A COMMUNITY meeting will be held next week to discuss the future of Bangalow’s much-loved club, The Bowlo, following its abrupt closure.<\/p>\n
Details of the meeting are expected to be finalised after three members of the advisory group that formed when the club amalgamated with Sydney-based Norths Collective in 2022 met with representatives from the conglomerate on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Advisory group members include Jess Smythe, representing the Bangalow Bluedogs Soccer Club; Craig Adams, from Bangalow Cricket Club; and Simon Evans, who served on The Bowlo’s board prior to the merger.<\/p>\n
They have since joined forces with other concerned locals to establish a new advocacy group working to secure the club’s future. Among its members are Bangalow-based Byron Shire Councillor Asren Pugh, Ian Holmes from the Bangalow Progress Association and The Bangalow Herald editor Sally Schofield.<\/p>\n
Cr Pugh said he wants to see The Bowlo reopened as soon as possible and hopes Norths Collective will hand the club back to the community.<\/p>\n
“I want them to hand back the club and walk away with no money, no demands for money,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We know we’re going to have to have some hard conversations as a community about how to make it work because we know there will be some fatigue about having to save the club yet again. We need a good business model that can work that’s sustainable and keeps it as a community club.”<\/p>\n
He described The Bowlo, which opened in 1910, as a vital hub for the area.<\/p>\n
“It’s the major sponsor of all our sports teams,” he said. “It’s the social hub for all the people who use it for bowling and community events held there \u2013 whether watching sport, fundraising dinners or going to see bands. It’s where everything happens.”<\/p>\n
The Bowlo announced its closure via Instagram around 4pm last Friday, saying a recent review had assessed the clubhouse’s condition, financial losses and trading outlook and concluded there was “no other possible outcome”.<\/p>\n
Soon after, the club’s roadside sign was altered to read: “F*** you Norths. Liars. Save Bowlo.”<\/p>\n
The venue had been struggling financially following the COVID-19 lockdowns and the devastating 2022 Northern Rivers floods. Seeking stability, the board opted to merge with Norths Collective, which operates venues including The Greens North Sydney, The Verandah Beecroft and Seagulls at Tweed Heads.<\/p>\n
At the time, Norths pledged to invest at least $3.5 million over ten years, with plans for new pergolas, an events space and improved parking.<\/p>\n
But the merger faced opposition from a local group, Keep the Bowlo Local, which feared the takeover could lead to more poker machines or a future sell-off to developers. Despite their campaign, members ultimately voted 289 to 182 in favour of the amalgamation.<\/p>\n
Luke Simmons, who was Norths Collective CEO during the merger, left the organisation in July and was replaced by former Western Suburbs Leagues Club CEO Tony Mathew.<\/p>\n
The community previously raised several hundred thousand dollars in 2012 when the club closed its doors due to insolvency and reopened four months later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A COMMUNITY meeting will be held next week to discuss the future of Bangalow’s much-loved club, The Bowlo, following its abrupt closure. Details of the meeting are expected to be finalised after three members of the advisory group that formed when the club amalgamated with Sydney-based Norths Collective in 2022 met with representatives from the […]<\/p>\n