Age is no obstacle to enjoying sport at the Manurewa Croquet Club.
The club has 25 members aged 65 to 89 who play croquet on the lawns, rain or shine, for about three hours, three mornings a week.
When not scoring hoops, they are busy weeding the flower beds, planning tournaments and fundraising for the club.
Club spokesperson Carol Hickman says the Manurewa croquet players are very proud of their club, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.
Originally, it was on Hill Road until it moved to its current site on Russell Road, where it has four croquet lawns and clubrooms.
“We are a small club, and our numbers have gone down over the past few years due to people moving and others passing away – an unfortunate reality when a lot of our members are in the older age group.”
That’s made upkeep at the club challenging at times and Carol says members are very grateful for the help they have received from Wiri Licensing Trust.
The Trust has supported the club’s funding applications for several projects, including the purchase of a ride-on mower in 2023.
“We were paying someone to mow all our lawns, and it would have been more cost-effective in the long run to buy a second-hand ride-on mower and do it ourselves. So, we did!”
Last year, the club successfully applied for funding to use water sprinklers from January to March, when the long, dry summer was jeopardising the health of the lawns.
This summer, they received funding for new hoops for the croquet lawns.
Other projects funded included replacing the clubroom flooring with new carpet tiles and vinyl, and the club has received ongoing help with lawn maintenance.
Wiri Licensing Trust General Manager Kim Green says the Trustees are passionate about supporting organisations that increase engagement in sport across the community.
“We love to see these older adults getting out and playing the game they love several times a week, and it’s great to be able to help them maintain their club so they can continue to do so for decades to come.”
Regular club days are held from 9am to midday on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. During the daylight-saving months, the club also offers Twilight sessions on Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm to encourage locals to try the sport.
“You don’t need experience to try it out. There are always willing helpers – all you need are flat covered-in shoes or sneakers and we provide the mallets.”
New players are always welcome. You can contact Manurewa Croquet Club president John Buckingham by email at johnbuckingham@xtra.co.nz or phone 027 556 6395 or secretary Lyn Rayner on lynray@xtra.co.nz or 021 137 6192.
Wiri Licensing Trust wants to connect with local community groups and organisations that are doing great work in our hood to understand how we can better support you – email us at info@wiritrust.org.nz.
