Bobby dazzler of an opening for Stowmarket's new community darts venture
Business duo Stuart Huggins and Darren Moyes hope the new attraction, featuring 6 bookable darts lanes, darts retail area and coaching space, will take flight – particularly at a time when the sport is booming.
The Bull Room is also the first new venture supported by the Stowmarket Town Centre Gateway Fund – with the fund now reopening for new bids from future potential businesses.
The Stowmarket Town Centre Gateway Fund is an initiative by Mid Suffolk District Council, delivered in partnership with Stowmarket Town Council, to enhance the town centre by supporting empty units back into use.
Some £125k in matched funding was awarded to the venture, thanks to income from the council’s investment in Gateway 14 – the business, innovation and logistics park on the edge of the town.
The result is the transformation of the former Stannards store in Tavern Street into an accessible community darts hub, offering everything from darts equipment and accessories to coaching sessions and pay-and-play lanes.
So, while darts legend Bobby ‘King of Bling’ George tried out the hi-tech ‘Dartsee’ lanes – with automatic scoring system and state-of-the-art computer vision technology – local dignitaries, including representatives from Mid Suffolk District Council, Stowmarket Town Council and Gateway 14 Ltd had the chance to ‘check out’ the venue and find out more from its owners.
Stuart and Darren, who also run the Stowmarket Youth Darts Development School, say their focus is on creating an accessible space for players of all ages and abilities.
“Our vision is to for the Bull Room to be an accessible one-stop shop for anything darts related, offering facilities for hosting tournaments, community events, individual and team coaching and private functions.
“We also hope to help fill a gap for young players in the town who may struggle to access traditional venues, like pubs, without being accompanied by an adult.
"At the end of the day, Darren and I have lived in Stowmarket all our lives and we want to see it thrive again. The future of this town is in the hands of the next generation, so offering them a safe and fun environment like this can only be a good thing. We’re very grateful to everyone for the help we’ve received.”
“I’ve followed the journey of the Stowmarket Youth Development Darts School from some of its first sessions, so I am delighted to see it evolve into this wider community venture and to help turn the vision into a reality through our investment into the regeneration of the town centre.
“On behalf of Mid Suffolk District Council and our partners, Stowmarket Town Council and Gateway 14 Ltd, I wish Stuart and Darren the very best of luck and urge any other potential new ventures to apply for support through the Stowmarket Town Centre Gateway Fund now.”
The second round of the Stowmarket Town Council Gateway Fund opened on December 1 and is looking to help more new businesses, pop-ups and ventures looking to launch their first store or space. Applications should be received by January 23. Find out more on the Mid Suffolk District Council website.
