On Sunday 2 August, we celebrated 20 years of North Leeds Bowling Club’s Over 90s Crown Green Bowling Competition – and the tenth anniversary of Westward Care sponsoring the competition – with a historic first for the event.

This year, there were 19 competitors, with the eldest male competitor being 99 and the most senior female competitor being 98. While every player gave their all, we had our first female winner in the 20 years of the competition, with Joan Coop (94) from Westroyd Bowling Club in Farsley being crowned the overall winner of the 2026 competition. Lewis Wainwright (92) from Boston Spa came runner-up.

To mark her win, Joan received £50 and a small memento trophy, while her name will be engraved on the rose bowl which will be on display at North Leeds Bowling Club. Lewis was also awarded a memento trophy, along with a £30 prize. No contestant went empty-handed, however, with semi-finalists receiving £15 each and every other player taking home £5.

At the 2026 edition of the Over 90s Bowling Competition, there were more spectators than ever – and not just at the ground itself. With an ITV camera crew present on the day, footage of the competition and its participants later appeared on ITV News Calendar, bringing the Competition to a wider audience than ever before.

Westward Care’s relationship with the Over 90s Crown Green Bowling Competition began after Tony Stone, a former Westward Care apartment owner and keen bowler, asked the organisation to support the competition when he moved in. A decade later, that personal connection has grown into a long-standing partnership with one of Leeds’ most uplifting sporting events.

Westward Care Managing Director Peter Hodkinson said of this year’s event: “We are incredibly proud to be sponsoring this competition for the tenth year. We believe organisations like ours have a role to play in helping communities to remain inclusive, connected and welcoming for people of every age.

“The competition also reflects something at the heart of our work: supporting older people to live active, independent and fulfilling lives. Staying physically active, socially engaged and connected to others can make such a positive difference in later life. These remarkable competitors demonstrate that age is no barrier to ambition, friendship or a healthy competitive spirit.”