Gateshead bowlers benefit from pavilion being brought back to life

Bowlers in Gateshead have been given a boost thanks to refurbishment of the pavilion in Felling Park and installation of secure storage. The grant from a local charitable trust fund managed through the Community Foundation, enabled Friends of Felling Park to undertake the work for the benefit of the local community. 

Having recently completed an asset transfer of the bowling green and pavilion from Gateshead Council for the next 35 years, the facilities are now retained for the benefit of the local community. 

Nils Stronach, Head of Grant Practice and Programmes explained how the grant from the Community Foundation served more than one purpose: 

“The grant has kickstarted the revival of the pavilion and bowling green in Felling Park. It is a project that enriches the fabric of the local community by providing not just a facility to play bowls but a modernised community space that can be used to host events”.  

The improvements have made the pavilion an easier place to use and maintain, with the updated kitchen opening the possibility of providing refreshments to both volunteers and park users. 

Charley Rutland, Secretary, Friends of Felling Park said: 

“The grant has enabled the Friends of Felling Park and Town Centre CIO to create a much more useable space in the Park’s Pavilion, which was really important for our volunteers but also for the general public. We have taken over the management of the Felling Park Bowling Green from Gateshead Council to safeguard its future, at a time when many other bowling greens in the Gateshead Community have closed”.