Spencer Hockey Club: Together vs. Covid

Aim

We are raising funds to maintain then grow our hockey coaching and training offer despite our Club's loss of revenue due to the Covid crisis

Through Sport England’s ‘Return to Play/Active Together’ scheme, we are crowd funding to maintain and then grow our hockey training and coaching provision for all our members, despite our Club’s loss of revenue due to the Covid-19 crisis. We hope that you will help us, as we’re all in this Together.

At Spencer, we are determined to provide every member at every level with the best training and coaching that we can, and we are further committed to ensure the development of our talented junior players through their inclusion in senior training and teams.

Who We Are

Founded over a century ago, Spencer is one of the most vibrant hockey clubs in the country. We run 13 men's teams, 8 women's teams, mixed hockey and one of the biggest junior hockey sections in the country, with almost 600 juniors training and playing matches every week. Playing success is only part of the story: our ambition is to provide the most enjoyable hockey experience possible, for everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult.

Where We're Heading

2019 saw the Club break new ground, with our Men's 1st XI reaching the England Hockey National League structure for the first time. Our aim is to continue to develop our performance teams, so we can compete on a national level in both the men’s and women’s sections, and to continue to provide the best hockey experience for all our members, while maintaining our sociable, community-focussed spirit. We believe in sport and development for all, and central to this is the provision of the best training space and the best coaching across all levels. We have many talented players graduating from juniors to seniors, including our Boys Under 18s who are National Tier 2 champions, and many more that we would like to support on this journey, to be the best they can be.

2019 also saw the launch of Spencer Lynx, a ground-breaking community outreach programme that delivers free hockey coaching to local children who have not had the opportunity to play hockey at or outside school. Spencer Lynx was recognised at the Active Wandsworth Awards, winning Physical Activity Project of the Year, and at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, with co-founder Marcia Gurney-Champion winning the London Unsung Hero Award for her work on the programme, and with Spencer Juniors.

Why We Need Your Support

Spencer Hockey Club’s training and coaching provision has been put at significant risk by Covid-19, through lost revenue and Covid-playing restrictions. The pandemic has had three major impacts:

First, the Club experienced a significant shortfall in Summer course revenue of £29,000 in 2020, not least through cancellation and adjustment of holiday activities for its junior members. And yet, training and coaching costs have remained the same.

Second, the Club has been forced to reduce its training numbers in line with the social distancing requirements set down by England Hockey. As a consequence, with limited pitch space in central London, full squads have not been able to train together, and senior members have not been able to train every week. Many of our talented junior players have not been able to take part in senior training at all, and others have not been able to progress up the teams in line with their ability, to the detriment of their development, and ultimately their integration into the senior side of the Club. By way of example, compared to last season we have a reduction of 50% of girls training with senior teams. And of the 64 women who inquired about joining our Club, we’ve been able to place only 28 so far. 

Third, with the suspension of adult hockey under Covid restrictions for what may prove to be the remainder of the playing season, income from members’ subscriptions has now been capped for 2020/21.

Our Target

£20,000 will ensure we are able to fulfil our commitment to training space and coaching costs for the benefit of around 400 adult and junior members playing and training in the senior section of the Club for whatever portion of the season remains, then provide additional support through Summer 2021 and into the critical start of season 2021-22. Any funds raised above £20,000 will build on the work of Spencer Lynx, the charitable outreach programme associated with the Club.

Project Objectives

• Ensure that, despite a loss in revenue due to Covid, we can meet any outstanding commitments to paid coaches in season 2020/21 and secure their commitment for season 2021/22: estimated to be £20k.
• Expand paid coaching to more of our senior teams at the earliest opportunity, to address reduction in training numbers due to Covid – £2.5k.
• Fund additional pitch space, to address reduction in training numbers and reduction in junior integration due to Covid - £2.5k.

Spencer are at a pivotal point in our development, and we have no intention of letting Covid stand in the way of our ambitions for our members, and the development of our talented juniors. Please support us by donating now.

If you are a Club Member and have been kind enough to donate your End Of Season Ticket rebate (or a minimum donation of £10.00), you will automatically be entered into a prize draw with the chance to win a range of incredible prizes, including a set of new books, including new books by Ian Rankin, Arsene Wenger, Noel Fitzpatrick, Dick and Angel Strawbridge, Stephen King and more.

This project successfully funded on 12th April 2021