Bowls Festival raises hundreds of pounds for local charities

The UK's biggest outdoor bowls festival, Visit Great Yarmouth Festival of Bowls, is organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the Festival of Bowls Committee, sponsored by Visit Great Yarmouth. A tombola took place throughout the festival, from August 27 to September 22, which raised £1,330.

The tombola, organised by members of the Festival of Bowls committee, raised £500 for Caister Lifeboat, £500 for Hemsby Lifeboat and £330 for The Well.

Some committee members recently visited The Well to deliver a cheque. Both Caister and Hemby Lifeboats were able to come along to the festival to collect their cheques.

The Well is a food bank in Gorleston, which offers a free breakfast every Thursday morning, showers for people to use and a pantry option where people can sign up to regularly collect tinned or frozen foods, food cupboard staple items and toiletries.

This year, the festival included 12 tournaments for men's singles, pairs, triples and fours, ladies' singles, pairs and triples, under 21s open singles, mixed pairs and triples, over 60s open singles and pairs. The format for the Under 21s open singles changed this year and was a huge success with thanks to Mark Royal of Jack and Bowl Ltd.

Applications are now open for the 2024 festival, priced at £7 per person per game. For four weeks, starting on Bank Holiday weekend from Sunday, August 25, until Friday, September 20, the free-to-watch competition will hold tournaments for men, ladies and mixed teams in singles, pairs, triples and fours.

Entries close on Thursday, June 17, and players can apply and pay online or request a paper application form.

Thanks to a very generous donation from Mal Dixon, a stalwart of bowls having played and umpired for many years himself, the prize money for 2024 Men's Singles is as follows:

• Winner £1,000
• Runner up £400
• Semi-finalists £100 each
• Quarter-finalists £25 each

Councillor Daniel Candon, Great Yarmouth Borough Council's portfolio holder for economic development and growth, said: "We welcomed almost 750 players to the festival this year, with increased entry levels from 2022 for the men's singles, ladies' singles, over 60s open singles and under 21s open singles, which would have had a massively positive impact on our local economy.

"As always, we are immensely grateful to our 2023 sponsors and funders, Visit Great Yarmouth as title sponsor, Wentworth Holidays, Jack and Bowl Ltd, The Prom Hotel and Princes Tea Room. Without their support, the festival simply would not be able to take place."

Any businesses looking to sponsor and support this long-standing Great Yarmouth event can contact marketing@great-yarmouth.gov.u