Croquet England has outlined new governance arrangements for electing trustees, marking a significant step in its development since formally succeeding the Croquet Association in January 2024. The updated structure is designed to enhance regional representation and ensure a diverse and effective Board of Trustees moving forward.
Under the transitional plan, all current trustees—initially carried over from the Croquet Association’s Council—will serve until the 2025 Annual General Meeting. At that point, a new election process will commence to fill four of the trustee positions.
Six Regional Constituencies Established
A key component of the new framework is the creation of six regional constituencies, each responsible for electing one trustee. These regions, based on historic county boundaries rather than modern administrative areas, are as follows:
Central Counties and Wales: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Wales.
Eastern Counties: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, and Inner London (Dulwich, Sydenham, Croquet East).
Northern Counties: Cheshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland, Yorkshire.
South West Counties: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Channel Islands.
Weald Counties: Hampshire (including Isle of Wight), Kent, Sussex.
Western Home Counties: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Surrey.
Each constituency includes approximately 1,500 to 1,600 Croquet England club members.
In addition to the six elected trustees, the Board has the authority to appoint up to five further trustees to ensure a balance of skills, backgrounds, and experiences. This maintains elected trustees as a majority while allowing for targeted appointments.
Trustee Eligibility and Voting Process
To stand for election, candidates must:
Be a voting member of Croquet England.
Reside within the constituency they seek to represent.
Be nominated and seconded by voting members from the same constituency.
Voting is open to all registered voting members of Croquet England aged 16 and over. Membership is free, with a simple declaration required due to Croquet England’s charitable status. Members may choose the constituency they most identify with, regardless of their primary club's location.
2025 Election Timeline
Two trustees, Samir Patel (Western Home Counties) and Robin Tasker (Northern Counties), have been selected to continue serving until October 2026. The remaining four constituencies will hold elections later this year, using a single transferable vote system.
Nominations Open: Early June 2025.
Nomination Period: Minimum of 8 weeks.
Voting Period: Minimum of 3 weeks.
Results Announced: No later than 12 September 2025.
The newly elected trustees will serve staggered terms, with two serving until October 2027 and two until October 2028. Going forward, all trustee terms will last three years, with a maximum of three consecutive terms allowed.
Full election procedures and nomination details will be available on the Croquet England website and circulated to voting members via email.
For more information on Croquet England, visit www.croquetengland.org.uk.