ANNUAL REPORT 2017 AUCKLAND BOWLS ANNUAL REPORT 2017 1 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Your Board has had an active year reviewing our current potential for increasing these methods. We are looking to be more effective in promoting participants is limited by the future of the sport. the availability and skill of Auckland Bowls continues to organise competitions for its the dwindling numbers of members involving 38 separate events with total entries individual club volunteers exceeding 5000 participants. The most popular event was and the suitability of formats Saturday Interclub with over 750 players. It is noteworthy and existing facilities. that the Auckland College Pairs Championship attracted If the 17 clubs that own Bruce Anderson 32 boys and 31 girls pairs. The World Masters Games was CHAIRMAN their own properties were to a highlight of the later part of the season. Well done to manage their assets in such a way as to create with other Carlton Cornwall, Mt Eden and Remuera for hosting this event. adjacent clubs a number of first class facilities strategically placed around Auckland the sport would be well placed The Trusts NZ Open tournament continues to be a for the future. On the other hand if such clubs simply major sporting event popular with over 1100 entries with develop their own sometimes limited sites without regard excellent TV coverage and good management by our staff to developing hubs for the sport as a whole a major and the Blockhouse Bay Bowling Club. opportunity will be lost. The major initiative this year has been our promotion of Auckland Bowls and club leaders need to work together, development agreements with clubs. This promotion has take a fresh approach and marshal resources to enable us been a mixed success with three agreements in place and others under discussion. We will need to provide better to promote and develop the sport rather than just allowing communication, more proactive leadership and greater the current trends to reach an inevitable conclusion. management focus in the coming year on ways to assist Delegates on the evening of our AGM will have the clubs to be successful and sustainable. opportunity after the formal business is concluded to It is time for members to have a more realistic idea of hear and discuss our presentation on how we can make a the facts, risks and opportunities involved in Auckland positive effort to work together so clubs and grouping of Bowls financial arrangements. For that reason we have clubs can be successful and sustainable. restructured our financial reporting format this year to We are indebted to all Board members for their willing describe the net cost of our main activities rather than contribution- especially to Murray Doreen for his energy as the old style mixture of costs unrelated to what is being President, ably assisted by Jill Fraser as Vice President. Both produced. The current funding of Auckland Bowls have kept closely in touch with members throughout the activities is totally reliant on continuing income from year. Murray also acted as Board Chairman until October grants, fundraising and sponsorship. Basic events and 2016 when I was appointed. competitions run at a loss even when our total affiliation fee income is allocated to this activity. It is with sadness that I report that two of our valued Board members Peter McKechnie and Ieremia (Chris) The Board has recently decided that it is time for it to take a more proactive leadership role in involving clubs to come to Salesa passed away on 7th June. grips with how to promote and develop the sport. Peter has made a significant contribution to many areas of Over the last seven years seven of the original 52 clubs have bowling in Auckland over the years. As a Board member closed. Only 10 clubs have increased their membership we always appreciated his clear thinking and ability to sum with 42 losing members. It is significant that some of things up so succinctly. Chris joined the Board during the these 42 clubs have lost between half and two thirds of year and has given voice to Pacifica views as well as high their members with the average club losing over one performance bowling aspects. Our thoughts are with the third of their members. Also 19 of the 45 current clubs family and friends of both Peter and Chris. have made no return of their financial performance under Incorporated Society requirements. Of the 26 that have I wish to express thanks to our small management team of made returns, seven are showing a loss before depreciation General Manager Phil Vyver, Kristina Fry, Mia Smith and and 12 are showing a loss after depreciation. The focus of Paul Tuckley for their important contributions. many club’s resources and arrangements is on survival but We also want to highlight and thank all the many unsung that plan isn’t working. volunteers carrying out important roles running Auckland There has been a recent emphasis on promoting social/ Bowls Committees, Associations and events and those casual/corporate bowls with such participant numbers who have willingly given advice and much appreciated reaching about 18,000. Under the current model the assistance. AUCKLAND BOWLS ANNUAL REPORT 2017 3 GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT Auckland Bowls has had a tough year both on and off the feedback. These have all the green. Following the highs of last year with wins by been included in the plan. the Auckland Men’s Representatives Side and an overall The presentation at the growth in participation numbers 2016-2017 has been less conclusion of the AGM will positive. provide more detail. Membership numbers have continued to decline from 4807 last year down to 4587, a loss of 220 members. The OUR SPONSORS AND casual participant market has also come back from the FUNDERS Phil Vyver GENERAL MANAGER highs of last year with a decline of 1005 participants down Auckland Bowls is supported to 17,194. However these figures are still 22% higher than by an excellent group of sponsors and funders, most of five years ago. whom have supported us for a number of years. The Club Development Agreements have been promoted The Trusts have continued their support of The Trusts to all clubs. Whilst the initial take up has been slow, it is New Zealand Open and together with the event sponsors encouraging that a number of clubs are working through – Ryman Healthcare, Aero Bowls, Dilmah, Hunter Bowls, this process and considering ways that they can promote Auckland Council, The Trusts Community Foundation and grow participation and membership. and Blue Waters Community Trust - help to make this This remains a major priority for Auckland Bowls. If we event a success. have strong clubs then we will have a strong sport. We Blue Waters Community Trust remains a significant must work together if we are to achieve this aim. contributor to Auckland Bowls and we thank the Trustees Congratulations to the Howick and Howick Women’s for their ongoing commitment to bowls in Auckland. Bowling Clubs who have now formally amalgamated. It is also pleasing that Onehunga with Hillsboro and Hillsboro FINANCE Women have agreed to amalgamate under a new name for The financial year has been successful with an operating next season. Watch this space! surplus of $24,711 recorded (2016: $36,343). This includes a donation from the Mission Bay Bowling Club of $25,852 We also welcome Papatoetoe Hunters Corner Bowling following their closure. Thank you to Mission Bay for this Club to our Centre following Bowls NZ approval for this contribution. These funds have not yet been spent but we club to transfer from Counties Manukau. are required to declare the income in the year it is received. Plans will be made for the appropriate expenditure of these STRATEGIC PLAN funds. When the cost of depreciation and income from the We have once again had a thorough review of the Auckland Kimberley Investment Fund is added, an overall surplus of Bowls Strategic Plan as we try to unlock the formula that $80,541 has been achieved – a significant improvement on will enable our sport to succeed for many years to come. last year ($8,938). Fundamentally our vision remains the same – we want The format of the Statement of Financial Performance ‘More people playing bowls more often’. has been revised to more accurately show the work that Under our purpose to ‘Lead and develop the growth of is undertaken by Auckland Bowls and the income and bowls in Auckland’ we have five strategic goals to achieve expenditure related to each. The key headings are: over the next three years: • Events 1. Ensure a sustainable network of clubs • Club Development and Support 2. Communicate effectively with all partners and • High Performance increase the profile of bowls in Auckland • Youth B owls 3. Increase participation by providing quality bowling • New Zealand Open experiences • Fundraising and Administration 4. Develop and maintain key partnerships with enable This format highlights the importance of outside us to achieve success funding to Auckland Bowls with all but Fundraising and 5. Develop the infrastructure that enables Auckland Administration running at a loss. Bowls to deliver an excellent service Club Levies make up just 5.5% of total income and have The feedback that has been provided by members through a been entirely allocated to Event Income. Bowls NZ run a club forum and an online survey has been used extensively breakeven budget for events. Noting the current deficit of to inform our plan. Thank you to those members that $96,000, if we were to follow this model the income and/or provided input to this process.