MEMBERS of Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club have launched a petition to keep the site open after the council announced it would be ‘pausing’ the club’s services for 12 months from April 2023.

The petition against the closure of Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club is now live on the BCP Council website.

It currently has 260 signatures and will be open from until January 31, 2023.

The club is hoping to reach 2,000 signatures over the 60 days.

READ MORE: Bowls club pays BCP Council £45,000 in rent for use of indoor rink

READ MORE: Council closes Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club

The petition reads: “We the undersigned petition the council to defer the notice to cease indoor bowls from 1 April 2023 at Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Centre and allow indoor bowls to continue in the meantime whilst undertaking a review of the centre.

“We wish to object to the decision to pause the indoor bowls operation for 12 months from 1 April 2023 at Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Centre.

“The club was opened in 1995 with the specific purpose of housing indoor bowls. This is an important community asset that provides an opportunity for many to maintain their health and wellbeing.

“Apart from providing an opportunity to participate in sport, it also allows older members of the community to engage in exercise and enjoy social interaction with others.”

Following the news of the closure a member of the club wrote to the committee asking if they could pay an additional fee to keep the club open.

Bowls club member Jill Bryant said she had been told there would be a significant fee for the committee to cover on top of the existing monthly hire fees paid by the club, which were in the range of £45,000 for the current year.

She said: “As it stands at the moment BCP Council is throwing away the income from the cafe and have been since May, by closing it all summer and so far since September we never know whether it will be open or not.

“Refreshments are part of bowls when teams or competitors from other clubs come to our club for leagues or competitions. Football supporters also used to come into the club for pre-match meals and or drinks.”