LETTER: It is madness to destroy bowls club

I joined HDIBC when it opened 19 years ago. My husband and I joined as an extra hobby running alongside us organising junior tennis tournaments and junior tennis coaching locally at our tennis club.
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It was initially something different just for ourselves!

But, over the years, it has become an essential part of our lives as we have progressed into retirement.

HDIBC is not just a place to go to play bowls, but it is a familiar venue to meet friends that we have made over the years and socialise. Strong friendships have been formed over the years for many members of the club playing against and with other members.

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Horsham is fast becoming a town of OAPs now as those that moved down from the London and Southern region are now retiring and looking for a hobby to occupy themselves, and to keep themselves fit and active.

We have not moved away as we have had all the things we needed to keep us active here in Horsham - with a great bowls club up till now!

We have approximately 400-plus playing members and lot of social members.

Another 100 or so also just book to play occasionally and we also have several different clubs that book regularly to play, and then have lunch at the club to make it a social occasion. Occasionally the Blind Bowlers play too.

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Plus, we also have tournaments for the County and against other counties too. And we play matches against others clubs.

Every week during the winter months we play approximately 12-15 matches a month at the club and in the summer approximately eight matches a month, plus many internal leagues too throughout the year!

I really cannot believe that HDC wants to take this element of exercise and social life away from all these ageing and aged folk.

It helps in not a small way to keep us all fit and active, and for many who are now on their own since losing one partner it is their only time to meet other folk of the same age and keep in touch, and keep fit!

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It is not only a sport for those who are retired we also have a good number of younger players too, who play at County and National level, and we are getting more and more junior members who are coached every week by members who have taken courses to be able to do this.

What is the council thinking of? We thought initially that the council was going to help us, but we think they are not interested in our cause at all now.

They just can’t wait to get us out so they can rebuild our bowls club as a leisure centre for the young and fit.

They don’t care about us elder people at all. We have given the council well over £1,000,000, in rent and spent thousands of pounds keeping the centre up to date and smart. It looks immaculate!

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They will destroy and take away one of the few things that we older people can do and enjoy in our later years.

The nearest places to play if the club goes are Three Bridges, or Worthing. We are one of the few towns which won’t have a local indoor bowls club.

There are indoor clubs in all the bigger towns in the South and all over the country - why not Horsham?

Our members are devastated that our council are even contemplating thinking about it!

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Irrevocable damage will be done to many people who will probably never bowl again. You are speaking about getting on for 700 people in the Horsham area who will lose their ONLY recreational sport?

It is madness!

DIANA COBURN (Mrs)

St Leonards Road, Horsham

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