September News Roundup

As we embark on another exciting season, we will endeavour to share a news update each month, to keep you informed with key updates and events. Here’s what’s happening in September.

We were proud to acknowledge the dedication and contributions of several members at our Annual General Meeting in June. Please join me in welcoming the following individuals as Vice Presidents of CHC:

• Tom Cole  
• Lloyd Griffiths  
• Daisy Noble  
• Simon Padley  
• Nick Parker  
• Julia Walker  

Thank you all for your invaluable service and commitment to CHC!

Men’s 1s & 2s: Michael Cupper will lead the coaching team, with strong support from James Waltham and James Masters. The Men’s 1s are determined to push for promotion to the National League, while the 2s focus on securing their spot in a new division after last season’s promotion.  

Men’s 3s: Chris Laird continues as coach and has also taken on the role of Sponsorship Secretary. He’s bringing fresh ideas to boost club funding, including the exciting 'Sponsor a Player' initiative.  

Women’s 1s: Simon Padley remains at the helm, guiding the team to aim for a top-table finish.  

Women’s 2s: Dave Williams, a Men’s 1s player, has generously stepped in to coach the Women’s 2s, who were promoted last season.  

Women’s 3s & 4s: James Bailey takes over as coach, leading the 3s in their push for promotion and preparing the 4s for their inaugural league entry.  

Youth Section: After last season’s exciting finale with the U16G being crowned National Shield Champions, Phil Robson continues to lead our thriving youth programme, which now boasts 60 boys and 92 girls. One girl represented England in the U18 Seven Nations Championship, and another is trialling for the England U16s. While one boy and 6 girls represented the Stourport Talent Academy in the Talent Academy Tournament in July.

We wish all teams and coaches a successful and rewarding season!

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In other news, we send our best wishes to Rob Dent, CHC Men’s Club Captain, who has spent the summer in New Zealand as a hockey coach. Rob has decided to extend his stay for a further 6 months, as he has been invited to go to South Africa with the NZ Hockey Masters for their World Cup, and then act as physio for Wales Masters in Auckland, plus take on some cricket coaching. What a year! 

Following the Men’s successful launch of an O40 team, both the men and women have entered a team into the O35 cup this season. Recently, the women’s O35 team had a friendly fixture against the W2s, which saw many “old girls” returning to the club for a run-around. We will keep you updated on both teams’ success, and obviously publish home fixtures, so you can come and watch some of these familiar faces in action! The men will also run an O45s team as well given the demise of the O40 category.

Good luck to Alex Hay and Jonny Bryan will both represent England in the O40 Masters World Cup in South Africa in October, and Simon Mason who will represent the England O55 Masters in the World Cup in New Zealand.

The condition of the Balcarras pitch is under review. A sub-committee has been formed to explore options, including resurfacing or finding a new home for the club. We will keep you updated on any developments. If you’re interested in being involved in this project, please reach out!

We are always looking for more qualified umpires (and match day officials for the Women’s 1s). If you are interested in becoming a certified umpire or have time to volunteer as a matchday official, we’d love to hear from you.

The CHC summer camp was a fantastic success, attracting up to 60 children each day for five days, and generating a healthy profit which will be invested in our club. Heartfelt thanks to our exceptional coaches and young leaders for making it such a memorable experience for the participants.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more updates as the season progresses. If you have any feedback for the club, please do not hesitate to get in touch.