CHICHESTER'S NEW CLUBHOUSE By Eve Fuller
Players celebrated the realisa7on of a six‐year dream when their new clubhouse was opened by the Chair of Chichester District Council, Clare Apel, on Friday (May 30). The old former stable, that Chichester and Fishbourne Croquet Club members had been using, has now been replaced with a smart, fit‐for‐purpose new premises, complete with running water and electricity, at their home lawns at Fishbourne Playing Fields. Substan7al grants towards the £40,000 costs were awarded by the Council, through the Government’s Prosperity Fund; by Croquet England, the sport’s governing body; Sport England; plus a welcome contribu7on from Croquet South East Federa7on. Guests included representa7ves of organisa7ons and individuals who have supported the project. Among them was a VIP in the croquet world, Richard Carline, coaching director of the SE Federa7on’s “Croquet Academy” at Southwick, a World Championship referee and Croquet England’s Coach of the year. He shared with the gathering how inspired he was by the enthusiasm shown by croquet players throughout the region. Coun.Clare also added that council were delighted to support this type of valuable community project. Also present at the opening were Leader of the District Council Adrian Moss; ward councillors Richard Bates and Stephen Johnson; chairman of the Fishbourne Playing Fields Associa7on Kevin Carter; and members of the Fishbourne Centre’s management team. Before cu9ng of the ribbon to the clubhouse to announce it officially open, club chairman David Russell shared the following with members and guests: “Six years ago, just before Covid, a new clubhouse was a pipe dream, having used an old ex‐stable with no windows – or water or electricity – for over 25 years. “Then came Covid, but its effect was an unexpected plus for us. Our membership doubled, resul7ng in an improvement in our finances and three years ago our new clubhouse became an ambi7on. And now, here we are with the completed project.” He went on to add, it would not have possible without the help and support of the commi8ee and, in par7cular, the project leader John Effingham, and club coach Tony Elkin, who had spent many hours dealing with a myriad of problems and decisions. The club was originally formed in 1987 and members played in Priory Park, Chichester, which proved an unsa7sfactory venue as park users would walk through their games! Within a decade they had found their new home at Fishbourne, with two lawns dedicated to their sport.
The Chair of Chichester District Council Clare Apel prac0ses hooping Image by Tony Elkin
Now there are more than 70 members with players of a wide range of ability, from complete beginners to those with very low handicaps. Two years ago, the club won the regional league and reached the final of a na7onal tournament. Training sessions are available with a dedicated Grade 1 coach. Three “members only” sessions are held each week, and one morning a week is dedicated to running games for U3A groups. The remaining 7me is available for members to book using an on‐line diary system. Members undertake all the vital jobs themselves thereby keeping the cost of membership down – like cu9ng the hedges, mowing the lawns, dealing with weed control and white lines, housekeeping and generally tackling any task they can.
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