London Hockey Futures is a community outreach programme.
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 areas of London under-served by hockey.
We distribute up to £20,000 per annum. Much of this comes from funds we have inherited from predecessor organisations.
Other funding sources
We are one of a number of potential funding sources for community outreach. Information on other funding sources is here
How our programme works
1. Eligible project providers
Affiliated London Area clubs or others with equivalent safeguards/capability.
2. 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)
- Areas of London under-served by hockey
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 schools.
- Their destination - the provider of regular hockey - one or more clubs
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
- You will need to provide data to us regularly on the numbers of who is taking part.
- You will need to publicise your project 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. How do we get involved?
There is an annual mailout to clubs, inviting applications, each summer. Contact us at futures@london.hockey.