Next CA Club Webinar - Lawn maintenance - Sat 30 Jan 9.30

by Eugene Chang [^]
22nd November (CA Official News)

The CA Club Webinars is a newly established webinar series for CA Member Clubs and Federations, to learn and discuss particular topics around club administration. We'll aim to run this on the last Saturday morning of each month, and will use this page to display past and future webinars.

Recordings of past webinars are available on request.

Have a suggestion for a topic? Wish to present? Email cainfo#croquet.org.uk

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Next webinar:

• Saturday 31st January 2021 - Lawn maintenance (Duncan Hector & George Noble)

More details TBC

The webinars are held on Zoom and broadcast live on YouTube. Meeting details (how to join the webinar, and the YouTube link for future playback) will be shared with registered attendees the day before the event.

 

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Past Webinars

Date	Title
31st October 2020	Meet the new CA Executive Board
26th September 2020	Marketing your Club
29th August 2020	A conversation on Diversity and Inclusion in Croquet
25th July 2020	Managing A Croquet Roll-Up/Competition (COVID-19 Edition)
27th June 2020	Recruiting Young Players Over Lockdown
30th May 2020	Court Booking Systems

Contact cainfo#croquet.org.uk to access the YouTube recordings for past webinars.

Covid-19 related funding opportunities

by Ian Vincent [^]
18th November (CA Official News)

When the current English national lockdown was announced, the government allocated further funding to local authorities to support businesses that were prevented from trading. Unlike the Small Business Support Grants earlier in the year, which was a national scheme linked to business rates, the exact basis of each scheme is down to individual local authorities, from which it will be necessary to seek further details. Clubs could see if their local authority has a "Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) Addendum" scheme and, if so, consider whether they should apply for a grant if they are eligible. Every local authority will have different application procedures and closing dates. Some are not even open yet; others close next month.

The Sport England Return to Play small grants scheme, which was mentioned in a previous news message, was subsequently paused, but has now been re-launched with some changes. The most relevant change is likely to be the requirement now for projects to be ready to start "within six weeks from the point of the national or local restrictions being lifted to allow your activity to return".

Croquet Clubs to close for 28 days from 5th November

by Ian Vincent [^]
4th November (CA Official News)

Despite lobbying by the CA and other individual recreational sports, the regulations for the Covid-19 lockdown that starts at 00.01 on Thursday, 5th November, for 28 days, appear to require croquet clubs in England to close, along with other outdoor sports amenities.

In the absence of any official support for a contrary interpretation, the CA's Coronavirus Task Force strongly advises clubs to cease play for that period. However, its understanding is that lawn maintenance, whether by employed staff, contractors, or volunteers, can continue.

Update following the Prime Minister's statement of 31st October

by Roger Staples [^]
3rd November (CA Official News)

The UK Government announced on 31st October a one-month lockdown in England, starting at 00:01 on Thursday 5th November and running until Wednesday 2nd December. The precise restrictions have yet to be published but are due to be voted on in parliament on Wednesday, 4th November.

It appears that these new measures will see the closure of hospitality, non-essential retail and indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, specifically including golf courses. Although we have lobbied and sought, but have yet to receive
clarification, we take this to mean that croquet clubs must close for the duration of the lockdown (but assume that lawn maintenance work can continue).

The CA will continue to endeavour to establish the exact restrictions on croquet clubs and their facilities and as the information becomes available we will communicate definitive guidance.

In the meantime please continue to consult our website news pages. This includes our Advice document which will be reviewed and refreshed at the earliest opportunity.

Our best wishes to you and your families. Please stay safe and well.

Coronavirus Task Force

Hampstead Heath beat St Albans 4-3

by Hugh Jones at High Wycombe [^]
28 Oct 2020 (AC - Secretary's Shield)

Report of October Council Meeting

by Ian Vincent [^]
26th October (CA Official News)

Council met by Zoom on the morning of the Saturday after the AGM and quickly re-elected Jonathan Isaacs as its Chairman. Samir Patel was elected Vice-Chairman and Beatrice McGlen appointed to chair the Executive Board.

