As clubs look to increase participation in hockey, one initiative in London has recently accessed the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme to encourage children with less opportunities to play.
Inspired by Marcus Rashford during Covid, HAF provides vouchers for children receiving free school meals for holiday camps, as long as a freshly cooked meal is provided.
Quick Start Hockey, an outreach charity run in partnership by Wimbledon and Merton HCs, has been running since 2017 and has introduced thousands of state school children to the sport.
Founder Paul Knowles said: “We have worked with most of the schools in the borough, providing equipment, PE sessions and after-school clubs and have seen some real successes with children progressing to local clubs and in some cases county squads and Talent Academies. It just shows the interest and talent is out there and we’ve been fortunate in getting funding from Merton Council, the AELTC Foundation and London Hockey.”
Last summer, Quick Start Hockey piloted a three-day camp to co-incide with the Paris Olympics, inviting existing local club members and opening it up for HAF vouchers.
“We didn’t know if it would be popular, but the Council did all the ground work in terms of marketing and administration, so we could focus on designing a day that would appeal to beginners as well as club players,” said Chris Walker, lead coach. “It was great to see so many new children trying the sport and a number signed up for a free place when the season started in September.”
A £200m extension to the HAF programme was recently announced by the government and Walker would encourage other clubs to look at HAF.
He added: “Holiday camps are often seen as a money-spinner for clubs, but we’ve tried to make them affordable and accessible in order to generate longer-term benefits in terms of increased participation.”
