Buy A Brick for Barnes Hockey Club!

The aim of this project is to raise funds to finish off phase two and three of the development of our Dukes Meadows ground to make it a premier facility for hockey in the local area and a facility better able to cope with the demands of our community and users who hire the pitch.

Phase two of this important development is the building of a toilet block; phase 3 is the building of a new practice area at the river end of the pitch.

Total cost for these two things is anticipated to be £150,000. We already have £95,000 available including grant funds and funds remaining from the first stage of the project. We are therefore aiming to raise £55,000 with this buy a brick project as the main source of that revenue alongside other fundraising projects.

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In 2005 Barnes Hockey Club took over responsibility for the management of the Dukes Meadows all-weather hockey pitch following the demise of Hounslow Hockey Club. The pitch was an international standard water-based astroturf pitch but was in need of a new surface. The resurfacing of the pitch took place in 2007, funded through a bank loan of £200,000, repaid in full by 2016. As part of the growth plans to ensure maximum utilisation of the pitch a junior section was started in 2007, and this section has grown from nothing to its current membership of more than 200 juniors, with a waiting list of more than 50.

Astroturf pitches have a life of between 10 and 15 years and we planned to resurface the pitch in 2017. This project became substantially more significant when subsidence was detected. The club put together a three phase plan with the aim of making a premium level hockey facility for Barnes Hounslow Hockey Club with their 13 adult teams and juniors from under 8’s to under 18’s as well as a facility for local schools, universities and other community groups.

We have already completed phase one which was to relay the astroturf pitch, deal with subsidence and improve the fences. This cost £467,000 and was a significant project involving negotiations with

Hounslow Council to agree a 50 year lease and planning permission. BHC formally became a Community Amateur Sports Club under the name Hounslow and Barnes Hockey Club, enabling it to claim back tax on gift aided donations. We managed to obtain loans and donations from current and former members of £150,000; and one from the bank for £200,000, secured on Barnes Sports Club premises; onsite project management was undertaken by Club member James Cox, whose employer allowed him to do this at no cost to the Club. This work is now complete but we still have much to do to continue to improve the facilities to make them some of the best in the London area.

Stage 2 of this development is the levelling of ground attached to the pitch, and the building of a toilet block.

Stage 3 is the building of a practice area. This will allow off pitch warm ups, additional space for juniors, a five a side pitch and potentially an area that can be used by other sports (football and netball).

On completion this will be of much greater value to our hockey community – whether they be Club members, parents or the many schools who make regular use of this facility.