There's no escaping the fact, membership numbers are decreasing and have been for the last 25 years. Sure, there are more people playing bowls thanks to social programs such as Get On The Green, corporate bowls days, barefoot bowls and the like, but the conversion of these bowlers into members is not occuring. You only need to look around your local area and notice the number of clubs that have closed or amalgamated to realise that there is a problem.

The Participation Planning Tool

The good news is that the trend can be reversed! But only if your club acts now. For a club to increase its membership figures, aiming at a target is always a good place to start.  To assist clubs to increase their membership figures, Bowls Australia in partnership with SportInfo have created the Partcipation Planning Tool. The tool outlines your club's participation and membership data based on the most recent census collection. The membership figures are nationwide, you can compare a club in your state/territory to a club in a neighbouring state/territory.

To access this exciting tool, click here. The program should load in a new window, although it may take a moment. The image above is what you will see when you open the program. Access the information by clicking on your state/territory. Then, click on the region your club is located in.

Pay particular attention to the total membership tab which will display three pie charts. Hover your mouse over the pie chart to see the figures relating to number of pennant players vs non pennant players.

Compare your club to your state/territory's figures, are you above or below the average?

Click the buttons at the bottom of the program to switch between players, members, non playing membership figures. You can also click on the response rate tab and see how many clubs in your state/territory completed the census survey.

Can’t see your club’s details? Your club did not participant in the census collection. For more information on how you can join this very important program, contact your local community development officer who can assist you to complete the next census survey.

For further assistance in this area, please click here to contact your local community development officer.