PEEBLES Bowling Club is set to benefit from a £1.2m cash pot from sportscotland.

The club has been awarded £70,000 towards the cost of upgrading and extended its clubhouse from the Sport Facilities Fund.

It is one of 10 projects across Scotland to receive investment from sportscotland to develop their facilities or create a new home for sport and physical activity.

It sees much-needed funding for rural communities, areas of deprivation, and for projects designed to make sport more accessible and inclusive. The investment has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30 million each week for good causes across the UK.

The club has significantly increased its membership from 89 in 2016 to over 200 by 2023. The work on the clubhouse will allow the club to cater for a higher demand, changing rooms and toilets will be upgraded so they are more accessible and inclusive.

Peebles BC has worked closely with Bowls Scotland to become the first club in Scotland to achieve a gold level bowls-mark accreditation.

It maintains good links with schools and there are plans to increase taster sessions to help develop a junior section.

Chief executive of sportscotland Forbes Dunlop said: “It is inspiring to see the number of projects looking to improve opportunities for sport and physical activity in the latest round of Sport Facilities Funding.

“We know that sport and physical activity have an important role to play in bringing communities together and building resilience. Thanks to the continued commitment of our local partners more people will have an opportunity to become physically active and feel part of their local community.

“Peebles Bowling Cub has demonstrated a real commitment to ensuring that more people in the area will have an opportunity to become physically active and connected to their local community.”

Welcoming the investment, Miller Milloy, club secretary, said: “This development will ensure that Peebles Bowling Club is fit for the current generation of bowlers and will ensure that the sport continues to thrive in Peebles for years to come.”

The Sports Facilities Fund prioritises projects that widen access to participation or allow people to progress further within their chosen sport locally by removing barriers, particularly in rural areas or areas of deprivation, and for under-represented groups.

In addition to the investment, projects can benefit from the expertise within sportscotland’s facilities team to maximise the impact that their plans will have, ensuring they meet the needs of their local communities now and in the future.