Bowls has a unique way of bringing people together, and a recent collab with Bucklands Beach Bowling Club and a local primary school is a wonderful reminder that our sport truly is for everyone.

Earlier this year, around 150 tamariki visited Bucklands Beach Bowling Club as part of an intergenerational learning project. Alongside their teachers and parent helpers, the students spent time with club members, learning the basics of bowls and discovering why so many people enjoy the sport.

Last week, club members were invited back to the school to see the students’ end-of-term presentations, celebrating everything they had learnt throughout the project.

The visit to the bowling club had clearly made a lasting impression. Students enthusiastically shared stories of their experience, proudly showcasing creative projects inspired by their day on the green. Detailed models of the club and its bowlers were on display, while one group even created a delightful puppet show recreating their bowling adventure.

Perhaps the most touching moment came at the end of the visit, when club members were presented with a stack of handwritten thank you letters from the students. Those heartfelt messages will now be proudly displayed at Bucklands Beach Bowling Club as a reminder of the connection that was made.

Experiences like this show the power of bowls to break down stereotypes and bring generations together. Whether you’re eight or eighty, the joy of sharing time, stories and laughter on the green is something everyone can experience.

Here’s hoping this partnership between the school and Bucklands Beach Bowling Club continues to grow for many years to come, inspiring even more young people to discover that bowls is a sport for everyone.