BOWLS
A CHALLENGING FUTURE Our Strategic Plan
April 2016
Our Mission
Provide leadership and direction to promote and support the sport of lawn bowls
On 11
THApril 2016 this Strategic Plan was approved by the Zone 15 Executive as a management tool for the Zone Strategic Planning Team to co-ordinate strategic planning activities. Progress with strategies will be reported to the Executive monthly and the Strategic Plan will be reviewed by the Executive each year at the July Executive Committee Meeting and included at the AGM.
Bowls Central Coast – Zone 15 Phone 0243 444 600 Fax 0243 112 329
www.bowlscentralcoast.org.au Mail to 3 Drew Street, Woy Woy, NSW 2256
Introduction
This Strategic Plan is the product of many hours of work by the dedicated Strategic Planning team of Freddy Dowse and Tony Hegyi in conjunction with a supportive Zone Executive. It recognises the need for all lawn bowls organisations to be working together and also our standing within the larger lawn bowls communities of Bowls NSW and Bowls Australia.
The journey has included an education program for the Executive to ensure an understanding of the purpose for developing a strategic plan and to ensure it was specific to our Zone. To this end it has
included an extensive study of our perceived strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities and also our positioning within our local community. We also evaluated a statistical snapshot of NSW Bowler membership trends and participation rates to comprehend our current position and to establish some recognisable Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s).
We live in an ever changing social environment. As a sport we have an aging profile, geriatric image and a declining membership. We have, without doubt, A Challenging Future ahead.
From the outset we recognised the limitations imposed on any plan with two yearly elections for Executives. Hence, we considered a dynamic plan with a focus on continuous improvement, with annual reviews by the Executive, to be more effective than a plan with definitive dates.
We will use this plan to move forward together with our member clubs, BowlsNSW and Bowls Australia.
President
Bowls Central Coast
History
Bowls Central Coast – Zone 15 traces its beginnings to the Brisbane Waters District Bowling Association, which was the first association to administer bowls on the Central Coast. It was formed in 1945 by the affiliation of the then four bowling clubs established and playing in the area: Wyong BC (est 1912), Woy Woy BC (est 1933), Gosford BC (est 1939) and The Entrance BC (est 1944).
The Association conducted pennant competitions, district championships, inter-district fixtures and acted as a link between local clubs and the Royal NSW Bowling Association (RNSWBA). As a District, Brisbane Waters was part of Zone 6 which geographically took in Maitland and the Hunter.
A number of new clubs were progressively affiliated during the 1950’s and because of the geographical area under its control significantly expanding, the name was changed to the Central Coast District Bowling Association (CCDBA) in 1960.
The membership levels in the 1960’s and 70’s grew to the extent that by 1981 the largest
clubs were The Entrance with 800 members, Bateau Bay, Woy Woy, Ettalong Memorial, Tuggerah Lakes Memorial all with around 700, Halekulani, Toukley District and Umina Beach with 600. Gosford was an exception having dropped from 512 in 1961 to approximately 300 by 1981.
In 1995 the RNSWBA underwent a major re-organization and Zone boundaries were revised with the number of Zones being increased from 10 to 16 with each Zone being represented by a State Councilor as a member of the State board.
The CCDBA became Zone 15, a stand alone Zone defined in the main by the Gosford City and Wyong Shire Council boundaries.
The renaming and re-badging of the Zone to Bowls Central Coast was introduced in 2009.
RNSWBA adopted a new constitution on the 15th December 2011 with a new corporate type structure of elected Directors.
State Councilors were no longer members of the board and became an advisory council of 16 members.
A new BCC-Zone 15 Constitution was to follow in 2014 along with supporting Regulations.
2016 Zone Profile
The Association known as Bowls Central Coast is one of sixteen (16) Zones within NSW and is made up of 24 clubs situated from Mooney Mooney in the south to Morisset in the north. The member Clubs have about 3,100 registered men bowlers and some 240,000 Social members of their licensed premises. In addition there are some 1,800 lady bowlers who are administered separately by a Women’s Association.
The Bowls Central Coast Zone 15 is located in a high growth area of NSW. However, our statistical snapshot at March 2016 indicates a gradual but dramatic decline in bowler memberships with a
correspondingly low level of participation in both social and
competitive bowls. Broadly speaking, one in three bowlers is aged 75 years or older and two in three bowlers are aged 65 years or older. Participation in the 2016 Zone Fours and Triples is in single digit percentiles and Pennant playing teams represent only one in three bowlers. At March 2016 there are only eleven Junior bowlers.
The Association is incorporated as the Central Coast District Bowling Association/Zone 15 Inc.
and trades as Bowls Central Coast. It is administered by an Executive Committee which is elected every two years by the representative delegates of the member clubs. There are appointed Match and Selection sub committees and elected sub committees for coaches and umpires. These sub committees are accountable to the Executive Committee.
Pennant, State Championships and zone representative bowls are managed well and communication via the Zone Website is both current and professional.
Do we measure up and are we ready to face A Challenging Future?
Our Member Clubs
Avoca Beach Bateau Bay Breakers BC Wamberal
Davistown RSL Diggers@theentrance
Ettalong Memorial Everglades Country Club
Gosford City Gwandalan
Halekulani Mingara Mooney Mooney
Morisset Munmorah United
Norah Head Ourimbah Lisarow RSL
Terrigal The Entrance Toukley District
Toukley RSL Umina Beach Woy Woy
Wyong Wyong RSL
Affiliated Groups
Bay Bowlers, Canton Beach Bowlers, CCRSL Zone 5
& Central Coast Past Presidents
Our Vision
To promote lawn bowls as a healthy outdoor and desirable sporting activity within the local community.
To build membership and increase the number of registered bowlers participating in association and social competition.
To foster a playing environment that provides encouragement and opportunity for bowlers at all levels of representation.
To ensure Association events continue to be conducted in a professional manner.
To ensure a strong and effective communication network between Clubs, Zone and Bowls NSW
To promote the highest ethical standards amongst administrators, officials, volunteers and bowlers.
Affiliated Clubs
Avoca Beach, Bateau Bay, Breakers BC Wamberal, Davistown RSL, Diggers@theentrance, Ettalong Memorial, Everglades Country Club, Gosford City, Gwandalan, Halekulani, Mingara, Mooney Mooney, Morisset,
Munmorah United, Norah Head, Ourimbah Lisarow RSL, Terrigal, The Entrance, Toukley District, Toukley RSL, Umina Beach, Woy Woy, Wyong,
Wyong RSL. Affiliated Groups:- Bay Bowlers, Canton Beach Bowlers, CCRSL Zone 5 & Central Coast Past Presidents.
Objectives
To develop and implement a dynamic Strategic Plan to encourage continuous improvement through the development of specific strategies to measure outcomes and implement change through a system of audit, review and revision.
To develop and implement strategies to recruit new bowlers, retain existing bowlers and increase participation levels of registered bowlers in all forms of the sport of lawn bowls.
To develop and implement strategies to provide encouragement and opportunity for developing bowlers and representative sides.
To develop, implement and give visibility to management programs to ensure legal compliance, regulations, fiscal responsibility and the personal/professional development of all key persons.
To develop and implement management programs to identify and nurture coaches, umpires, officials and volunteers.
To periodically review bowls programs to ensure relevance to changing lifestyles and demographics.
To develop and implement specific strategies to continually improve communications and lift the profile of lawn bowls in our communities.