Green grant helps Solihull bowls club cut costs and modernise facilities

A thriving sports club in Solihull is set to save £20,000-a-year on energy costs after accessing a grant to transform their facility and boost their green credentials. 

Solihull Indoor Bowls Club has upgraded its home on Brick Kiln Lane thanks to a £61,837 grant from the Net Zero Grant Programme (NZGP), which is co-ordinated locally by Solihull Council, Birmingham City Council and Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM).

The project has been match-funded to completely modernise its premises with carbon and cost cutting measures including almost 100 solar panels, an insulated suspended ceiling in the bowling hall, and tailored LED lighting designed specifically for sports to reduce glare.

Measures have helped the club futureproof its premises with sustainable renewable energy and make it more energy efficient, improving its ability to retain warmth and lowering heating bills.

Combined, the changes will result in the club offsetting more than 112,000kg of carbon dioxide (CO2e) per year – the equivalent carbon saving of 115 roundtrips across Great Britain by car from Land's End to John o' Groats.

The club, which offers all-year round bowling and social facilities to around 400 members and leases its premises to a range of community groups from Weight Watchers to pre-school classes, now hopes the upgrades can help take indoor bowls in Solihull to the next level. 

Tom Millership, Managing Director of the club, said: 

“We’re thrilled, not only for our members, but for the borough, as I think Solihull now boasts one of the best indoor bowls facilities in the country.

“The main expense at the club over the last 18 months has been powering utilities and to safeguard the future of the club we had to look at ways to reduce that, so the solar panels – the first we’ve had as a club – will provide us with that affordable, renewable alternative. 

“With the changes made we’ll save around £20,000-a-year on our utilities which is a big help at a time energy costs are going up, but it’ll also help us be more sustainable, reducing our emissions and improving our carbon footprint.

“Without this help we wouldn’t have had sufficient reserves at the club to get the project done, so it has been a really key tool and the future of the club looks a lot better now. We couldn’t be more thankful for the support and advice we’ve received from BGMW in Solihull.”

Funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the NZGP is open to small and medium-sized enterprises in Solihull to apply for a match-funded grant of up to £100,000 and up to 50 per cent aid to make their premises more energy efficient. 

Details on the scheme and how to apply can be found on Solihull Council’s website.

Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and Cabinet Member for Business and Economy, said:

“The NZGP is here to help local businesses and organisations looking to decarbonise and embrace a more sustainable future as we transition to a low-carbon economy, and the improvements at Solihull Indoor Bowls Club are a fantastic example of how that can be done.

“Collectively, buildings in Solihull are the biggest source of emissions in the borough so improving their energy efficiency is an important step and one we must all take responsibility for. 

“Since the NZGP launched last year, we’ve helped five businesses in Solihull access more than £132,000 worth of funding, and I would encourage others who are interested to get their applications in quick to allow time for them to be processed before the scheme closes at the end of this year.”

Solihull Indoor Bowls Club offer free introductory bowls sessions twice a week and are actively seeking new members. Visit www.solihullindoorbowlsclub.co.uk for more information.

You can watch a case study about the work carried out at Solihull Indoor Bowls Club on YouTube by clicking here.