Onchan Crown Green Bowling Club will be able to install new LED floodlights at its green in Onchan Park thanks to a £4,000 grant from the Manx Lottery Trust.

Floodlights are essential for playing evening bowls and will allow the club to extend the season into the autumn.

It also means it can host competitions at the 50th anniversary 2019 Isle of Man September Bowling Festival, a big event in the crown green bowling calendar which attracts players from across the British Isles.

The long-established club has about 80 members and seven teams, five men’s and two women’s, which consist of eight players who play around 150 games a year.

These games are either held at Onchan Green or one of the other clubs across the island.

Festivals

The club’s treasurer, David Clucas, said: ’The grant will not only allow more games to be played into the evening hours, but provide improved facilities for our current members and hopefully attract some new faces.

’The new lighting will make a huge difference at our club, particularly at the bowling festivals held each year, and we are extremely grateful to the Manx Lottery Trust for making this happen.’

Manx Lottery Trust chairman Sarah Kelly said: ’Onchan Crown Green Bowling Club is a great community club which we are delighted to support.

’We hope the current members enjoy the new floodlit green and even more people from the local community are encouraged to come along and give the sport a go.’

To find out more about Manx Lottery Trust and how to apply for a small grant of between £300 and £2,500) or community award of between £2,501 and £50,000 visit: www.mlt.org.im