The main focus of the meeting was to take stock after the first year of the new governance structure. It exercised its scrutiny function by receiving reports from the officers and the Executive Board, before moving on to consider submissions from some of the working groups it had created.

The Treasurer, Ian Burridge, who ruefully pointed out that he had taken over just days before the first lockdown, presented a projection which showed a deficit of £20K for the year, compared with a budgeted one of £30K. This variance happened to match the £10K Small Business Support grant the CA had received, but there were other significant swings in a topsy-turvy year. Meeting and travel costs had reduced, but income from tournament levy had halved, due to cancellations. Shop sales had held up well under the circumstances. Financial support had been offered to clubs, but it was good news that few had needed to call on it.

Budgeting for next year would be challenging, as a first draft, assuming a normal playing season, again showed a deficit of £30K, even before some proposed initiatives were included. Ian asked that committees should flag up any proposed new expenditure early, so that it can be considered alongside other outgoings. The CA had the advantage that most of its income came in the first quarter of the year, so we may be faced with cutting our cloth according to how strongly it does.

The Secretary reported that the proposed constitutional changes had been agreed at the AGM. The Membership Working Group, chaired by Ian Burridge, will notify affected clubs and was asked to consider the introductory rates for new Full Member clubs, along with possible further changes to individual membership. The General Meetings working group is to be re-convened to re-consider its recommendations in the light of experience with the virtual AGM this year and the comments made about the lack of voting at it.

He ended his report by confirming his intended retirement from the role of Hon. Secretary and was authorised to advertise for a deputy, with a view to finding someone willing to take it over next October, after a significant overlap period.

Roger Staples, the former chairman of the Executive Board, reported that it had been somewhat challenged by the double whammy of Coronavirus and the significant number of policies which it had been asked to implement by Council. Good progress had been made with some of those, notably the e-mail Newsletter, but the majority would need to be tackled this year.

Roger was thanked for leading the board in a difficult year, having been thrown in at the deep end.

He thanked Council for its support and trusted that would be extended to his successor.

Eugene Chang, who was retiring from it,as his partner was expecting a child, was also thanked for his energetic contribution in the areas of marketing and communications, both within the CA and with the Federations.

After a short break, David Openshaw joined the call to present an interim report from the Competitive Play Working Group. It had three initial recommendations: that there should be more level play GC tournaments for those with handicaps in the range 0-2; similarly in AC for 3-12 handicaps, and that there should be a budget of £5K for junior development next year. These were accepted, though Beatrice McGlen was keen that there should be a clear set of aims, including recruiting more juniors into clubs, and a co-ordinated strategy before a budget was allocated

John Dawson then went through the recommendations of the Safeguarding Review Group, noting that Jean Hargreaves was standing down after long service as the CA's Safeguarding Officer. The review had concentrated on safeguarding of children: that of vulnerable adults would be tackled separately this year. Its principle recommendation, that all clubs should be required to adopt the policy in principle and appoint a Safeguarding Officer, was agreed, though it was recognised that detailed implementation would vary according to local circumstances. A major effort would be required to communicate this to federations and clubs.

Samir Patel requested Council to review the proposed authorisation matrix, which was to clarify which person or group within the organisation had authority to take decisions of certain types, to avoid uncertainty and speed up decision making. As the Chairman pointed out, the devil is in the detail.

Looking ahead, the Chairman put some flesh on his proposal for a review of Coaching and Performance, and announced that Rich Waterman had agreed to lead it. Dave Kibble offered to try and resolve the issue of merit awards for GC, possibly by polling the membership. Patricia Duke-Cox offered to recruit a more diverse group of members to sit on disciplinary and appeals panels, pending a review of the process.

Finally, it was agreed that there would be a short meeting of Council in mid-December, with a full one on 30th January, 2021.

Deputy Hon. Secretary Wanted

by Ian Vincent [^]
26th October (CA Official News)

A Deputy is being sought to work with the current Honorary Secretary of the Croquet Association, Ian Vincent, during his last year in office, with a view to succeeding him at the October 2021 AGM. The post is honorary, but there is the possibility of a modest honorarium. The Honorary Secretary is responsible to the Association through Council for providing independent leadership and guidance in administrative matters, encouraging the highest standards of integrity, effectiveness and openness, and ensuring the CA's regulatory compliance.

