Update: Clubs share details of emergency support

Joan Targett, Club Secretary at Garndiffaith Bowls Club, told us:

“Garndiffaith Bowls Club would like thank Sport Wales for the recent grant of £2,000. The grant has been used to pay for the removal of a tree that became dangerous when we had the bad storms, and also to repair the damaged fence. The remainder is to be used towards replacing the rubber ditch infill, much of which was lost during the same storms.”

And this from Mike Watkins of Pontypridd Golf Club:

“At the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic the financial position of Pontypridd Golf Club was not very strong. The persistent bad weather that preceded the pandemic had affected the club’s income stream due to a severe reduction in income from both clubhouse and golf course. The restrictions imposed by the pandemic simply compounded these income stream issues with complete closure of first the clubhouse and subsequently the course.

“The club took the decision that while it could mothball the clubhouse and furlough staff, doing the same to the course and green staff was not advisable, as when the situation improved and golf would restart, the course would be unplayable. 

“The application to Sport Wales for the Emergency Relief Fund was targeted to provide finance to meet the needs of maintenance of the golf course at this particular time. The grant that came through in early May enabled the club to immediately obtain greens materials from its suppliers, then to hire in specialised equipment for golf green aeration and also to carry out specialised maintenance of club machinery. 

“Although behind in their planned schedule, the support from the grant, coupled to the good weather in May, enabled staff to make up for lost time, to carry out all the work they had planned and enabled Pontypridd Golf Club to be available for play when golf restarted in May. 

“Without the grant it would have been impossible to present the course in an acceptable and playable condition for the golf restart. The vast majority of the club’s members live locally and have returned to their golf after the sport’s restart. While the club has lost members due to unavailability of the course as a result of initially very wet weather and then the pandemic, the great condition of the course after its closure has circulated locally and has attracted new membership. Particularly pleasing is that the age profile of the new membership has favoured the young adult group, some new blood that the club needs.”

More information on eligibility criteria, and a Q&A, can be found on the Sport Wales website here.

Any questions or queries can be directed to emergencyrelief@sport.wales.