CROQUET UNDER REVIEW MORE
INTRODUCTION
This is a further review of the Sidmouth, Croquet and Cricket Club (SCCC). It is obviously in the public domain and all are welcome to read it, but it is really intended as helpful to the members of the SCCC who realize that the club has a long way to go to improve its Charity Commission efficiency scoring of only 60/100.
Please firstly read my previously published (18/07/26 )Trustpilot review CROQUET UNDER REVIEW . I had to edit that due to space restrictions at Trustpilot. The point of this second review is to make available to all the material that I originally wrote but could not include. I have left in here some of the wording of the first review to give context to the new material which I now make available. I hope this is helpful.
I like the idea of the game, the children loved it, but the view, and fresh air available in the large 'professional' set up, almost on the sea front in Sidmouth, my favourite coastal town, attracted me with a large display notice on Station Road Sidmouth. The Sidmouth Croquet and Cricket Club (SCCC)advertised 'FREE TASTER SESSIONS'. This was in mid-March 2026. These taster sessions, which the club kindly organized for the benefit of non-members to experience the techniques of the game.
A small fee of £15 was to be charged for four weekly sessions of around 90 minutes. Very reasonable. I arrived for the first session with my £15 ready to hand over in exchange for a receipt. Sadly I never got to that stage due to events detailed below. But I did have a free go with a helpful chap who was an expert in the game. Getting that 'bowl' through the 'hoop', perhaps less than half a centimetre wider than the bowl, from twenty feet away, is not easy, but certainly fun.
It was a great half hour for me there at the seaside gem, with the turquoise sea in the distance and the warm sunshine sparkling through a few fluffy clouds with the seagulls calling us.
RUDE RESPONSE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
So at the eight minute meeting I had with CHAIRMAN Peter NELSON, I was unable to make any progress, despite my being polite, respectful and courteous.
He said, in a forcefully aggressive manner, 'I don't need to be told by an outsider, who is not even a member, how to run this club.' It was clear that he had no positive, open minded, interest in my concerns. I was just trying to be helpful. The matter of legally necessary audits, both internal and external, I had been unable to raise.
As I walked away, somewhat shaken, I remembered that the club had only been REGISTERED as a CHARITY for fourteen months and were still obviously learning what they needed to do. At that point I was not aware that the 'TRUST SCORE' of only '60/100 with room for improvement' was their status. I am now.
It was also time for me to alert the Charity Commission to the failings I had witnessed.
COMMENTS GIVEN TO ME BY THE CHARITY COMMISION (They are mine to publish).
Charity Number; 1212094 Sidmouth Cricket, Tennis and Croquet Club
The Charity Commission is keeping the club under review.
When making our decisions, we consider the issue and the risk to anyone who comes into contact with the charity, along with the risk to the charity itself.
We focus on dealing with concerns which may cause the greatest impact or harm to charities and public trust and confidence in charities.
MY FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHAIRMAN whoever he/she now is.
Step down. Retitle the job as 'CHAIR' so that a competent woman could also lead the SCCC. Create formal posts with defined roles/ 'job specs' for all 'officers' and team leaders. These good people should be elected democratically from the membership on a MERITORIOUS basis, as in ancient Rome (See Spinoza on YouTube for more details. It's fascinating)
This REVIEW is automatically sent to the business and they can comment here.
Thank you for reading this and my thanks to Trustpilot for this useful platform. If you found this review helpful and could spare a quick 'like' I would be grateful.