Leicester Hockey Club Making Positive Changes In The Community

Leicester City Hockey Club is helping to provide game-changing support off the field after throwing its doors open to the local community.

n April 2019, the club took ownership of their home at St Margaret's Pastures Sports Centre after years on the road at venues across the city.

Now fully focused on developing its charitable arm, the club is offering care groups and charities a base to support their residents as well as partnering with a local school.

"The big thing we really want to do is make sure that the venue is used during the day because there's a lot of charities that are very keen on daytime interventions and projects," said Sarah Treanor, Leicester City's first team manager.

"Thursday is our community day, so we've linked with Leicester City in the Community, who are one of our partners.

"There's all sorts of delivery with different client groups including homeless people, asylum seekers and a group called New Arrivals, which are people that are brand new to this country.

Plans are in place to expand the provision, while the club is also in the process of launching its own charity to create an opportunities fund.

They have also formed partnerships with four local schools including Castle Mead Academy thanks to the Commonwealth Games legacy fund, allowing children to pick from a range of after school activities including hockey.

"Castle Mead is a new secondary school in the city and their enthusiasm is boundless. The after school hockey provision is a delivery to energetic students who may have never otherwise played or seen hockey and it's great that we can engage them in something different and give them the chance to learn a new sport. In time we hope we can excite the students by holding a festival and some fixtures and show them our venue and our pitch eventually leading to players choosing hockey as their hobby and something they want to pursue on weekends."

Source and Image: England Hockey