THERE was a last roll up to mark the end of Redhill Park Bowls Club.

Back in June, the Bournemouth club announced it was struggling to keep going given a decline in membership and a struggle to maintain its green, with council funding removed.

Many of the club's 52 members enjoyed a final game with food and a raffle to mark the end of the club's 80 year history.

The whites and green grass are a traditional staple in many parts of rural England, but with people retiring later and local government funding drying up, bowls clubs are finding it more difficult to stay afloat.

Club secretary Les Hewitt said: "The members are fairly upset, but I think most people had come to the conclusion that we couldn't keep on going as we were.

"We were losing a few thousand pounds every year.

"The numbers were dwindling as they are generally in bowls, and we have an ageing membership. We made the decision to call it a day."

The club plans to hold a dinner dance in November, as well as a Christmas get together, before a final meeting to settle its accounts.

Some members are likely to give up bowls, Mr Hewitt said, while others will seek out other clubs and indoor bowls - a more weather-friendly and less maintenance heavy alternative.

"The club was founded in 1937, but everything changes unfortunately. It had some very good days, but unfortunately in the last six or seven years it has been diminished quite a bit," he said.

"The council said they could no longer maintain the greens. You can't blame them, they have pressures from the government and they maintained about 11 greens.

"It costs a lot of money and with the falling membership it was just too much, as much as we would've liked to have kept it open.

"I know two or three other clubs are in our situation and most are struggling with the same problems."