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Uddingston Hockey Club has announced it has agreed a three-year sponsorship with local business Douglas Park BMW, who will become the lead sponsor of the club’s in-school coaching programme.
This programme currently consists of four full-time club coaches who go out into the community and carry out taster sessions across various schools, with different classes being included each term aiming to establish lunch and after school clubs within each school.
This agreement with Douglas Park BMW has allowed the club to expand the programme to include 15 primary and 5 secondary schools from South & North Lanarkshire, and the East end of Glasgow, to take part within the programme with over 18,000 different children being given taster sessions over the full school year.
The first term (August to October) of the Douglas Park in-school programme is now complete and has got off to a flying start with the focus being on primary 5 to 7, and 1st year, within secondary schools which has seen the establishment of 32 lunch / after school clubs. Numbers attending these clubs range from 25 to 70 pupils per club with attendance only limited at times by the schools own facilities.
This agreement with Douglas Park BMW has also allowed the club to offer the chance for each school to utilise Uddingston’s world-class hockey pitch based at its grounds in Uddingston. All schools now have the option to utilise the clubs own facility for in-school taster sessions, or to hold after school clubs at the facility with coaching and transport being provided, to not only enhance the quality of the experience and coaching, but also to allow the pupils to see the facility they would attend if they decided to then progress from school clubs to Uddingston Hockey Clubs own youth coaching sessions.
The second term (October to December) will also see the beginning of inter-school matches for primary 6 & 7 children where excitement will be at an all time high as schools look to play head-to-head to be crowned the top school within the programme. The programme will also be continuing with the renowned school festivals for primary 4 & 5 where more than 500 children take part over the 3-day festival.
Uddingston Hockey Club has said it would like to thank Douglas Park BMW for the support, without whom they could not deliver such an extensive and rewarding programme, encouraging not just participation in the sport but also promoting an active lifestyle and social interactions across the community.
(Scottish Hockey UK, 31 October 2016)
