Wigan bowlers delighted by new facilities

A new kitchen and toilets have been installed at the venue in Platt Bridge after an 18-month effort to complete the project.

Ince St Mary’s, one of the clubs that uses the facilities, said it had cost around £20,000 and thanked the organisations that had supported it to get the necessary grants.

It is now hoped that clubs will be attracted back to the Platt Bridge greens and the venue can once again flourish as a location for bowls.

Ince St Mary’s secretary Kenny Priestley said: “It has been very long. It has been about 18 months for the whole project, but we’re absolutely made up with it.

“From having nothing here we’re now very, very happy. We’ve got men’s and women’s toilets and a new kitchen.

“It’s absolutely massive for the club. We should now be able to get more bowlers.

“There are two greens here with various teams playing on them and one by one they went to other greens because of the lack of facilities here.

“We hope we can now attract them back and moving forward we hope to attract new bowlers.”

One team, the Platt Bridge Pensioners, has already decided it will play at the newly-upgraded site this year, Mr Priestley said.

Previously bowlers using the greens had gone to a nearby community centre to brew up or spend a penny but they were then prevented from entering the building.

The works cost around £20,000 and Mr Priestley said the club was grateful to Wigan Council, especially its green spaces team, and Bridgewater for its help securing the money and ensuring the building was erected.

Bowlers are now looking forward to getting back into the swing of their chosen pastime after a year of play was lost to the coronavirus pandemic when a shortened season gets under way later this month.

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