A "NEW HOPE" has emerged for open bowls tournaments in Worthing after an emergency meeting was called this week.
Worthing Council organised a meeting with Worthing Open Bowls Tournaments event organisers Tony and Tina Phillips, after they revealed both the annual open tournaments, held at Beach House Park, were threatened with extinction.
The men's tournament has been running for 75 years and the ladies for 64.
Mr Phillips blamed a lack of business and commercial sponsorship for threatening to make a "special part of Worthing and its history disappear forever".
But Worthing Council stepped in and arranged an urgent meeting involving council members, officers and town centre manager Sharon Clarke.
MergerThe meeting on Monday, July 14, was described by councillor Kevin Skepper as "pro-active" and "positive".
Ideas were discussed as to how the council could help the organisers secure funding, including the possibility of merging the men's and ladies competitions and getting companies to sponsor the greens.
"Given the history of the bowls open tournaments, we would hate to lose them," said Mr Skepper.
"We will do all we can to facilitate and secure the tournaments."
HopefulMrs Phillips said some "good ideas" had been suggested and that the fight to continue the tournaments was "not over yet".
She added: "We do have a new hope and, hopefully, a way forward.
"We are keeping our fingers crossed."
The open bowls tournaments are separate to the Bowls England National Finals, held annually in Worthing.
Tony Alcock, the chief executive of Bowls England, said: "We do not envisage any problems with continuing the national bowls."
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