Croquet England is looking for new trustees

[<<] [>>] by Gabrielle Higgins
27th May (CqE Official News)

Would you like to use your skills and experience to develop the sport of Croquet? If so, have you considered serving as a trustee? If you are a member of Croquet England in one of the four constituencies with vacancies for elected trustees this year (the Central Counties and Wales, the Eastern Counties, the South West Counties and the Weald Counties), look out for the details of how to stand for election coming soon. Meanwhile, the existing trustees are also looking to appoint additional Independent Non-Executive Trustees.

About Us: Croquet England, the governing body of the sport of Croquet, is looking for 2 enthusiastic and skilled individuals to join our Board of Trustees. Croquet is a great sport with a fascinating heritage, that is played in England by roughly 10,000 players across more than 200 clubs.

Croquet England has a small operating budget of around £200k a year so much of the work of running competitions, selecting the national team, coaching, publication of the Croquet Gazette magazine, and developing the sport is done through committees of hard-working volunteers.

After over a century of croquet being governed by an unincorporated association, Croquet England was incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2023 and started operating in 2024, with the elected Council members of the previous association as the first trustees. In future half the trustees will be elected by the voting membership, and half will be appointed. As we work towards meeting the standards of Tier 3 of the Code for Sports Governance, we seek to make our first appointments to help us build on the successful first year of operation and to progress our strategy, aimed at getting More People playing More Croquet in More Places.

Our Vision: We aim to increase club membership and participation in tournaments and develop future talent pipelines to retain our existing world titles and win more. The average age of our players is steadily increasing and we want to reverse that trend and recruit younger and more diverse players. We would love to recruit new Trustees who can help us meet with these goals.

The Role: The Board of Trustees meets 7 times a year online and once a year in person in London. The time commitment is around 15 days pa but could be more if you become involved in project work. It is unpaid, with specific expenses covered.

We are particularly interested in individuals with experience in:

• Governance in other sports
• Developing and implementing diversity and inclusion strategies
• Fundraising, or safeguarding

Our Commitment: We value diversity, equality, and inclusion and strive to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all volunteers and employees. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are particularly interested in hearing from women, younger applicants, and those from different cultural heritages.

How to Apply: To apply, send your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in the role and your relevant experience and skills to the Secretary, gabrielle.higgins#croquetengland.org.uk.

• Closing Date: 12 July 2025
• Interviews: by Microsoft Teams on an agreed date, followed by a face-to-face meeting for preferred candidates

Additional Information: For more information, see the role description and person specification or visit our website. For an informal conversation about the opportunity, please contact the Chair, samir.patel#croquetengland.org.uk, or the Vice-Chair, carol.driver#croquetengland.org.uk.