Richard Lowry (Snr) has been working extremely hard behind the scenes over the past two years or more putting
this together for Neston South Wirral Hockey Club.
On Sunday 17 Feb 2008 we were assessed
by England Hockey for Club mark. We were officially given the news in May 2008 that we had passed the test!
ENGLAND
HOCKEY CLUB ACCREDITATION SCHEME
Clubs
1st is the England Hockey accreditation scheme for clubs. It is a national recognition
of clubs that can demonstrate that they are working towards minimum operating standards. All clubs achieving Clubs 1st also
achieve the Sport England Clubmark accreditation, a nationally recognised award for sports clubs.
Why do Clubs 1st?
Clubs achieving the CLUBS 1ST award are recognised as working towards providing a Safe, Effective and Child
Friendly hockey Environment. They also receive the CLUBMARK award. County Sports Partnerships and Funding agencies are increasingly
recognising these clubs and choosing to work with them as a priority. There are
also a range of benefits, priority bookings and other services available to Clubs 1st clubs.
See some quotes below from Clubs who rate the process:
"We
found working towards and achieving England Hockey Clubs 1st an enlightening and rewarding experience and I believe that we
are a better club as a result"
J Randle - Kettering HC
"Our
Under 18 girls (who won tickets to the event by winning the first ever Clubs 1st Under 18 tournament) watched the men's
finals on Sunday with their coach and manager, and they all learned a great deal; it was useful for me to attend the Clubs
1st presentation on Monday, 20 August and all the matches that day were tremendous. The young girls and boys from our club
who went as mascots will remember their day at the games for the rest of their lives - a truly awesome experience for them" D. Kirby - Kingston upon Hull HC
