Cheshire Hockey Development Group

 

Progress Report – Cheshire HA AGM – May 05

 

September 2004 saw the inaugural meeting of the Cheshire Hockey Development Group (CHDG)

 

Background

Cheshire was identified by England Hockey (EH) as one of 5 hockey areas which had not had the opportunity to access development monies and was the County HA was invited to establish a HDG comprising of representatives of all elements of hockey development.  The Group therefore includes representation from CHA, EH, local authorities (Sport Cheshire and the 6 Borough Councils in Cheshire), the 3 Schools and Youth Associations and, importantly, Clubs.

 

The Group, which is integrated within the CHA, is responsible for delivering the National Hockey Strategy in Cheshire and has attracted funding to enable it to do so, having produced an interim development plan.  More latterly the Group has prepared the first year’s action plan of a 4-year Hockey Development Plan; at the time of this report, the Plan is under consideration by EH and if accepted will attract a level of funding sufficient to support the Plan’s first priority which is to fund the employment of a Hockey Development Officer (HDO) for 3 days per week.  Fingers crossed!!!

 

Boundaries

Through Active Sports, both Greater Manchester and Merseyside have received development monies for hockey and through appointed HDOs have been working to a development plan for a number of years.  A number of Cheshire HA affiliated clubs are located in Wirral and South Manchester have accessed and will continue to access, development funds from these sources.

The CHDG is responsible for hockey in the rest of Cheshire but works closely with the other two areas in support of all Cheshire hockey.

 

Interim Plan / Action

The Interim Plan was initially for the period from Sept. 2004 to March 2005 but has now been ‘rolled over’ to Sept. 2005 from when the new Plan will ‘kick in’.   It contained planned funded activities in the areas of coaching, umpiring, Club and County development, and as a result:

§         places for individuals from Cheshire clubs and associations on all levels of coaching and umpiring courses have been subsidised;

§         Clubs considering and/or working towards Clubs 1st Accreditation are being supported via meetings and workshops;

§         volunteers from the two county schools’ and youth associations are being supported on courses and on policy development; and

§         a Young Umpires’ Action Group has been established to plan and support the development of young umpires and recently held its first Foundation Umpiring Course.

but most of all, everyone associated with hockey in Cheshire is working together for the benefit of our sport and long may it continue.

 

Future action

This will clearly depend on the funding decision to be made by EH but whatever the outcome, much energy will continue to be put into delivering as much of the Plan as possible within the limitations of an organisation of volunteers.

 

You can keep up-to-date on progress via the CHA website www.cha.uk.net

 

Elaine Beech

Chair

Cheshire Hockey Development Group