London Hockey Futures is a new community outreach programme launching in August 2023.
London Hockey has created this programme to support clubs / providers in the London Area who can run local hockey projects bringing newcomers to our sport. There are three themes to this: youth; equality/diversity/inclusion (EDI), and under-served areas of London.
We are distributing up to £20,000 to successful applicants in the 2023 - 2024 season.
How it works
1. Eligible project providers
Affiliated London Area clubs or others with equivalent safeguards/capability.
2. Timescales
All organisations looking to run a project need to register with London Hockey by August 31st 2023.
Completed applications can be submitted when you are ready. The aim is for all projects to be delivered in the 2023 - 2024 season.
3. What type of project will be considered?
Your project will:
- take a group of people from a community source
- introduce them to hockey via regular sessions
- encourage them to become a regular participant in our sport
- aim to repeat for the next season
Your project must be an addition to existing hockey activity in London. It will either be the creation of a completely new local project, or the expansion of an existing one.
Your project will chime with one or more of our three themes:
- Youth
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
- Under-served areas of London
Typically, a project will partner with local schools to recruit a group of youngsters, running sessions there, progressing to sessions at a local club, ultimately leading to them joining a hockey club. The project would repeat in subsequent seasons with a new group.
This model does not, however, have to be followed - notably for pan-disability hockey.
We recommend that all potential applicants look at the award-winning Spencer Lynx programme. Other exemplar projects in London are Hockey Inner City, Quick Start Hockey, and, for pan-disability hockey, Flyerz such as London Wayfarers Flyerz.
4. What do project providers have to demonstrate?
Apart from the obvious issues of safeguarding, insurance and the general capacity to run such a project, it’s critical that you can demonstrate the commitment of two partners:
- The source of your participants - typically school(s).
- Their destination - the provider of regular hockey - usually club(s).
We recognise that getting written commitments from sources may be difficult, especially in pre-season. If you are not a club, you will need to partner with club(s) that can provide a seamless transition for your group members.
5. What do project providers have to commit to?
- You will need to sign an agreement (SLA can be found on your right hand side).
- You will need to record and report to us regularly the details of who is benefiting, and publicise your project, mainly through social media. As well as showing how the funds are impacting the sport as your project progresses, it will help us build our profile as we seek funding for the future.
6. What is the project process?
1. Read and understand the enclosed project documents.
2. Register with vicechair@london.hockey by August 31st 2023 if you are intending to run a project, with an outline of it.
3. Complete / submit the application form.
4. London Hockey will assess your application and make a decision.
5. Your project is approved.
6. London Hockey will make an initial payment to you.
7. Your project starts.
8. You will report to us on your activity, and promote it on social media.
9. London Hockey will make any interim payments to you.
10. Your project ends.
11. You will provide a final impact report to us.
12. London Hockey will make a final payment to you.
13. We will produce an Impact Report for the whole London Hockey Futures programme.