Aviva and Bowls England announce multi year partnership

Aviva and Bowls England have today announced a strategic multi-year partnership with the Insurance, Wealth & Retirement company becoming the Principal Partner to the governing body for lawn bowls in England.

The partnership will see the integration of Aviva in all levels of the sport from elite teams to grass roots clubs as they become the Principal Partner of the England National Teams, Title Partner in the Bowls England National and Regional Finals, as well as Official Partners to their grassroots and community initiatives, Bowls Bash and Bowls Big Weekend.

Aviva branding will feature on the England Team’s kits as they compete at the World Championships on the Gold Coast, Australia, following a record medal haul at Birmingham 2022. The team will play alongside the other top international bowls teams from 29^th August – 10^th September 2023.

The partnership will give support to the game and outline  Aviva’s commitment to supporting and building stronger communities across the UK.

Through the multi-faceted partnership, Aviva together with Bowls England, will showcase Aviva’s commitment to helping people feel more positive about their retirement as well as having a positive impact on physical, mental and financial wellbeing in later life.

The two organisations will collaborate on a number of marketing initiatives throughout the course of the agreement to help drive visibility of the game, encourage more people to try out or return to the sport and help foster and engage the sport’s inclusive club and community base.

In addition to naming rights, Aviva will receive a host of opportunities from branding across broadcast and events through to digital and social marketing exposure.

Doug Brown, CEO UK & Ireland Life, Aviva, said:

“We are thrilled to become part of the Bowls England family at an exciting time for the sport. At Aviva, we are committed to providing positive solutions to enable our customers and their communities to make the most of life. Through this partnership we are looking forward to helping enrich lives, connect communities and support the health of the sport for future generations.”

Jon Cockcroft, Chief Executive of Bowls England, said:

“We are very excited to be partnering with Aviva as we build a meaningful legacy from the home Commonwealth Games.  With its inherent inclusivity, we believe lawn bowls can unlock the joy and benefit of playing sport, improve our nation’s wellbeing and help build stronger local communities.  Our partnership with Aviva, a brand with great heritage and scale, will accelerate our plans to grow participation and deliver worthy investment into all levels of our game.”

-ENDS-

About  Bowls England

• Bowls England is the national governing body for lawn bowls, the format of the sport played in the Commonwealth Games.   Bowls is doable, sociable, vitalizing and mesmerizing.  For the latest brand video, take a look at All To Play For | Bowls - YouTube
• Bowls England’s mission is to promote and develop the sport of bowls across England so it enriches the lives of its participants, connects communities and is in good health for future generations.  In 2021, it launched its Fit for the Future strategy aimed at growing the game.  For more details, visit 'Fit For The Future' - Bowls England.
• BowlsEngland is made up of 35 County Associations and supports almost 2000 local bowls clubs.
• Bowls Bash is a new, short form of the game.  Lasting an hour and with more opportunities to score points, it is aimed at a social, casual audience.  www.bowlsengland.com/bowlsbash/
• Bowls’ Big Weekend is a national weekend where hundreds of bowls clubs run open days for new people to have a go.  This year’s event is taking place between Friday 26 and Monday 29 May.
• Bowls England’s National Finals is its annual flagship event taking place at Victoria Park, Leamington, the home of lawn bowls in England.  Over 17 days in August, 33 competitions reach their conclusion.

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