Hormead Hares Football Club
Hormead Hares Football Club was founded in late 2000 with a handful of boys training on a local playing field
During the spring of 2001 we got together enough children to form an under 10 team, we then needed somewhere to play and approached the Hormead Sports Association who had an overgrown field if we could use that, we worked hard preparing the area to make it playable. More children joined during the summer months and we eventually had enough players to enter teams at five different age groups in the local Youth League. Everything was (and still is) self funded and we welcome children of all abilities and disabilities.
We realised early on that it was not just about football, we were teaching the children respect and responsibility as well as team building, also giving them a purpose and a sense of belonging. The other obvious benefit was to their health and we have subsequently attended nutrition courses which have been of benefit to children and parents alike, we are currently using this knowledge to help a local school to get a healthy living award.
In November of the first season seven parents qualified as F.A. coaches, the course includes emergency first aid and a child protection workshop. During October 2002 we were able to attain the Standard Charter Mark from the F.A., one of the youngest Clubs from set up to be awarded this. In 2006 we were awarded the Queens Award for voluntary service, one of a handful of sports clubs to be honoured in this way.
Children from problem families have joined us and one notably has become a qualified coach at the Club, another child who had been verbally abused by his father and as a result the family had split up, found a steadying male influence at the Club which restored his confidence around men and as a result the family has been re-united.
Due to the Club’s success we had to rent a further six acres of land and we now have three 11 a side pitches, four mini soccer pitches and two training areas. The Parish Council have recently taken control of our original pitches which means that although we are still able to rent it we are restricted in this as it needs to be available to the wider community.
We take boys and girls from the age of five and have mixed sex teams at under 7, 8, 9 and 10. Boys teams at under 11 through to under 17 and girls teams at under 11, 13 and 16, and a Ladies team, about 240 members altogether. Each team has two qualified coaches and many other helpers all of which are volunteers. The intention is to take as many that wish to continue playing into adult football forming our own teams and where ever possible re-generating surrounding village teams. We have provided a much needed facility in an area of rural isolation and the entire community has benefited from our work as many other parents and children use the playing fields now and the amount of vandalism in the village has decreased significantly.
We rent a small pavilion from the Parish Council which has just two changing rooms and two toilets. We also run a small tea bar which provides refreshment for players and parents and a place to meet after the matches.
We have sent two sets of our old shirts to The Gambia for the children at local schools, as well as training shoes and other items of kit.
We are currently trying to find an alternative site for the Club where we can have our own facilities. One idea is to rent more land from the farmer we have our other pitches from but this is causing some concern amongst the villagers. We have already discussed the possibility of funding with Hertfordshire FA and they are willing to help us with the project, as well as East Herts Council from whom we have obtained grants from in the past.
Hormead Hares Football Club was founded in late 2000 with a handful of boys training on a local playing field
During the spring of 2001 we got together enough children to form an under 10 team, we then needed somewhere to play and approached the Hormead Sports Association who had an overgrown field if we could use that, we worked hard preparing the area to make it playable. More children joined during the summer months and we eventually had enough players to enter teams at five different age groups in the local Youth League. Everything was (and still is) self funded and we welcome children of all abilities and disabilities.
We realised early on that it was not just about football, we were teaching the children respect and responsibility as well as team building, also giving them a purpose and a sense of belonging. The other obvious benefit was to their health and we have subsequently attended nutrition courses which have been of benefit to children and parents alike, we are currently using this knowledge to help a local school to get a healthy living award.
In November of the first season seven parents qualified as F.A. coaches, the course includes emergency first aid and a child protection workshop. During October 2002 we were able to attain the Standard Charter Mark from the F.A., one of the youngest Clubs from set up to be awarded this. In 2006 we were awarded the Queens Award for voluntary service, one of a handful of sports clubs to be honoured in this way.
Children from problem families have joined us and one notably has become a qualified coach at the Club, another child who had been verbally abused by his father and as a result the family had split up, found a steadying male influence at the Club which restored his confidence around men and as a result the family has been re-united.
Due to the Club’s success we had to rent a further six acres of land and we now have three 11 a side pitches, four mini soccer pitches and two training areas. The Parish Council have recently taken control of our original pitches which means that although we are still able to rent it we are restricted in this as it needs to be available to the wider community.
We take boys and girls from the age of five and have mixed sex teams at under 7, 8, 9 and 10. Boys teams at under 11 through to under 17 and girls teams at under 11, 13 and 16, and a Ladies team, about 240 members altogether. Each team has two qualified coaches and many other helpers all of which are volunteers. The intention is to take as many that wish to continue playing into adult football forming our own teams and where ever possible re-generating surrounding village teams. We have provided a much needed facility in an area of rural isolation and the entire community has benefited from our work as many other parents and children use the playing fields now and the amount of vandalism in the village has decreased significantly.
We rent a small pavilion from the Parish Council which has just two changing rooms and two toilets. We also run a small tea bar which provides refreshment for players and parents and a place to meet after the matches.
We have sent two sets of our old shirts to The Gambia for the children at local schools, as well as training shoes and other items of kit.
We are currently trying to find an alternative site for the Club where we can have our own facilities. One idea is to rent more land from the farmer we have our other pitches from but this is causing some concern amongst the villagers. We have already discussed the possibility of funding with Hertfordshire FA and they are willing to help us with the project, as well as East Herts Council from whom we have obtained grants from in the past.
© 2010 Braughing Parish Council and Braughing Parochial Church Council
Contacts
Peter Worby
You can contact Peter by email here.
Location
Green Lane
Braughing
Hertfordshire
SG11 2QN
Map Link here
Peter Worby
You can contact Peter by email here.
Location
Green Lane
Braughing
Hertfordshire
SG11 2QN
Map Link here
