... THE NORTHERN TOUR
This edition also reflects on a truly inspiring northern tour that I was fortunate to undertake with Alison Maugham, our Marketing, Communications and Partnerships Lead. The journey gave us the chance to visit clubs, meet volunteers, hear directly from members, and see first- hand the impact croquet is having in different communities. It was a reminder that while every club has its own character, history, and local strengths, they are united by a shared commitment to giving people great experiences through our sport. On our first day we visited Driffield Croquet Club where Mike and his partner Lesley introduced us to some of their members. Mike uses a wheelchair when playing and is trailblazing with regards to adapting his wheelchair. This enables Mike to access the lawns, cause no damage, and fully participate in the sport. Mike invited a local journalist down to the club and he achieved some great coverage of our visit and the progressive nature of Mike’s approach in the local paper. At the conclusion of our visit to Driffield we belatedly realised we were going to be close to York Croquet Club and the Northern Academy. Thanks to a quick response from John Harris, a few club members dropped down to the lawns and took us on at a game of Association Croquet. It was a beautiful
Image above: Back page Driffieldwoldsweekly Image below left: York Croquet Club and Northern Croquet Academy
setting with the beautiful sound of park life on a beautiful summers evening. At Pendle and Craven Croquet Club, we saw one of the most moving examples of croquet’s potential to support wellbeing. The club’s special project, developed by Ian Longstaff collaboratively with the local social prescribing team, is creating a new community for people facing significant health and life challenges, Continued on page 6
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