Home   Sport   Article

Crisis meeting averts imminent closure for club


By David Porter

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

A tense three hour meeting on Monday saw members of the Garioch Indoor Bowling Club hear that it was in a dire financial situation, and the Committee for 2019/20 had all stepped down.

Arthur Murrison
Arthur Murrison

The club was even nearer to closure during the meeting before Arthur Murrison, past president, made a passionate

appeal to form a small group of new volunteers, to form a new committee, and he agreed to stand along with a couple of past presidents to avoid an impasse.

It was agreed that there were potential “volunteers” for secretary and treasurer which meant only a president position needed to be filled.

Funding was critical, with reserves exhausted, and already over £20,000 of a new loan facility had been used up. With no capital debt an appeal for loans was being sought and a paper would be sent to all members outlining the situation in next few days which was agreed by the members present.

The Club was closed from March until October, and with 10 pin still closed the club is losing money every month and six of the 13 staff, despite furloughing were paid off.

The Club had received no government grants since the pandemic started.

Smaller indoor clubs received £25,000 while outdoor saw £10,000 granted.

The rateable value of the Club at £72,000 stopped any grant as the government circular had a condition that the rateable value was restricted to £51,000

As a result of the volunteers doing the bulk of the work to keep the club open over recent months most of the committee stood down.

At one stage there was no president, secretary and treasurer, and four of the committee had also joined the resignation group.

The stringent rules set out by Scottish Indoor Bowling Association meant a covid manager needed to be on duty when play was arranged.

Bowling had only 50 per cent use of the carpet, with full sanitising being done prior, and after each session.

This took time and only a maximum of three sessions per day were possible.

Green fees did not in any way cover overheads and building costs.

The Members, on Monday, were faced with all funds depleted, and a £50,000 loan taken to survive through November/December part of which has already been drawn down.

The accounts to end of August 2020 made sorry reading.

Said Arthur Murrison, a past president, who has do so much for the Club said: ”I cannot emphasise enough that this Monday saw the most important AGM in the 32 year history of the Club.

"We need officers and sources of funds , in past years the club has been healthy, but now has exhausted reserves, and has pulled down a £50,000 Covid based loan.

"Your committee and other volunteers have provided cover, some eight hours a day, and kept the club open to date.

"As a result most of us have expressed a wish not to stand again for 2020/2021.

"New commitment from members is critical."

Members voted 80 to one in favour of the proposals and it is hoped that this will strengthen the possibility of grants as and when they materialise.

A closure of the Garioch had been averted but only with new committee members agreed and fresh finance has to be made available.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More