Category: News

• Advantage GC
  As you may recall it was agreed at the Federation AGM last November that we would move to Advantage GC for the Handicap League this year.  It was also agreed that the Federation would provide some training for this new system before the season got underway.

  The Croquet Academy and South East Croquet Federation are proud to present Understanding GC Advantage Play by Roy Tillcock, a Zoom webinar on 31st January at 5:30pm
  – The CA have adopted GC Advantage Play for the 2023 season
  – GC All England Handicap will be played in this format
  – The SECF voted to use this variant of GC handicap play for its league competitions and a number of Clubs in the Federation are proposing playing Advantage tournaments

  So who better than Roy Tillcock to lead us through the correct approach to both organising and playing GC Advantage. It was Roy who masterminded the system and has spearheaded trials over the last two seasons

  It is strongly recommended that Club representatives, Team Captains, Managers and Players take some time to familiarise themselves with the requirements of Advantage Play

  If you would like to attend the session – which will be recorded – send and email to Richard Carline at hoopnmallet@gmail.com to reserve a place. Book your place now as they may be limited.

• The Croquet Association is running a series of Webinars for Clubs on various topics during the next few months.
  The first session will be on January 25th on ‘Crowd Funding for Clubs’.

  Further details can be found by following this link: https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=8019&pup=y

• All tournament dates for SECF events have now been announced, apart from the Short Croquet which is some time in October.
  It’s probable that the AC Teams will switch from 6th/7th May to 7th/8th May because of the Coronation.

The minutes for the 2022 AGM held in November, together with the various reports by the Officers can be seen on the AGM page.

Our Secretary, Louise Taylor, has resigned and so we need a replacement. Please speak to our Chairman, Andrew Stewart, if you’re interested in volunteering and want to know more.

(It’s not a terribly onerous role, but you do need to know how to use email, Zoom and take/create minutes.)

Andrew Fall from Compton has produced some scoresheets for the three Golf leagues which may be helpful to you in organising matches.

These are available here: League Results Submission

We’re pleased to be able to let you know that the Sydenham club, having had to move from the Sydenham Lawn Tennis club, are now in the process of re-locating over the Bank Holiday weekend. Their new location is Mayow Park, Sydenham SE26 4JA. Locals are already organising taster sessions.

Register your Club for 2022

If you have not already done so please register you club for another year of Federation membership and enter the leagues and tournaments for 2022.  Follow this link https://southeastcroquetfederation.org.uk/1674644977408/annual-registration/ . Payment for annual membership and entry fees should be made immediately via bank transfer to the our bank account at 77-63-04 Account number 74029768 for the South East Croquet Federation.  If you want help or advice email info@southeastcroquet.org.uk

Please submit your registration form by 31st March 2022.

Please Complete the Croquet Association Survey

The Croquet Association has conducted an anonymous survey of croquet players every 5 years since 2002. The 2022 survey commences on Tuesday 22nd March and will be open until Friday 22nd April.

They would like to hear from ALL croquet players. Whether you are a social player or an international star, a teenager or a nonagenarian, no matter how long you have been playing, what version of the game you play or where you live, you are an essential part of the whole croquet scene. YOU matter when it comes to shaping the future of our sport, so they are really keen that you take part in this survey.

WHY ARE THEY CONDUCTING THIS SURVEY?

The information you provide will help them to better understand the needs and wishes of existing members; to promote croquet more effectively across our communities; to guide initiatives such as attracting younger players; and to help with advertising, sponsorship and funding applications. It will also provide valuable information to clubs and Federations and give a baseline so that we will be able to assess the effectiveness of strategies in future.

Please be assured that all your answers are anonymous. The data will only be used for statistical analysis and it will not be possible to trace it back to you.

If you would like some further details about the survey or some of the questions in it, then please have a look at Frequently Asked Questions

The survey can be completed on a PC, laptop or tablet (iPad). It is also compatible with a smartphone although a larger screen will make it a little easier to navigate. Please set aside about 25 minutes to complete the survey and when you are ready to begin, click on this link 2022 Survey of Croquet Players. You will see some straight-forward instructions at the beginning.

If you, or anyone else you know, cannot complete this survey on-line, then please contact the CA Office, Tel. 01242 242318 to request a paper version.

Finally, by completing the survey there is a chance for you or your club to win one of four £150 vouchers for the CA shop.

The upsurge in interest we have seen in our sport through the pandemic and the changes we see across society mean this is a particularly important time for croquet.

Don’t forget The Croquet Association is running a competition with a prize pot of £3000 to encourage Clubs to come up with initiatives to make them more welcoming to new members particularly those from diverse backgrounds.  Please see attached letter for full details as to how to enter.

The Federation’s Publicity Officer, Jonathan Isaacs, is more than happy to help Clubs with ideas as to how to market themselves better particularly with a view to attracting new members.  Please email him at publicity@southeastcroquet.org.uk