One of Wales’s oldest crown green bowling clubs has landed a sponsorship deal to help it into its second century.

Rhyl’s East Parade club, which traces its history back more than 100 years, is now being backed by one of Wales’s biggest storage companies, Lock Stock Self-Storage who have a container storage park in the town.

The backing from the Denbigh-based business will go towards training qualified coaches and the upkeep of the facilities on the seafront where the club runs three greens owned by Denbighshire County Council.

Members reckon it was the first club formed in the town and it still runs seven teams playing in three leagues and has more than 70 members.

One of them is chairman Don Cornes who said: “The Council have been brilliant with us and very helpful and in return we look after the two public greens here and collect and keep the money.

“We’ve got great people here and we’re all working hard to improve the club but it is also important for clubs like ours to attract other funding and we’re very grateful to Lock Stock for their support.

“It is a challenge to keep the greens in good condition so close to the sea because the wind whips the sand up across the greens but we work hard and we’re always looking for new members

Lock Stock’s Rhyl manager Craig Morris said: “We called at the club and asked if there was anything we could do to help them and if we could put some advertising there and in return we’d sponsor them.

“I was so impressed with what they have been doing and the fantastic facilities they have and hopefully our support will help them introduce local youngsters to the game and ensure that the club goes from strength to strength.”

Lock Stock Self-Storage also support Johnstown Bowling Club in Wrexham and sponsor a range of local organisations and causes across North Wales.

They were launched in Denbigh in 1999 by brothers Nick and Shon Powell and Nick said: “We are always looking to diversify and to react to the market. The business started because we reacted to a demand and it has grown in response to demand.

“We are always looking at ways we can diversify and maximise the resources we have – you can’t afford to stand still in business.”

Lock Stock now has 2,900 containers at 18 sites across North and Mid Wales and the Border Counties and as well as offering units to hire on their sites they sell a range of used and new containers delivered by their specialist lorry – they also sell fireworks at Chester, Rhyl and Llandudno and on-line.

Their existing sites stretch from Bangor along the North Wales coast at Llandudno and Rhyl, on the Dee at Flint and Chester and inland at Denbigh, Mold, Wrexham and Newtown in Powys, and at Oswestry and Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

For more information on Lock Stock go to http://www.lockstock.biz/