2014 Business Plan

Introduction

The purpose of this Business Plan is to highlight major items for attention in the year ahead.  We re-state our vision, review our strengths and weaknesses, and identify realistic actions which will enable the WCF and croquet to move forward.

Vision

The WCF’s vision, set out in WCF Statutes 103.1 remains valid, namely “to make Croquet a well-known, well-understood, well-respected and well-supported sport in countries throughout the world”.

Assessment of the WCF’s current situation

Strengths

    • Steadily growing Membership
    • Vibrant events schedule
    • Strong demand from players
    • Growing popularity of Golf Croquet
    • Strong financial reserves
    • Ready commitment from Members to host events
    • Active volunteer workforce

Weaknesses

    • Several Members have small and static playing populations
    • Very limited representation in some regions (Central and South America, parts of Africa and Asia
    • WCF events require considerable volunteer input, and this can be difficult to muster for some Members

Opportunities

    • Continue improving relationship with Members
    • Find ways to ramp up development in smaller Members
    • Take the sport to a wider audience through TV
    • Growing “over 50” world population may expand pool of potential recruits
    • Promote GC as a way to increase the number of young players
    • Attract new Members in regions where there is some form of croquet played
    • Attaining 40 Members is now feasible - may unlock World Games, etc.

Threats

    • Will the growth in internet gaming reduce the number of young people interested in a sport like croquet?
    • Impact of GC on other codes
    • Gateball may compete for attention and limit our growth
    • Recovery from the Global Financial Crisis is modest and obtaining significant event sponsorship remains very difficult

Activities

The work of the WCF falls into four main categories, namely:

    • World Championships
    • Development
    • Communication with Members
    • Administration and finance

1.       WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Completed goals

    • Held a successful GCWC and ACWC in 2013
    • Obtained preferred bidders for all tiers/divisions of 2014 AC WTC
    • Confirmed allocation of teams to tiers/division of World Team Championships
    • Continued regular updating of 10 Year Schedule
    • Completed ‘best practice’ guidance for event hosts.

Continuing goals

    • Confirm new allocation procedure for World Championships
    • Re-run the annual bid process through to 2018
    • Hold successful AC WTC, Over-50s GCWC and Women’s GCWC in 2014
    • Mark the WCF’s 25th Anniversary in 2014.

2.       DEVELOPMENT

The main requirements for this important area are:

Members coming forward with viable capital grant projects or other development concepts requiring funding assistance

    • Volunteers willing to undertake coaching trips
    • Available budget.

Completed goals

    • A coaching trip to India took place in January 2013
    • An international coaching training course was held in England in April/ May 2013
    • Coaching trips were organised to Austria, Germany and Latvia
    • A high-quality film of the 2012 GCWTC is now available.

Continuing goals

    • Assess demand for translations of Laws, Rules and Commentary and undertake pilot of matched-funding as demand requires
    • Encourage viable projects to build the first 4-court venue in a Member’s country, with WCF capital grant assistance
    • Hold another international coaching training course
    • Arrange a further three coaching trips to smaller European members
    • Investigate significant sponsorship opportunities.

3.       COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS

A healthy organization ensures that its Members are always fully informed about its activities and plans and, in the case of the WCF, of the current state of the future World Championship programme.

Completed goals

    • The new WCF web-site has been fully implemented
    • The monthly newsletter to Members has become embedded
    • The 10 year Schedule of Events has been updated to 2018.

Continuing goals

    • Implementing reliable webmaster support for the WCF web-site.

4.       ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

The MC and Council have refreshed how they operate.  The new trial Council decision-making process is aimed at empowering WCF Members, to make them more engaged, better informed and more in control.  The following does not include the business-as-usual activities such as arranging events, accepting entries, financial management and so on.

The WCF has good financial reserves but the recent reduction in event sponsorship has led to a re-examination of the funding the WCF derives from events.

Completed goals

    • 2013 Financial Review approved and implemented with consequential amendments to Event Regulations, Finance Regulations and Investment Policy.

Continuing goals

    • Work with Australia, England, New Zealand and USA to align AC International Laws Committee and WCF GC Rules Committee
    • Learn from the trial Council decision-making trial and consider improvements if necessary
    • Observe and analyse effects of new four-year cycle budgeting
    • Ensure adequate and reliable support for WCF web-site.

The Management Committee

December 2013