The Duties

The duties of the Honorary Secretary are set out in section 1 of the CA Practice Book. In summary they are:

• To be a voting member of the Executive Board and non-voting member of Council.
• To assist the President, Chairmen of Council and the Executive Board, by preparing agendas and minutes of meetings.
• To maintain documents and website pages relating to the CA's governance.
• To organise voting for elections and motions at general meetings.
• To operate the disciplinary and appeals procedure.
• To assist in reviewing the work and staffing of the CA Office, as a member of the Administration Committee.
• To advise Committee Chairman and other volunteers about governance issues.

It is expected that the person appointed as deputy will share in, or take over, some of these during the overlap period, by agreement with the current Secretary.

The Person

The following attributes are desirable:

• An innovative and proactive team worker, preferably with experience of administration of a complex organisation and of working with volunteers.
• Good verbal, written and interpersonal skills with the ability to work to tight deadlines and to a high standard.
• Education to degree level or equivalent, with competency in using current technology for document preparation and publication and for communication.

Applications

For further information or informal discussion please contact Ian Vincent on 0115 925 3664 or by e-mail to ian.vincent#cantab.net. Interested candidates should forward a CV and a letter detailing their suitability for the role, by 30th November 2020, to him and Jonathan Isaacs at jonathanisaacs#btinternet.com.

Sport England announce new funding to help the sector face coronavirus challenges

by Roger Staples [^]
22nd October (CA Official News)

Sport England have announced a new 'Return to Play Fund' fund of £16.5 million to give additional help to the sport and physical activity sector during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

https://www.sportengland.org/news/return-play-fund-launched

The Return to Play Fund will support groups, clubs and organisations who have been impacted by restrictions brought in to tackle the disease, and is part of the overall response to the crisis that now includes more than £220m of government and National Lottery funding.

Clubs wishing to avail themselves of this opportunity should review the funding criteria explained on the Sport England website. Projects need to be 'ready to go' and must start within six weeks of confirmation of funding.

The fund, which welcomes applications from today, is made up of three parts.

£10m - Return to Play: Small Grants

This will provide grants of between £300 and £10,000 to help sport and activity groups, clubs and organisations respond to the immediate challenges of returning to play in a Covid-19-safe environment.

It'll help community sport respond to the challenges posed, such as having to deliver in smaller groups, having the correct hygiene and safety equipment and giving training to club volunteers.

It'll also cover making necessary changes to facilities, supplying additional sports equipment and new signage to meet current government and national governing body rules and guidance.

£5m - Return to Play: Community Asset Fund

This will provide grants ranging in value from £10,001 to £50,000. It'll help local sports clubs and organisations to adapt and open important places and spaces that can help them welcome back their local community safely.

This will include helping groups, clubs and organisations address the challenges they're facing by:

• adapting how they use space and improving ventilation
• converting existing space to meet social distancing requirements, such as additional changing space
• making improvements to buildings or open spaces for temporary use to get more people active by using a vacant warehouse, shop or community centre.

£1.5m - Return to Play: Active Together

This crowdfunding initiative will help sports clubs and organisations set up their own campaigns to help sustain them through the crisis.

It's a great alternative if they don't meet the priority groups of the other parts of the Return to Play package, and we'll match crowd funds of up to £10,000 to help cover the loss of income.

The partnership with Crowdfunder will also include advice, guidance and training to help create successful campaigns.

The Return to Play Fund will especially seek to support those groups and organisations working with audiences identified as finding it more difficult to be active at this time.

These include:

• Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
• people on lower incomes
• those disproportionately affected financially as a result of the crisis
• disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
• those who are experiencing a greater burden of care responsibilities since the pandemic began.

Roger Staples

Coronavirus Task Force

Council By-Election for Croquet North and Yorkshire Constituency

by Ian Vincent [^]
19th October (CA Official News)

Introduction

Following the resignation of Derek Knight as the member of Council for the Croquet North and Yorkshire constituency, a by-election is to be held. The person elected will serve for the remainder of his three-year term, which ends in October 2022.

