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You are in: Home >> Media Centre >> Sponsors PartnersHockey is essentially an amateur sport, even though it has a substantial base of support and is played all the way up to Olympic levels. This means that it is funded through the pockets of the players and members of the clubs, but also requires partnerships, various in nature, to survive, let alone flourish. The fact that hockey, as a surprisingly widely-played sport, does so is a tribute to a number of organisations. For Chelmsford Hockey Club, chief amongst these is Chelmsford Borough Council. Since 1971, the Council has been an enthusiastic supporter of Chelmsford Sports Club and its component members, the Hockey and Cricket clubs. Starting with the foundation and continued maintenance of several grass pitches, in addition to the establishment of a custom-built clubhouse and changing rooms, the Council was a willing participant in the sport as it developed, especially when it became an artificial pitch based game. As a result, in 1989 the Council provided 90% of the funding towards a sand-based all-weather pitch, with the Hockey Club, as a junior partner, providing the remaining 10%. This meant that, while the pitch was available for other sports during the week, it would be used for hockey only during most of the weekend. Moving on ten years or so, Chelmsford Borough Council lent a further helping hand in ensuring the successful bid for funding from Sport England to allow a major overhaul of the existing facilities and to provide a state-of-the-art water-based pitch in keeping with the demands of the modern game. As mentioned above, another significant partner of Chelmsford Hockey Club has been Sport England, which not only provided the funding, but also the very necessary guidance and advice to create the marvellous facilities that now exist at Chelmer Park. They did so in the knowledge that the Club had a long-standing reputation of developing the sport across all age groups, as well as at all levels of ability and were confident that their support would encourage this to continue. In addition, the Hockey Association (forerunner of English Hockey) identified Chelmsford Hockey Club as the location for new facilities as part of the English Institute of Sport’s strategy to promote sporting excellence. While it is critical for a top-flight club to enjoy success at the highest national levels, it must never be forgotten that the sport (and the facilities) exists for all members and the community at large. It is very apparent that, with the most successful clubs in amateur sport, the two (success and accessibility) tend to go hand-in-hand and it is very evident to Sport England that this was and remains the case at Chelmsford Hockey Club. In terms of the sport of hockey specifically, it is quite understandable that Chelmsford, as one of the top clubs in the country, enjoys good relationships and a close partnership with the game’s governing bodies, both at national and regional level. From the English Hockey League, through Essex Hockey to the Umpires Association, the Club has fostered excellent relationships with its partners and, indeed, has provided many administrators and umpires at all echelons within the sport. The success of Chelmsford Hockey Club is also founded on the generous support of sponsors, both individual and corporate. The issue of sponsorship is dealt with in greater detail elsewhere in this brochure, but one particular sponsor, Teakglobe Trading was the major source of support, both financial and otherwise, for the Club in the last decade and its involvement has continued through Peninsular Mining Consultants SA. This is not to diminish the support that Chelmsford has received in the past and continues to receive from other generous sponsors. Without their help, it is without question that much less would have been achieved. Finally, it would be remiss not to record the substantial amount of money that has been raised for Chelmsford Hockey Club by its own membership, either through direct donation or through the creation and support of various fund-raising functions. The Management and members are very much grateful to all who have supported Chelmsford Hockey Club, now and in the past, whatever the level of their contribution. |
Partner of the Page Inter Sport
Chelmsford Hockey Club is proud to be sponsored by: Inter SportWebsite Charltons Website Edmund Carr Chartered Accountants Website For further information about sponsorship please visit our sponsor's page. |