Thursday, November 7, 2024

Ulster Hockey: Clubs could fold without £10m investment

Ulster Hockey says funding must be found to stop clubs folding altogether in some areas.

It has outlined its feats to the communities minister Gordon Lyons, seeking £10m to help safeguard facility provision.

Ulster Hockey chief executive Marc Scott said: “Without intervention, the situation has the potential to see clubs fold and hockey to disappear altogether in some areas.

“As a sport, hockey delivers a joint pathway to both Ireland and GB sports with the Paris Olympics seeing both teams’ captains from Northern Ireland. With a total of ten players, it was also the sport with the most athletes from Northern Ireland at the Games.

“At grassroots level, hockey is currently the largest female participation sport in the country and has also seen the successful delivery of several new programmes aimed at growing participation.

“In recent years we have seen an upwards trajectory in participation numbers at all levels, the delivery of a successful schools’ outreach programme targeting non-hockey playing schools of all denominations and the delivery of a successful Refugee Engagement programme in partnership with Ethnic Minorities in Sport Organisation (EMSONI).”

Scott said, despite positive progress, there had been no public  investment into hockey facilities over the last 20 years, highlighting that they had fallen into disrepair or repurposed.”

A statement added: “Currently in the process of undertaking robust consultation with clubs, schools and local authorities to establish a detailed needs analysis for the sport, Ulster Hockey estimate £10 million is required to ensure ongoing growth and provide parity with other preeminent sports.

“In many regions, the sport faces challenges based around the number of pitches available, leading to clubs being unable to access significant pitch time to cater for the numbers wishing to access the sport.”

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