. This includes help across key areas such as food services, health, housing, water and jobs.

Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, said: “The cost of living crisis has been incredibly difficult for the city and its communities, with households, families and individuals facing pressures they have never faced before.

“But even in the face of those immense challenges, the people of Leeds have done what they do best - taking care of each other in the toughest of times and coming together to offer help and support to those who need it most.

“Our Warm Spaces typify that sense of community spirit and togetherness and to hear how they have worked to create something so positive out of this crisis is a true inspiration.”

Leeds City Council allocated funding from the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Cost Of Living Emergency Fund to support organisations which operated as a Warm Spaces. This fund has been administered by Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL) find out more here: http://bit.ly/3XP1NJR

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