Role of the Council and its Members

The Council has overall responsibility for the affairs of the Association, with a focus on high-level policy, strategic initiatives, scrutiny and transparency. Implementation of that policy is the responsibility of an Executive Board, which the Council appoints. The working committees report to the Executive Board.

There are 12 voting members of the Council, elected by single transferrable vote of individual CA members in constituencies made up of one or more Federations. They are to represent the players, clubs and Federations in their Constituency, balancing the interests of them and those of the CA as a whole as best they can.

Standing for Election

Membership of the Council thus offers a significant opportunity to shape the future of the CA, in the interests of its members as a whole. We would like to encourage members with an active interest in the future of the CA to stand for election. A list of the skills needed for this role is published on the website.

If you are interested in serving in this way, please read on to find out more about the election process and contact Jonathan Isaacs, the Chairman of Council, for further information.

Timetable

The timetable for the by-election is that nominations will close on 14^th December and voting (if required) will finish on 11^th January.

Nominations

Nominations for election by a Constituency should be e-mailed to returning.officer#croquet.org.uk and the Secretaries of the Croquet North (David Millener) and Yorkshire (Margaret Wood) Federations, identifying the person nominated and their proposer and seconder, who must both be individual CA members registered to vote in the Constituency (the nominee doesn't have to be, but must be resident in the UK). A personal statement by the nominee, of no more than 300 words, may be attached for publication and they must have confirmed their willingness to stand.

Electoral Register

CA members living in the UK are allocated to a Constituency based on the Federation membership of their primary club, failing which the leading part of the postcode of their home address. You can see the Constituency for which you are registered by viewing your details on the CA website, which you can do, when you are logged into it, by clicking on your name, which appears next to the login/out button on the top right of most pages. It will not be possible to change your Constituency during this by-election.

Voting

If a ballot is necessary for your Constituency, you will be able to vote online or by post. Further details will be published on the website and in the next edition of the Croquet Gazette. You will only be able to receive an e-mail giving a link to the voting application if you have an up to date e-mail address recorded in the CA Directory (though you can still be ex-directory if you do not want it published). Please ask your club secretary to set it for you if you can't login to the website to do it yourself.

Coronavirus - Latest Information and Advice

by Roger Staples [^]
14th October (CA Official News)

October 14th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force has reviewed its advice in the light of the regulations for local Covid alert levels, which came into force in England today. Other nations have their own regulations, and those for very high alert level areas in England are subject to additional restrictions imposed locally, which it does not propose to track.

The regulations are set out seperately for Medium, High and Very High alert level areas, but our assessment is that none of them require any change to our guidance for club play involving six or fewer people outdoors. That guidance is published in both PDF and MS-Word formats.

September 24th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force considers that its current advice for club and tournament play still meets the new restrictions imposed on September 22nd. There are, however, changes if a club is providing food and drink, whether that is in the normal course of its operation or just at a single tournament or event, which should now be observed. These are noted in an appendix to an updated version of the general guidelines to clubs and players, which is published in both PDF and MS-Word formats.

Businesses or community organisations with a physical location that is open to the public are now required to display an NHS QR code poster, but it seems unclear how far that applies to private members' clubs.

September 12th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force is now satisfied, from information published on Sport England's website, that previously authorised sports activities can continue, despite the introduction of the "rule of 6" for social groups. The guidelines for clubs and players have been updated to emphasise the need for restricting social interaction and are published in both PDF and MS-Word formats. The Guidance to Clubs and Tournament Managers has also been updated. The previous prohibition on use of corner pegs/offside markers and flags has been relaxed.

September 9th Update

Following the Government's announcement this afternoon (Wed 9th Sept) the CA's Emergency Taskforce thinks that the current Covid guidance for play at clubs and for holding tournaments will not need any substantial revision. However, no updated Government guidance has been published yet by the DCMS so we will check the CA's guidance again once all the details are available.

July 28th Update

The Guidance to Clubs and Tournament Managers for holding tournaments in England during Covid-19, which was published on 23rd July, has been further updated (in paragraph 1 to define a "tournament" and in paragraph 6 to insert "full-size" in "allotted court"). There is a cumulative change log at the end.

