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Public Pay and Play Croquet at your Club

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Saturday 13th March 2021 – More People: Pay and Play sessions (Duncan Catterall & Annabel McDiarmid)

Croquet clubs have a unique opportunity to boost their visibility, promote croquet and gain potential members, by opening their doors for public Pay and Play sessions.

CA Marketing & Communications Team encourage you and your club to set up regular Pay and Play sessions, and will offer tips on scheduling and advertising these sessions virtually (the Covid-19 secure way), as well as some thoughts on overseeing public sessions.

  • Why run ‘Pay and Play’ sessions; the Pay and Play model
  • Managing bookings and taking payments using Eventbrite – practical walkthrough
  • Extracting data from Eventbrite for follow-up marketing and membership drives
  • Marketing your Pay and Play sessions without spending money – virtual options
  • Practical tips for managing and overseeing Pay and Play sessions
  • Q&A

Duncan Catterall is the founder of Croquet & Cocktails, a croquet-themed event company with a storming social media presence. An architect at Fosters + Partners with an eye for design, he was previously Events Manager at Academy Music Group, responsible for booking and promoting major music acts across London’s O2 venues. Duncan is a rapid improver, having won the 2020 GC C-Level series, and plays at High Wycombe and Surbiton.

Annabel McDiarmid is the CA’s Commercial Events Manager, coordinating and staffing corporate croquet bookings across the country. A leading female croquet player who has won the AC Women’s Championship and Mixed Doubles Championship, she is a regular on the AC tournament circuit and plays at Woking.

Details: Saturday 13th March 2021, 9:30-11:00am.

Please sign up on Eventbrite by 5pm (BST) on Thursday 11th March to reserve your place.

The webinar will be held on Zoom and broadcast live on YouTube. Meeting details (how to join the webinar) will be shared with registered attendees on Friday 12th March.

Start to Play again on 29th March

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CA Guidance – Ian Vincent – 24th February (CA Official News)

The Croquet Association’s task force has reviewed the COVID-19 response for England published by HM Government on 22nd February and has kept in touch with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the Sport & Recreation Alliance. It appears that national governing bodies of sports are being allowed greater latitude to set guidelines appropriate for their individual sports, within the overall framework of the national restrictions.

In broad outline, our guidance is that, subject to the four tests mentioned in that document and confirmation of the actual dates:

Step 1a, before 29th March:

  • Clubs must not open for play, but maintenance can continue.

Step 1b, from 29th March:

  • Clubs may open for outdoor play.
  • Clubhouses or pavilions may only be used for access to toilets and equipment.
  • Social distancing requirements must be met.
  • Except for organised events as described below, no more than six people (or people from no more than two households, if greater) may occupy a full-sized court. Guidance for smaller courts will follow.
  • The limit on the number of people does not apply to formally organised play or coaching. An event is regarded as organised activity if it has been publicised in advance and is run under the direction of a manager/organiser who is present and responsible for ensuring that it is conducted in a COVID-19 secure manner.
  • Overnight stays are not permitted and travel will still be limited. Any tournaments or other organised events will therefore have to be for local players only. No catering or bar facilities are permitted.
  • Within these guidelines, outdoor (and Zoom), but not indoor, coaching, and local tournaments can take place.

Guidance for later steps will be added in due course. Changes which are expected to come into place at these times include:

Step 2, from no earlier than 12th April. As Step 1b, except that:

  • Self-contained accommodation will be available, but only for single households.
  • Travel restrictions are eased, but travel should still be minimised.
  • Outdoor catering and drinks are permitted, but only with table service.

Step 3, from no earlier than 17th May:

  • Most restrictions affecting playing, coaching and tournaments are expected to be lifted.

More detailed guidance, for players, clubs and tournament organisers, will be issued in the coming days. A meeting specifically to discuss the effect on the fixtures calendar has been scheduled.

Please address any queries to the Hon. Secretary, Ian Vincent.

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Webmaster – Tony Thomas (tony@croquetnw.co.uk)