Alert Level 2 Recommendations as at 7 May

8 May 2020

Alert Level 2

Click here for Bowls NZ’s latest recommendations on Alert Level 2.

Following the announcement yesterday (7-May) from the government on what Alert Level 2 looks like, we have updated the guidelines established back on the 1^st May. As an at-risk community we should continue to ‘play it safe’ by limiting the number of people within our facilities, maintaining the physical distancing rules, keeping a register of who uses our facilities and most importantly ensure our facilities and patrons maintain high levels of hygiene.

So, absolutely, please re-open your bowling clubs for your membership and local community – after six weeks of ‘isolation’ we all welcome the chance to reconnect with friends. However lets, as a community, continue to ‘play it safe’ and place our communities health ahead of bowls.

Sport NZ short-term relief package

Covid-19 has presented some very unique and exceptional challenges to our country, health system and economy. As we progress from Alert Levels 4 and 3 to Alert Level 2 in the coming week, the true economic impact on our communities will be realised. Yesterday Sport NZ announced a new short-term relief package for sporting clubs in Aotearoa, as part of a wider community resilience package…. Thanks Sport NZ!!

Eligible clubs can apply for up to $1000, so that they can continue delivering critical functions during the period of Covid-19 alert levels. This fund is intended to help cover fixed administration costs that a club is currently unable to pay because of financial hardship caused by the impact of Covid-19. Fixed administration costs must relate to the period April to June 2020. The fund is being administered by your local RST (see the full list at the end of this post) who will have full application details on the websites from Monday 11-May.

Bowling clubs are eligible to apply to this fund, but if I may, can I also offer a note of caution.

There are a number of community sports clubs (especially those of the winter codes) that are going to be suffering significant financial hardship due to Covid-19. We (bowls) were fortunate that the majority of our bowls season was completed prior to lock-down and with some club exceptions, the financial hardship that other sports are feeling is significantly more than the sport of bowls.

My advice to bowling clubs looking to apply to the above Sport NZ fund, is that you need to be comfortable justifying ‘hardship’, when compared to other sports clubs in your community (especially the winter codes). There will be bowling clubs who have missed out on revenues for the March-May months and unable to meet its operational costs – these clubs should absolutely apply to this Sport NZ fund. However if your club is ‘managing’, then let’s be mindful that there will be other clubs more in need of this limited fund than ourselves.

Other Relief Support

I would also remind all bowling clubs that there are other avenues, should they find themselves in a position of hardship. They include:

Local Council managed hardship funds
Bowls New Zealand (we are looking to establish a hardship fund in the 2020/2021 Budget)
Sport NZ and RST packages (in addition to the above)
(Limited) funds from Community Trusts, once we return to a new ‘normal’

If any of our 478 bowling clubs is experiencing significant hardship then please contact Bowls New Zealand (Chris, Martin, Steve or I) – we are here to assist and support.

Wishing you all the best as we move into Alert Level 2 – time to reconnect but ‘play it safe’.

Kind regards
Mark Cameron
CEO, Bowls New Zealand

Mobile: +64 21 270 8060
Email: mark@bowlsnewzealand.co.nz
Web: bowlsnewzealand.co.nz

Mark also caught up with some of our Centre Managers on these two topics – the video has been recorded and available here: