HOLLYWOOD Bowl, which has a site in Bradford, is just one of many industry voices urging the government to get Britain back bowling immediately or risk industry job losses and business closures.
More than 8,000 people, many currently on furlough, work in the ten-pin bowling industry across the UK but despite industry-wide adherence to government social distancing and Covid-19 secure guidelines, the doors remain closed at its sites including at Bradford’s Leisure Exchange.
Hollywood Bowl, together with the Ten Pin Bowling Proprietors Association (TBPA), UKHospitality and other bowling business owners, are urging the government to reconsider their position before it causes critical damage to the industry.
Hollywood Bowl, like other ten-pin bowling businesses, had already implemented extensive government guidelines, for the hospitality and leisure sectors, to ensure centres were safe and ready to welcome back customers.
But, while other indoor hospitality and attractions flung open their doors on July 4, the bowling sector is yet to be given government permission to open in England.
Stephen Burns, chief executive at Hollywood Bowl Group, the UK’s biggest operator of ten-pin bowling centres with 1,900 employees said: “Ten-pin bowling is a sector that is ready to operate in a Covid-19 secure manner.
“We have worked incredibly hard to ensure we are adhering to the operational protocols around social distancing policies, capacity management and sanitisation and are more than ready to welcome back friends and families to enjoy themselves in a fun and safe environment within our spacious centres.”
In 2019, the industry’s value to the UK economy was £310 million.
At the heart of the community, ten-pin bowling centres are often anchor tenants in larger leisure and retail parks, meaning they also boost other businesses such as nearby shops and casual-dining restaurants.
Ten-pin bowling centres also have other positive factors in their favour, which has left many confused as to why they have been left behind in the recent reopening of other leisure and hospitality destinations. Centres are well-ventilated, large, open spaces meaning they can be easily adapted for social distancing. Hollywood Bowl centres, as an example, average around 29,000 sq. ft in size. Whilst bowling balls are made of low-risk material, being non-porous and easy to sanitise between games.
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