July 27th Update

The Guidance to Clubs and Tournament Managers for holding tournaments in England during Covid-19, which was published on 23rd July, has been further updated (in paragraph 10(x)) to add a requirement to log contact details of spectators, to aid contact tracing if necessary.

July 23rd Update

The Guidance to Clubs and Tournament Managers for holding tournaments in England during Covid-19 has been updated in line with recent changes to government advice, which allows for events with larger entries than the groups of six permitted for social play, provided that they are held under guidelines issued by national governing bodies and approved by DCMS. The new guidelines are both permissive, in that it is up to clubs to decide what
size of entry and style of organisation is appropriate to their circumstances (and so they can choose to continue holding events under the previous guidelines), and restrictive, in that they must not exceed them.

The updated guidance also includes a change to tournament regulations, which suspends, for the remainder of the 2020 season, the deduction of 50 grade points for not having played sufficient games, when making decisions about allocation, selection and seeding.

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force is grateful to the representatives of the tournament committees who have prepared these guidelines.

July 6th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force is aware the areas of Leicester are currently subject to more restrictive lockdown regulations than the rest of England. However, it does not intend to provide specific advice for every local lockdown that is imposed. They are likely to have different conditions and information will be more easily accessible by local officials, who will also be more aware of the circumstances in their area.

July 2nd Update

Guidance to clubs and tournament managers about running tournaments during the current stage of the Covid-19 pandemic has been updated, in the light of changes to government advice since it was published. The general guidance to clubs and players has been further updated in response to queries about the version published on 30th June and is published in both PDF and MS-Word formats.

June 30th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force has updated its general guidelines to clubs and players in the light of the relaxation of the lockdown regulations that is to take effect from 4th July in England. The revised guidelines are published in both PDF and MS-Word formats, together with a checklist of items which clubs could consider when performing a risk assessment, again in both PDF and MS-Word formats.

The major change relates to the possibility of re-opening catering and bar facilities and the requirement to keep a record of contact details of all people entering the club for at least 21 days. The ban on roll-up or public sessions has been lifted provided that is done. Little has changed regarding play, except that the advice against using clips and chairs has been removed, but they should be cleaned in accordance with the club's practice for other playing equipment.

June 26th Update

The Coronavirus Task Force is to meet on Monday, 29th June, to review the latest government advice and it intends to publish a further update once any queries arising from that discussion have been resolved.

June 12th Update

Guidance to clubs and tournament managers about running tournaments during the current stage of the Covid-19 pandemic has been published, following approval by DCMS. The Coronavirus Task Force is grateful for the work of the representatives of the tournament committees who drafted and submitted it.

June 8th Update

Representatives of the CA tournament committees have drafted guidelines for the possible resumption of tournaments and have submitted them to DCMS for a ruling as to what is permissible under the current lockdown regulations.

June 4th Update

Information about a potential new source of publicly funded grants for clubs in England has been published.

June 2nd Update

The Covid-19 precautions infographic has been updated to reflect the changes in the CA's advice since the original version.

May 31st Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force has reviewed the updated government advice on social interaction issued on 28th May, consulted DCMS about it, and updated its guidelines to clubs and players, with effect from 1st June for clubs in England.

The Cabinet Office have since issued a FAQ which may be helpful: it even mentions croquet in the heading to section 1.5!

May 26th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force has reviewed the further government advice that has been issued over the past few days, but it relates to elite sport (defined as professional, or relating to Olympic or Commonwealth Games events) and shopping, rather than amateur or community sport. It is not, therefore, updating its guidelines for clubs opening at present, but is clarifying their applicability to recruitment and coaching.

Whether a club accepts new members or not is the decision of its committee. So long as the club has adequate precautions in place to safely follow the guidelines and new members are fully aware of that guidance, then there is no reason why not. The club should also make sure that it has proper records of its new members in the event of having to do contact tracing, It is also perfectly acceptable for a club to decide that it would prefer not to accept new members in the current situation.

One-to-one coaching is permitted at present, providing coach and student remain 2m apart, but the CA's guidance is that group coaching is currently not permissible.

