It was a feeling of deja vu (and not the good kind) for the Bangalow community as word spread around the village on Friday 24 October that the beloved Bowling Club had closed, effective immediately.
Over 80 people gathered at the Moller Pavilion, Bangalow at short notice to have a say, ask questions and volunteer in many capacities for essential roles to ensure the community has the best chance of retaining ownership of the club. The session was chaired by Councillor Asren Pugh, and myself, Sally Schofield, as a concerned community member and communications professional.
Now, for those playing at home, this is not the first time the club has been threatened with closure.
Some say in the past 20 years there’s been a few close calls, the last resulting in a highly contentious ‘bail out’ via amalgamation with Sydney-based Norths Collective.
Norths’ commercial formula is the acquisition of ailing businesses with the view of breathing life back into licensed establishments. In their words: “We are in the business of running clubs – and making them better by embedding them within their local community and with the local sports clubs.”[1]
The amalgamation was proposed in 2022 including a Memorandum of Understanding that was edited and revised between Norths and the then Board of the now defunct Bangalow Bowling Club. Norths proudly promoted this agreement as “creating a clear path forward for the Bowlo to be financially secure well into the future.”[2]
Pre-amalgamation, Norths made a compelling pitch to the local community that they were in a position both financially and professionally to restore the club to optimal operation, as soon as three months following the MoU.
So, the sports clubs, members and the wider community were stunned by the sudden closure of the club which came without warning. The closure also cited several reasons why the venue had ceased trading, the number one being the state of the building (which Norths had pledged to fix as part of the deal).
At the impromptu meeting, community members formed tables of knowledge and expertise, and quickly established key areas of concern and strategic opportunities for ways forward.
Naturally, the legal table committed to scrutinising the MoU with the assistance of a barrister should the need arise for further action.
A hospitality table joined forces, pooling their decades worth of experience for revamping the food and drink side of things, while an entertainment and events group scoped out potential streams for supporting the club via live events, and fundraising.
The building and construction table were particularly productive, organising an independent building report to confirm (or not) the safety of the building, cited by Norths as the primary reason for immediate closure.
A team of business and finance specialists explored ideas about what was publicly perceived to have gone wrong with the Norths operation (in the absence of any financial reports relating to the Bowlo), and a detailed checklist of points to review was drawn up.
A table of sports club representatives shared their views on the situation and emphasises the importance of the sponsorship money owed by Norths (and promised in the MoU) much of which is still outstanding.
Finally, the communications and marketing table made extensive plans for local, national and wider coverage of the sudden closure of the Club and the lack of clarity around the stated reasons. A media plan has been drawn up focusing on social media, crowd funding, radio and television interviews to raise public awareness for the efforts of a small group of Bangalow folk trying to take on a financial-focused Sydney based consortium.
Whats App groups and group emails have popped up, and regular meetings called to ensure the tables of knowledge (and new recruits) are connecting meaningfully with one another and all working in the same direction. It’s heartwarming to see.
There is still plenty to be done. The first step is the Save Bangalow Bowlo group creating a new Advisory Committee (which then needs to be introduced to Norths via the current Bangalow Advisory Committee) who, after Norths approval, will then be permitted to communicate directly with Norths on this matter, but under the strictest confidence.
It was delightful to see the number of eligible community members who came forward to volunteer for these positions, and it can only be hoped that Norths Collective approves these nominations swiftly so that the next stage of negotiation can continue.
Norths Collective issued an alarmingly short time frame for a community response of 28 days (some say ‘one month’, another sticking point in negotiations), so the Save Bangalow Bowlo group is working around, and against, the clock to get new representatives for the Advisory Committee in place in order to continue discussions.
The clubs aren’t happy, the players aren’t happy, the patrons aren’t happy and the rest of the community is wondering what the hell is going on. The Save Bangalow Bowlo group is trying to get to the bottom of it and they will need your support in many ways to do this over a very, very short period of time.
If you can assist with a significant financial contribution, now’s the time to speak up – email savebangalowbowlo@gmail.com for a confidential discussion.
Community members with expertise in any of the areas mentioned above, a willingness for working bees (yes, here we go again, thanks Norths), or ideas for fundraising, donations of products, services and supplies – Save Bangalow Bowlo is also calling on you, so get in touch savebangalowbowlo@gmail.com
Everyone else invested in keeping the community asset in community hands, rest assured your opinions matter. You will soon be invited to express your hopes and fears for the Club via an online form, as well as advising ways in which you might be involved in the Save Bangalow Bowlo group but in the meantime, email savebangalowbowlo@gmail.com with any comments or insights you have.
The issue of amalgamation with Norths tore the village in two back in ’22. It’s heartwarming to see that we are once again united with the common goal of returning this essential community asset back to the hands of the people of Bangalow.
Sally Schofield
[1] Norths Collective website (https://northscollective.com.au/bangalowbowlo/), accessed 4/11/2025
[2] Ibid.
READ MORE
Sudden closure sparks community action
(25 October 2025)
Norths goes south
(24 October 2025)
Norths grilled over delays on Bowlo promises
(24 May 2025)