TRIPLE aPEEL

Aim

Help adapt and modernise our historic pavilion so it is a welcoming and sociable place, covid secure and accessible to everyone.

Triple aPeel is a play on words since a Triple Peel is a potentially match winning tactic in croquet requiring a lot of skill. We hope our Triple aPeel will be a winner!

In order to be able to continue making the game accessible to all, we urgently need to adapt the old bowls pavilion and bring it into use.

The 'triple' aims for this appeal are:

Our club was closed during lockdown and, although we were really fortunate to be able to re-open in late May, all our community group bookings had to be cancelled because we could not provide suitable covid-secure changing rooms and toilets. Then in October we were put in Tier 3 and, as this campaign starts, we are in lockdown so we have to close our doors again.

Who we are:

Nottingham Croquet Club was founded in 1929 in Highfields Park on land donated by Jesse Boot (of Boots the Chemist fame) to the people of Nottingham for their leisure, recreation and health. 91 years later the club still welcomes the people of Nottingham and the covid-19 pandemic has shown just how important that original vision still is today.

What we do:

Croquet is fun, sociable, competitive and available to everyone. It is also naturally socially distanced.

Physical and mental well-being has become critical since lockdown. Croquet has long been known to have health benefits but some players, both old and new, coming to our club have now realised just how important the fresh air, friendship and freedom they gain by playing croquet is to them. This is particularly true for those who live alone or who are in poor health. 

We have therefore been talking to the Nottingham GP Alliance; Notts County 'Football in the Community' health and well-being programme organisers; the Parkinson's Society; and the Youth Sports Trust's Active across Ages. We have launched our own 'Hoops 4 Health' which will be ready to go as soon as all these groups are able to have face-to-face sessions again, and the work on our pavilion has been finished.

What we want to do:

The old bowls pavilion has stood unloved for about 15 years. Neither it nor the pavilion we have had since 1929 is suitable for people with limited mobility and both require adaptation to comply with social distancing requirements. So we are going to make a step-free access; modernise and extend the changing rooms; update the toilets including adding an accessible toilet; repair the floor; re-fit the kitchen; and install acoustic insulation so that the central room is a safe, comfortable space for socialising and teaching.

Ever thought croquet could be for you?

Nottingham Croquet Club launched its ‘Croquet for All’ campaign in 2018 to introduce new people to the sport regardless of age, gender, background, ethnicity or ability. 

A widely diverse community is on our doorstep and the club has been very active in broadening the spectrum of people playing croquet. We have forged links with the Pakistan Forum and been interviewed about the game by local Asian and Muslim radio stations.

Our Croquet in Schools introduced over 350 year 6 and 7 kids to our sport last summer This year it had to be abandoned when schools closed. The ethnic diversity of our local schools is wide with many children not speaking English as their first language, and this diversity has been reflected in the youngsters playing croquet.

Many of our events had to be cancelled this year because of covid, including our schools programme, but in July we ran a successful summer school to help get children active again after lockdown. The schools promoted this, even though they were closed, and a banner in the Park attracted many enquiries.

Thank you for supporting us.

Now come and have a go!

Open days and beginners courses will start again next May, when the weather is warmer and hopefully covid will be a distant memory (fingers crossed!). We would love to welcome you to our amazing club so come along to one of these or just pop in and have a go. 

You may even get to play a World Champion!

This project successfully funded on 1st December 2020