A statement about scheduling of CA run tournaments has also been issued.

May 17th Update

The CA Coronavirus Task Force has been strengthened by the addition of Beatrice McGlen to its number. She has been liaising with the Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS), who have now reviewed our guidelines to clubs and players.

May 14th Update

The CA Coronavirus Task Force has updated its guidance to clubs and players and about re-opening clubs in the light of more specific Government guidance and consultation with the CA's and clubs' insurers.

May 12th Update

The CA Coronavirus Task Force has published guidance to clubs and players about re-opening clubs in the light of recent changes to the Government's lockdown regulations.

May 11th Update

Following government statements and publications yesterday and today the CA Coronavirus Task Force is seeking further clarification and is considering whether or not it is possible that the playing of croquet, along with other sports, can resume in England from Wednesday. It hopes to be able to make a statement on the matter tomorrow. In the event that play at clubs can resume appropriate guidance will be provided about precautions clubs should take to mitigate the risk of passing on the virus when they are permitted to open.

May 6th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force plans to meet on 11th May, to decide what further advice to give in the light of whatever is announced by the Prime Minister on Sunday. In the meantime, it has been in consultation with the
Sport & Recreation Alliance about the possibility of croquet resuming and drafting guidelines to minimise risks when that becomes possible.

April 24th Update

A news item drawing attention to advice from the National Cyber Security Centre about the security implications of using VideoConferencing software has been published.

April 17th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force considered the anticipated announcement of the Government's review of the lockdown, but has not changed its advice.

April 10th Update

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force met (by Zoom) this morning with the chairmen of the Tournaments Committees to review the situation in the light of the anticipated extension of the lockdown next week. It decided to maintain its current position that CA Tournaments scheduled to take place up to the end of May have been cancelled, but that the position of future ones will be kept under review. An exception is that the AC Veterans Championship has been cancelled after discussion with the host club. Further information and advice was published in an Easter Update.

April 2nd Update

The CA has obtained advice from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport that people, whether contractors or volunteers, are permitted to travel to conduct essential lawn maintenance, to prevent long term damage. The same news item also contains information about grants from Sport England for community sports clubs in difficulty.

March 27th Update

Having used Zoom within the CA for virtual meetings, we have recorded a short YouTube tutorial to show how to join a call, navigate the controls within a call, and how to schedule a meeting. Hopefully this will prove useful for clubs and Federations - either to organise your own committeee meetings, or arrange 'keep-in-touch' sessions within your membership.

March 25^th Update

The CA has decided that it is no longer feasible to hold National Croquet Week on the intended dates, but will keep in mind the possiblity of rescheduling it later in the year if that becomes an option.

A separate news item has been published summarising the CA's response to the outbreak in a message from the Chairman of Council..

March 24^th Update

The CA Coronavirus Task Force has reviewed the Government advice issued on 23^rd March.

Its interpretation is that all clubs must cease play for at least the next three weeks, but maintenance such as grass cutting can still continue provided that social distancing measures are implemented.

CA organised tournaments have been cancelled until the end of May. It recommends that Clubs and Federations should also cancel all competitive play until then, to give certainty to players. Further guidance about how to do this using the online tournament entry system will be sent to Tournament Secretaries.

CA staff will be working from home. E-mail can be used as normal and an answerphone service has been set up on the Office phoneline, which will alert staff when a message is left there.

The CA Shop is physically closed. Its website is still accepting online orders. Delivery of items may be delayed.

This advice will be reviewed on an on-going basis as further information becomes available.

March 23^rd Update (9 pm)

The Government has issued the following advice.

Many clubs located within municipal parks will have found that their landlords have closed them for the foreseeable future. Others landlords are also closing their recreational facilities.

It is all our interests that we follow the advice and distance ourselves from anyone when outside and ensure maximum hygiene measures. Indoor gatherings must be discouraged.

The CA will follow this advice and recommends all clubs to ask their members to do the same.

The CA organisation is run by a large number of volunteers and this will continue. Please contact the CA via email using the usual address. If you leave a message on the CA telephone answer machine, someone will get back to you as soon as is practicable.

