Are you ready and raring to get back on the pitch? Read on to find out all about our WHC ‘Return to Play’ plan and the five steps you must take before we can proceed.

Some good news at last – EH have approval to proceed to the level 4 Back to Hockey stage, which will enable full training and localised matches to take place – subject to each club putting into place all the necessary obligatory measures.

We have commenced putting in place the steps needed to help you return to the field BUT need your help and co-operation to make this work.

We will keep you posted to where we are at every stage of our ‘Return to Play’ plan. As soon as we have everything in place, for all grounds, it should enable us to commence all group training sessions, and start playing matches.

Here’s what you need to do today

Follow our five quick and easy steps…

1.      Register for Winchester Hockey Club on Teamo* - our new club membership app

2.      Update and complete your acceptance of the club’s revised privacy policy** on the app

3.      Complete England Hockey’s registration form – HERE (this includes all U18 players who must be registered by a parent or guardian)

4.      Download and read the guides on our website here for safe playing / officiating

5.      Follow the safe playing / officiating guidance at all times to keep you and your teammates safe

Important note for all: The club will not be able to participate in matches and full training until members have completed the above stages. Members will not be able to participate in any event unless they have registered.

*The Teamo app is available for download via the App Store and Google Play. Its quick and easy to download to your mobile and the aim is to provide a seamless membership experience, including registration, payment, fixture visibility, easy access to the latest club updates and more.

**The latest privacy policy primarily advises you that to play, data may be shared with EH & NHS Track & Trace if there is a case of Covid-19.

We need volunteers immediately to create our WHC Back to Hockey team

We desperately need some of our wonderful members to join our Back to Hockey team. Without this team we will be unable to proceed. We need a Covid Representative for each of the sections (Ladies, Men’s and Juniors) plus an overall Chief Covid Co-ordinator. Can you or someone you know help?

Find out what’s involved HERE. If you can spare some time and help us all, please contact chairman@winchesterhc.co.uk.

More information on each aspect of the Return to Play plan, including a number of useful short guides, these can now be accessed via the club documents section on our website here.

[NB: EH will continue to pursue the process all the way back to full competitive club league & cup hockey (Level 5) but this will without doubt be dependent on all Clubs being able to demonstrate their capability to play within the new Covid-19 regulations, and also on full availability of pitches & facilities across all clubs. However, the club continues to plan for a season commencement in September].

Other news.

Club Hockey Day – celebrate the start of the season!

We intend to hold a Club Hockey weekend over the weekend of the 5th and 6th September (Seniors on the Saturday, Juniors – Mini’s to U18 on the Sunday). There will be a schedule of matches for different groups throughout each day, and hopefully we will have refreshments, food and marquee organised.

This will be the first opportunity to get playing since March, and we hope to make it as special a day as possible, operating within the new EH guidelines. To register your interest to participate please confirm your availability on the Teamo App now. (Ladies and Men’s 1st teams will play a fixture at home, and should confirm availability against their respective matches).

We also intend to make all awards to the winners of last seasons club awards during this day.

Please don’t forget you must have completed all of steps 1-4 of our return to hockey plan to participate in any club training / coaching or match event, home or away.

Club Awards Dinner. Regretfully, there is no indication of any suitable change in regulations that would permit such a mass gathering so we have made the decision to have to cancel this years Dinner. We have provisionally booked and scheduled a date for the end of 20-21 season dinner on 24th April 2021 – so please put this date in your diary.

Summer camps

Our final week of summer camp sessions, which will run on Monday - Friday during the week commencing 17th August, and is now available for booking. All U18 players are reminded that they will also have to register with EH HERE, prior to attending, and we will operate these sessions to the new level 4 EH guideline standards.

Best wishes

Andy Craig

Chairman

PS – Don’t forget to make contact if you can help – it will be appreciated