During late 2022, the SHC Executive Committee met with Club Director - Stephen Mina-Jones - to discuss opportunities to boost hockey in Sittingbourne and across the Borough of Swale.
During this meeting, they discussed opportunities to engage local primary and secondary schools in Sittingbourne. The club already has a number of its members working in the education industry and are devising a strategic plan to promote hockey in those schools. The discussion then moved to the wider borough and how they could engage the Isle of Sheppey and Faversham. Faversham has an established hockey club (Faversham Ladies Hockey Club) and SHC wanted to explore the chance to work with them on how the two clubs could boost hockey in that community.
SHC arranged to meet with FLHC and together they reached an agreement that would allow hockey to flourish in Faversham and continue to strengthen hockey in Swale. SHC have some of the best sporting facilities in Swale Borough - encompassing 4 changing rooms with the club house situated above. Our club house has a bar, kitchen, pool table, darts board and it provides an excellent vantage point to watch matches. Alongside this, the club has recently upgraded their match recording equipment and state-of-the-art match analysis and the new playing surface was laid in 2017.
In light in this information, FLHC have moved their home ground to SHC hockey facilities at Borden Grammar School. We caught up with Clare from FLHC and Ed from SHC. Both have kindly provided us with an insight on how they believe this partnership is going to rejuvenate women's and girls' hockey in Swale.
Ed Carter
Chair, Sittingbourne Hockey Club
"As a club, community is key to our growth strategy. Attracting new players from across that community, competing with other sports and attracting players to Winter sports is always a challenge. By working with Faversham, we hope to build on community links in the Swale area, which makes our facilities open to as many sporting communities as possible. This will also help Faversham grow their club and make our top-class facilities available to all. We look forward to working with Faversham in the coming seasons.”
Clare Smithson
Chair, Faversham Ladies Hockey Club
"Faversham Ladies Hockey Club are delighted to partner with Sittingbourne Hockey Club to support the growth of sport across the Swale borough. Established more than forty years ago, originally playing under the name Davington Priory, Faversham Ladies is proud to continue welcoming players of all ages and abilities to their team. The opportunity to join forces with an established club, who have excellent facilities and who work closely with the local community, presented a great opportunity to continue their legacy for generations to come".
If you would like to join either club. Please see their contact details below.
Faversham Ladies Hockey Club https://favershamladies.co.uk
enquiries@favershamladies.co.uk
Sittingbourne Hockey Club
info@sittingbournehc.co.uk