Letter to Richard Caborn MP

Dear Mr Caborn,

I am writing to you on behalf of Abbeyfield Bowling Club, situated in Burngreave Road Sheffield 3 area.

Our Bowling Green has not been in use in the year 2003 and we have now been informed we cannot play on the green in 2004.

Abbeyfield Bowling Club began in the year 1900 and has been park of Abbeyfield Park to the present day. As members we now feel however that we are totally ignored and have no say whatsover in what is happening to the green, which was ruined by youths playing football and riding bikes.

We have tried to be reasonable with these young people, accepting their need to play, and a few years ago gave them one of the the greens to use as a football pitch with goal posts. However, our other green was used as a football pitch and abused by bike riders during the winter of 2002, so we now have nowhere on which to play bowls. We are trying to desperatley to keep the members together. It is such a good way of keeping fit, and have been using a number of offers to play on other clubs' greens, but these are not available now.

Mr Paul Tankard, Parks Officer, has met with these young people, asking them what they want from their park, and what type of turf they would like on the football pitch. We are being totally ignored, and feel that all should have the right to use the park as equals, respecting each others uses.

We have for three years had meetings with Friends of Abbeyfield Park Committee, rangers etc, suggesting a fence around the bowling green to preserve it, but they say that their hands are tied.

To whom can we turn to listen and help save our bowling green? I enclose signatures of members petitioning and asking you to help us. Must we always have to give in to vandalism.

Winifred Bentley.