There are plenty of perks! Members can easily check rink availability and book their spot right from home, a tablet, or their phone—no need to call or drop by the club. Since the system is cloud-based, the schedule is always up-to-date, so you don’t have to worry about lost or misplaced paper diaries. Plus, automatic confirmation and reminder emails help cut down on double bookings or mix-ups. It also makes things smoother for the Playing Committee: less manual tracking, simpler record-keeping, and fewer phone calls to handle bookings or inquiries. Best of all, it’s transparent—members can see which sessions are booked or free, making it easier to plan practice or roll-ups.

Not at all — we totally get that our members have all kinds of IT skills, so we’re putting some special support in place to help out. We’ll be setting up a “buddy” system where each volunteer “buddy” will spend time one-on-one with a less-experienced member to walk them through logging in, registering, booking, and more. We’ll also have a few super-users—members who know the system well—leading group training or quick sessions (like after a roll-up or during a social time) to cover the basics. And if you don’t have a personal email or aren’t comfy using a device, we anticipate your “buddy” will be happy to make bookings for you.

We’ve got that covered. If you don’t have an email address, we anticipate that your “buddy” can make bookings on your behalf. Over time, we encourage members to try using the system themselves (even if it’s just once or twice), but don’t worry—no one will be pushed into anything they’re not comfortable with.

Registering is really simple! Just provide:

• first name
• last name
• email
• password

Once you’ve submitted the online registration form, the administrator will verify that you’re a paid Full (Bowling) Member and approve your registration. Then, you’ll get a confirmation email.

You can edit or delete your booking anytime, but only you or the administrator have the access to make changes.

If you create a “provisional” booking (like suggesting two or three possible dates), the system might automatically cancel the unused options after a certain period (for example, 24 hours) to free up spots for other members.

We’ll set a club policy soon about when cancellations are allowed and how far ahead changes need to be made, so everyone gets a fair chance. We’ll share the details with you shortly.

The way specific rinks are assigned stays the same as with the current paper booking system. You can book how many rinks you want to use, but not the exact rink numbers. Usually, rink allocation happens “on the day.”

In short, yes. We will not be running an online system and paper system in parallel. However, for convenience the Fixtures Secretary may choose to continue arranging the season’s fixtures on paper or computer, in part because we will still be printing a fixtures booklet, but the Home fixtures will be uploaded “en masse” by the administrator before the start of the season. Members will not be able to make their own bookings until this has been completed. 

No, we anticipate that the vast majority of members will book rinks on their own devices, and that the “buddy” system will cater for those who can’t. 

The booking system works best on desktop computers, laptops, and tablets using Windows, iOS (Apple), or Android operating systems. These devices provide an optimal browsing experience, ensuring smooth navigation and easy access to all features.

While the system may also function on smartphones, the experience can vary depending on the size of your screen. Smaller screens might make it a bit more challenging to view and interact with the booking interface comfortably. For the best results, we recommend using devices with larger displays whenever possible.

Of course! Here’s the support we’ll offer:

• How-To videos from the software provider. 
• Launch event: we’ll walk you through the system, give you some handy tips, and be ready to answer all your questions!
• Super-user sessions: we’ll set up quick group meetups (maybe after a roll-up or social event) where super-users show you the ropes and answer any questions—you can count on them as your go-to helpers.
• If you need a bit more help, our “buddy” system pairs you with someone who can assist with registration, login, and booking—or you can volunteer to be a buddy yourself!

Yes — one of the strengths of the online system is that you can access it 24 hours a day, anywhere you have an internet connection (home, mobile, tablet). If you’re away and know you’ll be back for a session, you can book in advance (subject to the club’s booking rules). The system is available remotely, so you don’t have to wait until you get to the club.

We’ll make sure the booking system is set up to handle all kinds of activities: practice, roll-ups, social sessions, league or club matches, and more. Once the system is up and running, we’ll guide you through a simple “how to book for roll-up/practice” tutorial, so you’ll know exactly how to book for casual play versus competitive matches. We’ll also set and share the club’s rules for using the diary during internal competitions to keep county and league matches, friendly games, and roll-ups from overlapping, and we’ll assign specific sessions if needed.

Our online booking system mostly follows the same “rules” as the current paper system—like when bookings open, how far in advance you can book, limits on repeat bookings, and so on. The great news is it shows availability in real time, making things easier! You can even make provisional bookings to hold a few slots, then confirm one and release the rest. If demand gets really high, we might introduce rules like “first come, first served” or “book up to X weeks ahead,” and we’ll make sure to share those updates with you.

Yes, booking (or not) for roll-ups or casual play stays the same, as long as a rink is free and the booking slot is open. Just be sure to check the system ahead of time to see what's available.