2020 Innovation of the Year Award Finalist
Our sole finalist for the Innovation of the Year Award for the 2020 Bowls SA Awards Night is the Toorak Burnside Bowling Club and their Women’s Bowls Working Group (WBWG).
Recognising a decline in female membership, the WBWG was formed to review, strategise and implement change to move the club forward with respect to gender equality, diversifying club membership and club leadership.
Their approach has seen improved results including, but not limited to:
- More women putting their hand up to contribute,
- Increased awareness of unconscious gender bias,
- Adoption of a Gender Equality statement,
- More women on the board,
- Survey of club members,
- Improved results in the women’s Thursday team,
- Recruitment of younger Thursday pennant players,
- Improved selection process and policy,
- More women regularly playing in the higher Saturday Open Division teams,
- Greater satisfaction of women in their playing roles,
- Better use of images on club website and social media to demonstrate inclusivity,
- More involvement of men in social planning and activities,
- New female umpire,
- Established a mentor scheme for players,
- Increase in club members participating in club administration,
- Tasty champagne at the bar!
What a way to encourage growth in female participation, congratulations Toorak Burnside Bowling Club!
Bowls SA looks forward to recognising the Club amongst peers in the future. There is potential this will be combined with the proposed 2021 Awards Night.
