New shade and mat for bowls club

By Samantha Elley

No longer will members of the Lismore Workers Sports Bowls Club have to play their favourite game in the direct sunlight.

This friendly little club has waited over two years to have its retractable shade cover and synthetic mat installed so they could get back to playing bowls.

“The installation was only meant to take about six months,” said club member and grant writer Keith Morrow.

Members enjoying the new shade and mat at the Lismore Workers Sports and Bowls Club.

“The mat was lifted in 2021 revealing the bare metal, but then Covid hit and afterwards the floods so it didn’t get completed until this year.”

Members had to find other clubs to go and play their games, but now the band is back together and everyone was in a celebratory mood on Saturday when Lismore mayor, Steve Krieg and State member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin officially opened the new facility.

General Manager Steve Bortolin was the master of ceremonies and described the finished greens as first class.

“This is a show piece for everyone in the region to come along to,” he said.

State member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin officially opened the new facility.

Other members of the club also gave donations for the  betterment of the club.

Long term members, Alan Davis, donated 16 bowls mats and Dawn and Sandy Smart provided 12 posts around the green to help ageing members navigate the step up and down to play.

The new mat and shade cover are at least 40 x 40 metres at a cost of $311,000 which was jointly funded by the NSW Government in association with Lismore Workers Sports Bowls Club Inc.

Members attended lunch and a social afternoon of bowls after the formalities.

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