Solihull Indoor Bowls Club has upgraded its home on Brick Kiln Lane thanks to a £61,837 grant from the Net Zero Grant Programme (NZGP), which is co-ordinated locally by Solihull Council, Birmingham City Council and Business Growth West Midlands.
The project has been match-funded to completely modernise its premises with carbon and cost cutting measures including almost 100 solar panels, an insulated suspended ceiling in the bowling hall, and tailored LED lighting designed specifically for sports to reduce glare.
Measures have helped the club futureproof its premises with sustainable renewable energy and make it more energy efficient, improving its ability to retain warmth and lowering heating bills.
Combined, the changes will result in the club offsetting more than 112,000kg of carbon dioxide (CO2e) per year – the equivalent carbon saving of 115 roundtrips across Great Britain by car from Land’s End to John o’ Groats.
The club, which offers all-year round bowling and social facilities to around 400 members and leases its premises to a range of community groups from Weight Watchers to pre-school classes, now hopes the upgrades can help take indoor bowls in Solihull to the next level.
Funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the NZGP is open to small and medium-sized enterprises in Solihull to apply for a match-funded grant of up to £100,000 and up to 50 per cent aid to make their premises more energy efficient.
Details on the scheme and how to apply can be found on Solihull Council’s website.
You can watch a case study about the work carried out at Solihull Indoor Bowls Club on YouTube by clicking here.
For more information about Solihull’s Council’s climate change and sustainability campaign and how to get involved, visit the Your Future Solihull webpages, or sign up to the Your Future Solihull newsletter.