Community answers Castlecliff BC's SOS

Anne Loveridge, right, had success for Castlecliff by coming third at the Bowls NZ Women's Championship Fours last season. The club is reformatting this summer to keep its doors open.

Castlecliff Bowling Club has more than doubled its membership in less than a fortnight as the community has come together to save the 99-year-old club from closing the doors.

The club's dwindling numbers had reached a critical point in recent times with only 14 active members remaining, prompting the establishment of a trustee group to explore selling the Manuka St property.

However, following an online campaign by Ray White's Russell Duggan, also a Bowls Wanganui board member, the club hosted a public meeting on August 26 to discuss ways to keep going.

Around 35-40 people attended the gathering, with a steering committee set up to reformat the club and "to help the trustees take the next step to getting back into operation", said committee member Jock Lee.

Lee said they signed up around 24 new members, many of them like himself who do not come from a bowls background.

"We're looking to make bowling more of a recreational group for the community," he said.

"We're looking at bare-foot bowls, business house bowls, and inter-whanau bowls."

Being centrally located in the seaside suburb, with a clubrooms and licensed bar, Lee said Castlecliff BC was looking to follow the same "relaxed" model that many Australian clubs have adopted to ensure their survival.

They have signed up a children's martial arts group to make use of the facilities, and want to market themselves as a community centre for anyone to consider hiring for meetings or family functions.

"It fits the mood of Castlecliff as a summer destination, we've just got to pick up on that.

"The lifeblood of the club will be to cater to user groups."

Coming from tennis, rowing and waka ama, Lee knew how popular twilight social sports are in Whanganui during the longer daylight months.

Nonetheless, the club will also be on the lookout for more serious bowlers coming to the area to join up, as Castlecliff still punches above its weight with members winning Premier 2 and Triples championships last season, while hosting the women's games of the regional hexagonal representative tournaments.

"We're still looking to have that as the spearhead. That front end is to be the sport of bowls," said Lee.

On Sunday, Lee met with the Progress Castlecliff group, who have given strong support and will help to find parties to use the clubrooms.

While the club has its centennial in 2018, which through happenstance could attract even more members if celebrations are planned, Lee said the No 1 priority was rebuilding over the next few months.

"We need to get really viable this summer, that's really the testing ground."

Lee said Duggan and Progress Castlecliff's Jamie Waugh need to be thanked for all their efforts to attract attention to the club's plight.

Castlecliff BC will meet again on Friday to appoint their new executive for the coming season.

The opening day for 2017-18 will be on October 14.