The COVID-19 pandemic brought the benefits of sport for health and well-being sharply into focus, and croquet – as a non-contact and non-energetic outdoor sport – has an enormous amount to offer to a wide range of groups who have little access to sporting opportunities. Our ‘Croquet for All’ campaign is continuing to expand, with outreach to schools and a wide ranging junior programme, regular presence at events such as the Splendour Festival, outreach efforts to various minorities under-represented in our current membership, and most notably with our regular community and charitable group sessions including Hoops 4 Health.
In 2021 we launched ‘Hoops for Health’ for groups who had been particularly badly affected by the pandemic, building on prior work in 2020. This initiative (amongst others) was recognised by our club winning the 2022 Sports and Recreational Alliance award for sports clubs embracing Inclusion and Diversity. We are continuing to build on this work, broadening our outreach and engagement with a wide range of community groups, especially those with little or no access to sport.
Hoops 4 Health is on Wednesday afternoons, with the emphasis on having fun in a relaxed, stress-free and sociable atmosphere. We have some great partners already in this programme (details below) and are really excited about welcoming them and others to enjoy our sport and facilities.
If you are a group leader interested in Hoops 4 Health then please use this Contact Form, giving a brief description of your group.
The club is supporter of:
Our partners include:
Members of the public, as individuals or in groups, are welcome to have a go at the game virtually any day during our 6 month playing season. Drop-ins welcome but to be sure of a slot, please book ahead or come on a Tuesday after 2pm when one of our friendly volunteers will welcome you. We provide all croquet equipment but please wear trainers or flat soles to protect our fine turf.
Free taster sessions
Fancy a go at croquet? Never tried it properly before? Why not come on one of our free “taster sessions”. We’ll welcome you with open arms. Please ask in person or using our website contact form. One of our friendly volunteers will show you the ropes for an hour or so.
Lawn Fee sessions 
We offer ad hoc play to small groups of passers-by on a casual basis for payment of a modest lawn fee. So long as there’s a free lawn and a member free and able to help, we’ll set up the kit, show or remind you how to play (if you like), and leave you to enjoy for a session of around 2 hours. If you keep coming back for more we may encourage you to join the club.
Pay & Play
We offer one-hour slots bookable online through EventBrite depending on demand. If there are no slots on EventBrite convenient for you, please let us know using the General Enquiries contact form and we will find a way to accommodate you.
Organised Groups
If you are an organised group and/or travelling specially, and wish to book ahead and have the support of volunteers, we advise you to take up one of our Social Group bookings where – for a modest fee – we will reserve lawns and equipment for you and arrange for our friendly helpers to be on site to host and support and ensure you have a great visit. Check out our tremendous feedback.
Health and well-being organisations
As part of our efforts to broaden access to sport, we offer highly accessible sessions free of charge to charities and other non-profit organisations seeking health and well-being benefits from a non-energetic, non-contact and low stress sport. We make these sessions low in stress and high in enjoyment, supported sensitively by our DBS-certified volunteers working alongside your organisation’s helpers. Please check out our Hoops 4 Health page for more details.
