Bowls Festival raises hundreds of pounds for 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 28 to September 24, which raised £1,260.

The tombola, organised by members of the Festival of Bowls committee, raised £1,000 for Cancer Research in memory of Rodney Scott, a stalwart of Great Yarmouth. Mr Scott was a prominent Great Yarmouth businessman and hotelier who owned Pier Hotel, Gorleston, and the Prom Hotel, Great Yarmouth, with his children. The Prom Hotel sponsors the festival.

The remaining £260 will be going to local foodbank Great Yarmouth Pathway, which is an independent charity providing free meals and support to those in need across the borough.

Ian Scott, owner of the Prom Hotel, said: "We are so pleased that the organisers of the bowls tournament have chosen to support Cancer Research. It's a charity that's very close to our family's hearts after our father passed away last year.

"He was a keen bowls player, and it has been a privilege to be a sponsor of this successful and really popular summer tournament for so many years."

Sophia France, relationship manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "Ruth Cockrill at Great Yarmouth Borough Council and The Festival of Bowls Committee have raised an incredible £1,000 for Cancer Research UK. Those involved have contributed greatly to the charity through the festival and the tombola. Cancer Research UK is so grateful to the committee and to the individuals who donated  during  the event and tombola, as it all plays a vital role in our fight against cancer.

"£1,000 can be used to fund a variety of areas within the charity, such as the sourcing of laboratory equipment. £1,000 can buy imaging software that our scientists can use to film cells in real time. This software could help to test potentially life-saving treatments and find the most promising new cancer drugs.

"The pandemic has dramatically affected our ability to fund research, so Ruth's and the committee's support has never been more needed nor valued - they deserve every piece of recognition that they can get!

"One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. We are determined to realise our ambition of seeing three in four people survive their cancer by 2034. Our progress relies on the dedication and commitment of our amazing volunteers and supporters - like the committee and Great Yarmouth Borough Council. Without this vital support, we would not be able to fund our life-saving work.

"If you are interested in supporting Cancer Research UK in the Norfolk and Suffolk area, please contact Sophia France on 07721 457886 or sophia.france@cancer.org.uk."

Applications are now open for the 2023 festival, priced at £7 per person per game. For four weeks, starting on Bank Holiday weekend from Sunday, August 27, until Friday, September 22, 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 1, and players can apply and pay online or download an application form and find out more on the website.

Any businesses looking to sponsor and support this long-standing Great Yarmouth event can visit the website or contact marketing@great-yarmouth.gov.uk