Disability Sport NI is delighted to announce the Irish Bowls Federation (IBF) as the latest Governing Body of Sport to achieve the Commit stage of the Inclusive Sport Award. The IBF becomes the sixth sport to be awarded this stage and has committed to transforming lawn bowls into a fully inclusive sport for disabled people.

The Inclusive Sport Award supports and encourages organisations to expand opportunities for disabled people to participate, perform, coach, officiate, and volunteer across a wide range of sports.

To date, 14 Governing Bodies are actively progressing through the award, working towards the three stages: Commit, Develop, and Embed. Each stage enables organisations to build on their achievements, strengthen knowledge, increase awareness, and enhance their capacity to provide inclusive opportunities within their sport.

Change was sparked by a 2021 club engagement survey, which revealed that 55% of local bowls clubs had no active members with a disability and 49% maintained no specific provisions for disabled members. As a result, the Irish Bowls Federation has spent the past 24 months implementing a targeted strategy to boost opportunities across playing, coaching, and volunteering.

Since engaging in the Inclusive Sport Award, Bowls had witnessed several milestones including establishing three grassroots Disability Hubs across Northern Ireland, classification of 30 para-bowlers and achieving success on the international stage by securing European Silver Medal in the Men’s Physical Disability Pairs event.

Beyond these achievements, the IBF have identified key strategic priorities to improve and create long-term sustainable pathways for disabled bowlers.  This includes improving workforce and coaching network through access to specialised training; the launch of the Para High Performance Programme – designed to support elite athletes; and a dedicated club support package assisting clubs to be more inclusive and accessible to both athletes and spectators.

Speaking during the award presentation Chris Mulholland commented on the journey to date:

“While 2021 represented a low baseline for disability inclusion in our sport, the Inclusive Sport Award framework has fundamentally changed our landscape. We have built the hubs, trained the coaches, and won European silver—but while this is a highly positive beginning, a substantial amount of work still lies ahead to close the disability gap completely.”

For more information on Irish Bowls Federation visit https://www.irishbowlsfederation.co.uk/

From L-R: Chris Mulholland (Irish Bowls Federation), Ian McClure (Irish Bowls Federation), Kevin O’Neill (Disability Sport NI), Tommy Smith (Irish Bowls Federation) and Joan Montgomery (Irish Bowls Federation)