Behind the Bowls: The PR Push That Delivered 24,000 New Players

We’re lucky to work in the best industry in the world - shouting about sports.

It’s what we’re best at and it’s what we love to do the most. We work across so many different sports telling all sorts of stories. Every project offers its own challenges and advantages.

How do you craft the perfect national pitch? How do you reach out to so many regions efficiently? Is there another big sporting event that weekend?

When we got the nod from Bowls England and started to work on Bowls’ Big Weekend, these questions were front and centre. A nationwide, regionalised event meant a lot of pitching, liaising and getting results across the nation, with the small matter of the Premier League final day to contend with. To top it off, every weather report was promising storms.

So, what happened next?



• 21.7m broadcast views, including working with the brilliant mike bushell and BBC Breakfast team as well as so many regional broadcasters across the nation.
• 250+ pieces of coverage
• The biggest Bowls Big Weekend yet - 24,000+ new players - obliterating the 20,000 target.

This project was a dream to work on, thanks in part to the top work of our team here at New Reach, but in huge part to the incredible bowls community and team at Bowls England.

The passion I witnessed from everyone I spoke to over those months was inspiring. Whether over email, on the phone or in person, everyone was truly welcoming, excited, and willing to do whatever was needed to make the weekend a success.

My trip to Kingswood & Hanham Bowls Club to manage the BBC Breakfast filming was the icing on the cake, seeing all the club members being active, social, benefiting from the game of bowls and just wanting to share that with more people. I even got a half-hour, 1-2-1 session with Alan Lambourne, who’s story of using bowls to rehabilitate his body after a major incident to now coaching and supporting others going through rehabilitation, reiterates how important sport can be - but also how lucky we are to do what we do, and tell the stories we tell.

We won’t mention who won the match between Alan and I.

Thanks again to the fabulous team at Bowls England for giving us this opportunity and being so helpful throughout. The sport is in great hands ahead of a huge year at the Commonwealth Games.

And for goodness sake, go and play Bowls.