JustGo — your questions answered

A plain-language guide to BowlsWales's new national register: what it is, why we're doing it now, and the answers to what you're most likely to ask before you register.

What is JustGo?

JustGo is BowlsWales's new national register — one place that records who's part of bowls in Wales, across every code of the game (lawn, indoor, crown green and short mat). It's provided by a company called Azolve Ltd, but BowlsWales stays in control of exactly what it's used for and who can see it.

Why now?

Sport Wales, who fund BowlsWales, require every governing body they support to show — with real evidence — who its members are, by January 2027. Bowls in Wales has never had that before: membership records live scattered across different clubs, in different formats, some still on paper. JustGo brings all of that together, properly, for the first time.

Why this really matters

If a safeguarding concern is ever raised in bowls — about a coach, an official, or anyone else involved in the sport — BowlsWales and your NGB need to be able to show clearly who was involved, when, and what checks were in place. Right now, without one central record, that simply isn't possible.

This isn't a hypothetical risk. Sport after sport has learned the hard way what happens without a single record of who's involved — it leaves everyone exposed: the sport, your club, your NGB, and individual members too. That includes situations where you might be the person affected by a concern, or asked to help look into one, and there's nothing on record to show you were ever part of the club at all.

Registering yourself is a small step that closes a real, serious gap — for your own protection as much as anyone else's.

Registering

Do I need to register myself, or will my club do it for me?

You register yourself, online, in about five minutes. Your club or county doesn't collect or submit anything on your behalf — there's no list-compiling exercise for anyone to worry about, and nothing to wait for.

I play more than one code — lawn and indoor, say. What happens to my data?

You get a single profile that lists everything you play — not a separate entry for each code. Each NGB can only see the part of your profile that relates to their own code, so there's no double-counting and no risk of one code seeing details from another.

And no, one person can't end up seeing your data across every code you play: whoever your NGB nominates to view membership data can only see that NGB's own members, even if they're personally involved in other codes themselves. BowlsWales controls who holds that role for each NGB, and can change it at any time.

I'm not that confident with a computer or smartphone — what do I do?

You're not expected to do this alone. Ask a friend, family member or fellow club member to sit with you — that's completely normal, and welcomed. BowlsWales' Chief Executive is also happy to visit clubs in person to help, though she's covering the whole of Wales on her own, so can't get everywhere. A step-by-step video walkthrough is being produced too.

I don't have an email address — can I still register?

Each account needs its own email address, so this is a genuine gap for some people. If this applies to you, let your club or NGB know — BowlsWales is working out a plan to support people in this situation, which may look a bit different depending on your code.

What happens if I'm under 18?

If your date of birth shows you're under 18, the form asks for a parent or guardian's details too. They can complete the registration for you, or if you carry on yourself, they'll be sent a copy of what's been submitted.

Is the January 2027 deadline realistic — isn't winter a quiet time for clubs?

There's no club-level task to complete, so it's less tight than it sounds. Registration is individual and takes about five minutes — you can do it whenever suits you, any time between now and January 2027.

What if I move clubs, or my details change later?

You can update your own profile any time. BowlsWales also sends an annual reminder to check everything's still accurate — so your record stays current without anyone having to redo it from scratch.

What happens to my account if I stop playing?

You'll get an annual reminder to confirm your details are still correct. If you're no longer involved in the sport, just get in touch and BowlsWales can close your account for you.

Your data and privacy

How secure is my data — what if JustGo gets hacked?

Your data is stored and processed in the UK by Azolve Ltd (who run JustGo), under a written agreement that limits exactly what they can do with it. Access is role-based: your NGB only sees its own members, and clubs and counties have no access to the platform at all. If a breach ever happened, there's a formal response process — including notifying the ICO within 72 hours where there's a risk to people, and telling affected individuals directly if that risk is high.

Who can actually see my information?

BowlsWales — full access, to run the national register.
Your NGB — view-only access to members in their own code, never other codes.
Clubs and counties — no access at all. They can't view or enter anything on JustGo.
Azolve Ltd (JustGo) — processes data only on BowlsWales's instructions, and never for their own purposes.

Why do you ask for my home address?

We ask every member for a home address, so it is a required part of registration. We use it to contact you by post when we need to, to understand where bowls is played across Wales so support can go where it's needed, and to help keep people safe if a safeguarding concern arises. It is never sold, and you can update it yourself in your JustGo profile at any time.

Are the equality monitoring questions really private?

Yes. Nobody — not BowlsWales, not your NGB — ever sees your individual answers, only aggregated totals like "20% of respondents...". If fewer than six people give the same answer to a question, that figure is hidden entirely so no one can be identified. You can also pick "prefer not to say" for any of these questions, or skip them altogether — it won't affect your membership.

Will my data ever be sold, or shared with sponsors?

No. BowlsWales will never sell your personal data to third parties for marketing or commercial purposes. If sponsor numbers are ever shared, it's headline totals only — like "50,000 people play bowls in Wales" — never names or personal details.

Does this change how DBS checks work?

No — DBS checks for coaches, officials and volunteers continue exactly as they do now, through Vibrant Nation via the Welsh Sports Association. JustGo simply helps BowlsWales confirm those checks are current. A DBS check is a snapshot from the day it's carried out — it can't show anything that happens after that date. That's a genuine limitation of DBS checks generally, not something JustGo changes. JustGo helps BowlsWales see who has a current DBS credential on file; it doesn't remove the need for clubs and NGBs to stay alert to concerns as they arise, whenever they arise.

What doesn't change

Does this affect my club membership, competitions, or insurance?

No. JustGo doesn't touch your insurance, competition entries, club access, or any payments you make to your club — all of that carries on exactly as it is. This is purely about BowlsWales holding one accurate national record.