Sports and Leisure
There are a variety of sports, social and leisure activities in the Parish. Some of the clubs and leisure activities available within the Parish, together with contact information where available, are listed under the relevant headings below. For any general enquiries about Sports and Leisure activities contact the Clerk to the Parish Council, to do this please go to the Contact Us tab above.
Leisure Activities
Allotments
Olveston Parish Allotment and Gardeners’ Association (known as OPAGA) has its own page on this website. For more information, please go to the ‘Our Parish’ tab above and click on ‘Allotments’ or you can click the quick link here.
Bridge
Olveston and District Bridge Club information currently being updated, more to follow.
Cribbage
Olveston Cribbage Club information currently being updated, more to follow.
Historical Society
Olveston Parish Historical Society was formed in 1966 to “promote interest in the history of Olveston and the surrounding areas and to collect and preserve documentary and photographic records”. The Society meets at the Methodist Church Hall, The Street, Olveston on the first Wednesday of each month from October to April, with visitors always very welcome at all the society’s meetings.
Parish Players
The Parish Players was formed in Olveston in 1980, originally a very active and successful drama group within Olveston and Tockington WI, the Players can trace its origins back to the 1960’s and currently stage their shows at the Parish Hall on Upper Tockington Road. For more information email: secretaryparishplayers@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page: OlvestonParishPlayers.
St Mary’s Tower Ringers and Handbell Ringers
St Mary’s has a fine ring of 8 Taylor bells cast in 1907. Their primary role is to ring the bells for any required services, particularly weddings. Alongside this The Bells of St Mary’s is a group of Hand Bell Ringers continuing a tradition in Olveston which started in 1969. Both groups welcome enquiries and are always keen to recruit new members. For more information, please visit the North Severnside Benefice website at https://www.revsrural.com/about/
St Mary’s Green Force
GREEN FORCE is a group from St Mary’s church that wants to make a positive difference to our beautiful planet by embracing green initiatives. They have been awarded the ARocha Bronze Eco Certificate and are working toward gaining a Silver Certificate Award for their continued environmental activities. For more information, please visit the North Severnside Benefice website at https://www.revsrural.com/about/
Women's Institute
Olveston & Tockington W.I. celebrated its Centenary in 2018 and is part of the Avon Federation of Women’s Institutes which was formed in 1975. The Federation is divided into several Groups with Olveston & Tockington WI part of the Severn Bridge Group. Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in Olveston Parish Hall at 7.30 p.m. Invited speakers talk about a wide range of topics from Health and Travel to Entertainment. The remaining evenings are taken up by purely social gatherings. Within the Institute, there are various smaller groups which take part in such activities as Skittles, Table Tennis, Craft Club and Book Group.
Sports Clubs and Activities
Archery
Tockington Archers is a small and friendly target archery club based in Tockington. The club welcomes archers of all levels from absolute beginners to the more experienced archer. For information about the club, have-a-go sessions, beginners’ courses or information about joining please email the club secretary at secretary@tockingtonarchers.co.uk or you can visit the website at https://tockingtonarchers.co.uk/
Bowls
Olveston & District Bowling Club is situated next to the Queen Alexandra Memorial Pavilion on Alveston Road Old Down. The bowling green was opened in July 1933 and the Club now has over 100 male and female members with two men’s and two ladies’ league teams. For information about the club and how to contact them, visit the website at https://bowlsolveston.co.uk/bowls
Cricket
Old Down Cricket Club is one of the oldest in the Bristol area having been formed as long ago as 1843. The Club plays at the Park Ground behind Queen Alexandra Memorial Pavilion on Alveston Road, Old Down. For information about the club, email enquiries@olddowncricketclub.co.uk or you can visit the website at https://olddown.play-cricket.com/home
Football
Olveston United Football Club was formed in 1926 and has been based at the Queen Alexnadra Memorial Pavilion since then. Over the years is has gone from strength to strength winning many amateur championship trophies. The club has grown in recent years to include both mens, ladies and junior teams. If you’d like more information about any of these teams or want to find out about future club fixtures, visit the website at https://www.olvestonunited.co.uk/
Netball
Olveston Netball Club was originally formed in 2010. The club has since been a huge success, joining the Avon Netball League in 2011 and entering three teams in divisions four, seven and nine in 2023. For more information about the club please visit the website at https://www.olvestonnetball.co.uk/
Tennis
Olveston and Tockington Tennis Club is a small friendly club situated next to the Parish Hall on Upper Tockington Road. The club has a number of men’s and ladies’ teams with some members in the local Avon LTA leagues. The facilities include two all-weather, painted tarmac courts which have recently been resurfaced and painted; they both have floodlights for evening play. In addition, there is a tarmac court, a practice wall and a small clubhouse. Tennis is played all year round. For more information about the club you can email ottctennis@hotmail.com or visit the website at https://www.ottctennis.co.uk/
Youth Clubs and Activities
Girlguiding
Being a girl guide is all about learning new skills, making decisions and having fun. Guiding provides a safe environment to explore new possibilities and achieve personal goals while making friends and having adventures. Groups include Rainbows (age 4 – 7), Brownies (age 7 – 10), Guides (age 10 – 14) and Senior Section, for young women from 14 to 26 to participate in a programme known as Look Wider. Meetings take place at the 1st Olveston Scout Group hut at the top of Old Down Hill, Tockington. For more information, email: olvestonguides@yahoo.co.uk or visit the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Girlguiding website at: https://www.girlguidingbsg.org.uk/
Scouts
1st Olveston Scout Group, founded in 1914. Scouting offers young people a safe space to develop their independence, putting incrementally learnt skills into practice while at regular meetings, camps and even while taking part in organised international trips. 1st Olveston Scout Group is part of Cotswold Edge District (made up of 18 Scout Groups, 7 Explorer Units and 1 Young Leader Explorer Unit), it is divided into three Sections: Beaver Scouts (age 6–8), Cub Scouts (age 8 – 10½) and Scouts (age 10½ – 14). Meetings take place at the 1st Olveston Scout Group hut at the top of Old Down Hill, Tockington. For more information, visit the Scouts Cotswold Edge website at https://cesd.org.uk/ or the Scout Avon District website at https://www.avonscouts.org.uk/
Young Farmers
Olveston Young Farmers is a member of the Gloucestershire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs and is part of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. It is led by young people, for young people, Young Farmers is an organisation that provides young people between the ages of 10 – 28 with fun, learning and achievement opportunities. It is a club for individuals who have a love for agriculture or rural life. One of the common misconceptions of Young Farmers is that you have to be a farmer to take part; you definitely don’t! Olveston Young Farmers meets on Monday evenings, 7.30pm at Rockhampton Village Hall, Berkley. For more information go to Facebook: Olveston Young Farmers; Instagram: @olveston-yfc or visit the Gloucestershire Young Farmers Website at https://www.gloucestershireyfc.co.uk/olveston/