Haywards Heath & Beech Hurst Bowls Club thriving in anniversary season

The club, based in the town’s Beech Hurst Gardens, will compete in three different regional competitions and play more than 60 friendlies over the coming summer, which marks the 120th anniversary of the founding of one of the two clubs that merged to form the current one.

Last season, the club, created from the amalgamation of Haywards Heath – which began life in 1905 - and Beech Hurst, marked 70 years at the clubhouse by hosting the Chelsea Pensioners’ bowlers in a special friendly.

During the coming season the roles will be reversed, when a team from Haywards Heath travel to London to take on the pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Haywards Heath will also play a number of neighbouring clubs in friendly matches, although the fixture list will be slightly shorter as clubs continue to fold amid rising costs and reduced support from local authorities.

Haywards Heath, though, continue to flourish, with around 120 members – more than half of whom play. But crucially, in these financially straitened times – there has also been a marked rise in the number of social members, who help keep the club going through their involvement in community activities and generous use of the bar!

The club plan special events to mark this year’s VE Day anniversary, as well as that of their own formation, and will also continue to host the Millennium Cup – an all-day event involving several local clubs, backed by main club sponsor P&S Gallagher and raising money for St Peter and St James Hospice.

All being well, they will do so on one of the best surfaces they have had for years following the appointment by Mid Sussex District Council of Glendale Services to look after the green, which has already attracted approving comments from members.

Graham Brown, who captained the club through the Covid epidemic and beyond, returns as captain this year after taking a back seat for two years.

He said: “Back then nobody wanted to play and nobody wanted to play us. It’s a bit different now. I’m looking forward to it. And I’ll be here most Tuesday and Thursday mornings for members – or potential members – who want to ask anything.

There are open days for those interested in joining on May 18 and June 7.