Chesterfield Pétanque Club: We visited brilliant sport club at popular Chesterfield park – which has community at its heart

Located at Holmebrook Valley Park, Chesterfield Pétanque Club was launched in 2012 – and has grown ever since.

Today the club has over 70 members – with 40 new members joining since September 2024 when Neale Breedon became the club’s chair.

Neale, who first played pétanque in Belgium and France with his brother in law, has joined Chesterfield club about five years ago.

Pétanque is a boules sport, which involves throwing boules as close to the target as possible – with the player who has one or more of their boules closer to the target than those of their opponents winning the game.

Speaking about what he likes about the sport, Neale said: “Pétanque is a great outdoor sport and it’s really good for mental health. It’s becoming very popular.

"I’m at an age where I can't play football or badminton and it’s a great sport for older people.

"It’s also it's very good for socializing. We have some people at the club who have lost their partners, and they find it invigorating. They can play a game and they can chat with other people.”

Marilou, Neale’s wife, who is a social and membership secretary at the club makes sure that members can enjoy plenty of social gatherings.

These include tea and coffee at the club, served on every Wednesday and Sunday, as well as seasonal events such as picnics in the park, Easter raffles and Christmas parties.

Neale added: “People really enjoy the social aspect of it. It gives them a chance to sit and chat to others.”

The club is open for anyone who wants to have a go at pétanque from beginners to experienced players, who take part in national and international competitions.

Neale said: “If you haven’t played before, you have an introduction of three games where you can come and play for free, just to introduce you to the game, get to know people and see if you would like to carry on.

"You don't need boules. We have plenty of spare ones for people practice with and see if it’s for them.

"Don't be frightened to come along. Everyone at the club is approachable. Someone will come, have a word with you and introduce you. We have a good group, they are all very friendly.”

The club runs four sessions a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday with members welcome to attend as many sessions as they want.

Neale said: “We have some people who come to two, three sessions a week, some who only come on the weekends, we have some who come just once a month.

"There's no restrictions. We have some members who work, some members who are pensioners, we had a member who was under 16. We are open to anyone no matter what age they are.”

The annual membership fee at the club is £40, with a discounted membership of £5 for children and teenagers under 18. Children who are 16 or younger need to attend the games with an adult.

All members are covered by insurance during the games and those who drive can park their cars for free.

Pétanque England is governing body for the Chesterfield club, which follows all the official sport rules issued by the body.

Neale explained: “There’s quite a lot of little rules that you need to adhere to like in every sport. We adhere to them because it is important for us to play the sport properly. It’s also useful for when our members take part in competitions.

"When my wife and myself joined, players have been telling us about the rules. You learn how to play and the rules of the game as you play along.

"if you are unsure of the rules, other club members will explain them to you.”

Reflecting on his 12 months as a chairman of the club, Neale talked about the changes he has introduced to the club – including changing the landscape around the club and improving the facilities.

He said: “We have created a hard stand in front of the cabin. It was quite bad before, because it used to get wet. Now we've got a good working surface, which is really good especially when we have competitions.

"The old pieces which have been at use since 2012 need maintenance. We are trying to improve all the time.

"We try to keep the club and the park looking good, so it can be more appealing for people.

"We work closely with Friends of the Park who are a great group. Some of our members take part in regular litter picks with them

“The council has promised to put some more trees and bushes to complete a hedge, which will look nice and help with wind.

"We have also asked if we could have some wildflower seeds for around the borders of the club’s piece for butterflies and bees to encourage wildlife. We are looking to that as soon we get the seed from the council. Chesterfield Borough Council has been very helpful for us and we it’s great that we have a good relationship with them.”

All latest club updates about the club, the sessions and recent success, can be found on Chesterfield Pétanque Club Facebook Page.