BURGHILL residents have taken up the sport of short mat bowls over the last eight months and now have a thriving group playing weekly.

At the beginning of the year community members expressed a desire to try short mat bowling in the village so a series of taster sessions was set up in conjunction with the Copse Leisure Trust, the charity set up to promote recreational and leisure activities in the parish, and the Herefordshire Short Mat Bowling Association (HSMBA).

The HSMBA sourced the necessary equipment and five of its members helped to facilitate the sessions. With 25 people attending the first session and subsequent sessions also popular it was clear there was an appetite for the sport and the taster sessions led seamlessly into a regular activity.

As the new club established itself the HSMBA assisted the group in the sourcing of its own equipment and the Copse Leisure Trust provided the necessary financial support from a grant received from the Co-op Local Community Fund.

The club now bowls regularly on a Tuesday afternoon and welcomes new members or those who just want to try the game out.

Ian Park, HSMBA Chairman, said that this is another success story in the establishment of new clubs in the county, after the Golden Valley club established less than three years ago but recently entered a team in the county summer league for the first time and now have a membership waiting list..

Short mat bowls, which is played on a 45 inch long mat, is an adaptation of the outdoor bowls game for play in an indoor, community hall type environment and has a well-established club presence in Herefordshire.

Further information and contact details can be found on the association’s website at www.hsmba.org.