As part of the 2026/27 ESMBA registration process, all members will now be required to provide their date of birth.
This requirement was agreed at the ESMBA Annual General Meeting in July 2026, following recognition that the Association did not currently hold this information for its members.
The collection of date of birth information is an important part of strengthening the ESMBA’s safeguarding, membership and governance arrangements. It helps the Association accurately identify individuals, particularly where members have the same or similar names, supports appropriate communication with statutory agencies where required, and assists with the administration of age-related competitions.
We recognise that members may have questions about why this information is required and how it will be protected. Date of birth is personal data, but is not classified as special category data, and the ESMBA will handle and store the information securely, with access limited to authorised individuals where there is a legitimate need.
Clubs and Counties are therefore asked to ensure that members’ dates of birth are included as part of the 2026/27 registration information.
For a fuller explanation of the reasons for this requirement, including information from the Information Commissioner’s Office, Sport England, the Ann Craft Trust and the Bowls Development Alliance, please see: Why Date of Birth Information is Essential.
Clubs and Counties are also encouraged to share the accompanying member information Date of Birth/GDPR poster to help explain the change to their members.