Bowling hall hit by 'devastating' fire at beginning of Covid lockdown reopens more than a year on
and live on Freeview channel 276
Boldon Community Association’s indoor bowling area suffered significant damage when it caught fire on March 25, 2020 – just two days after the UK’s first national lockdown.
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Hide AdAssociation members and staff were ‘devastated’ by the incident, with a major work having recently been carried out at the swimming pool facility in 2019. A refurbishment of the sports hall had also been completed just one year previous to that, after the centre received funding from the SUEZ Communities Trust.
“Members are delighted with the refurbishment and the new look bowling green and celebrate being back to the activity which they all love,” said Sue Topping, borough councillor and manager of the Community Association centre.
"However, sadly during this time we have now learned we have lost some members to which our heartfelt condolences go out to their families.”
Repair works on the bowling facility began slowly, she added, owing to the initial restrictions brought on by the pandemic.
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Hide AdWork is still ongoing at the centre's swimming pool and sports hall – with repairs to each thought to reach completion as early as November of this year.
"These activities bring a lot of residents back together,” Ms Topping said.
“A lot of these people are on their own – they’ve been isolated during these months and have missed the social contact that bowling brought them. For some, it’s the only social contact they get.
"So the loss of this was devastating for many of them. But now we’re hoping we can add to our numbers, if anything – bowling is an amazing sport and we would like to encourage new members young and old to come along and have a go at taking part.
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Hide Ad“I don’t play bowls myself but I’m coming very close to joining – it looks like they were having fun down there today. I think there was about eight of them down today.
"It sounded like there were plenty of laughs being had."