Stay safe and we will get through this.

A further update will be posted here on Tuesday once the details of our new way of working are known.

Roger Staples
Chairman Executive Board

March 22^nd Update

Government advice has strengthened over the last few days, so clubs and individual players are advised to review their position in the light of it. In particular, this press release, asks businesses serving food or drink, and indoor leisure and sports facilities, including gyms, to close, and urges people to stay at home unless they need to get essential supplies, or at least only travel when necessary.

The CA's Coronavirus Task Force has been considering the financial impact of this on clubs and has introduced an Emergency Assistance Scheme for Clubs and Tournament Entry Fee Donation Scheme in an attempt to mitigate it.

The schedules for Inter-Club competitions have also been revised.

March 17^th Update

Based on the Government advice yesterday, all CA Tournaments and Coaching are suspended until further notice. CA Tournaments and Coaching refers to those events for which the CA is responsible for organising, such as the Inter-Counties. Typically these are highlighted in bold in the Fixtures Book.

The other Tournaments are created and owned by clubs and Federations, who are responsible for organising them.

CA Tournaments planned until end May are cancelled or postponed. It may be possible for these to be re-arranged to dates later in the season.

Clubs and Federations are asked to consider their own competitive programmes and other activities (coaching, etc) and are urged to follow the Government advice. Detailed advice on refunds of Tournament entry fees has already been published. Further updates will be published on the CA website.

Roger Staples
Chairman Executive Board

March 15^th

The CA's current stance with regard to Coronavirus (COVID-19) is that members adhere to the advice being given by the Public Health England (PHE) and Government agencies.

The Government has declared that the nation has moved to the 'delay' phase of this pandemic and made specific proposals that the nation must take. PHE has declared that the risk level to the UK has been raised to high. The Government is providing regular updates at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response.

Concerned members should refer to this link for detailed advice and up-to-minute Press Releases.

Based on these assessments, the CA recommends that its members consider their own circumstances and take necessary precautions for their own health and well-being.

Tournament Managers & Club Secretaries have been given advice on how to manage Tournament Entries and Withdrawals. Specific advice about the impact of Coronavirus on Tournaments has been published, including information about how to withdraw from events if players need to.

The CA has set up a task force to manage the affairs directly related to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Task Force consists of:

Roger Staples (Chairman Executive Board)
Jonathan Isaacs (Chairman of Council)
Ian Vincent (Hon Secretary)
Ian Burridge (Incoming Hon Treasurer)
Mark Suter (CA Manager)

Members of various Committees will be consulted by the task force as appropriate to their particular function.

Advice to the croquet community will be posted on the CA website. CA Committees, Federations, Clubs & Players should check the website regularly for updates.

Any further updates specifically relating to the Croquet community will be posted on the Home page of the CA website.

Roger Staples
Executive Board

CA Club Awards

by John Reddish [Chair of Development] [^]
30th September (CA Official News)

The CA makes awards biennially to clubs that have made exceptional progress in providing a good playing environment.: These awards are made at the CA AGM and, in addition to an impressive certificate, an unsanitised cheque for £250 used to be given to the club. However, in 2021 winning clubs will probably be asked to disclose their bank details so that an appropriate transfer can be made unceremoniously.

The awards are made in three categories.

The Townsend Award is given to a club with 1 or 2 courts that has, in the opinion of the Development Committee, made exceptional progress in providing a good playing environment over the previous two years.

The Apps Heley Award is given to the club with 3 or 4 courts that has made most progress at a national or local level in the last two years.

The Millennium Club Award is given to the club with 5 or more courts that has made most progress at national or local level in any of two of the previous three years.

To apply for one of the Awards you should contact your Federation Development Officer and complete an Application Form. The form is available on the CA web site but the Chairman of the Development Committee will send you one by email, if you ask him nicely.

The Development Committee decided to consider nomination for awards in 2021, despite the current Covid-19 crisis. It is accepted that 2020 has not been a great year for making progress with the improvement of the playing environment. However, since reliance may be placed upon earlier progress, we agreed to proceed in the usual way.

The closing date for nominations is 31 December 2020.