Stoke-on-trent sport and physical activity strategy 2009-2016

Indoor BowlsIntroduction296. Bowls is one of the very few sports which primarily attracts older people. Withthe population of <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent forecast to age significantly over the next fewyears, this is a sport which should see significant growth in participation, andwhich could usefully act as a catalyst towards encouraging more active lifestylesamongst older people.297. For both outdoor and indoor bowls, participation peaks amongst women in theirearly 70s and in men in their late 70s. Indoor bowls appeals to men and womenequally, but has very limited participation from black or ethnic minority groups.The indoor game draws the largest proportion of its players from the socialgroups A and C2DE. Decisions on the locations of future indoor bowls centresshould therefore take account of local conditions and experiences, as this sportappears to attract different cultural groups at different rates.Current provision298. There are no indoor bowls facilities in <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent at present. This is notunusual where the main outdoor code is crown green rather than flat greenbowls. The situation in <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent is similar in this respect to parts of theBlack Country and Staffordshire but very different from areas such asWarwickshire, which has a high number of such facilities.Standards of provision299. Whilst <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent has no indoor facilities, the West Midlands averagecurrently stands at 0.02 rinks per 1000 population. The national averageexceeds this at 0.04 rinks per 1000 population. Some of the comparatorauthorities are in a similar situation to <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent, but Barnsley andSunderland do have indoor bowling provision.Nortoft Partnerships Ltd <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent Page | 205Sport & Physical Activity Strategy 2009-2016October 2009