Dozens of new members have joined Wolverhampton and Tettenhall Hockey Club as the feel good factor from Team GB's Gold Medal winning Olympics continues.

Over 35 people signed up at the club's HockeyFest event at WV Active Aldersley on Saturday (3 September, 2016), while visitors young and old enjoyed the chance to have a go at the sport.

And the club is hoping to encourage even more people to take up the sport when it launches new Back to Hockey sessions on Monday evenings from 12 September. The sessions, which will take place weekly at the City of Wolverhampton Council run leisure centre from 7pm to 8pm, are supported by Great Britain Hockey and aimed at beginners and former players.

Club chairman Sean Spinks said: "We had a tremendous response to HockeyFest despite Saturday's terrible weather. People have clearly been inspired by the tremendous performance of the Team GB women's hockey team at the Rio Olympics and we're delighted to welcome them to our club.

"Now we are looking forward to launching Back to Hockey sessions at WV Active Aldersley next week and I would encourage anyone who has either not played the sport before, or hasn't picked up a stick for a long time, to come along and have a go."

Wolverhampton and Tettenhall Hockey Club is the oldest of its kind in the city with a history stretching back more than a century.

It has been training at WV Active Aldersley for more than 15 years, and in that time worked with the council to secure £100,000 from England Hockey to relay the 2 Astroturf pitches used by the club. As a result WV Active Aldersley is now regarded as the top hockey facility in the Black Country.

Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: "I am pleased that the relationship between Wolverhampton and Tettenhall Hockey Club and WV Active Aldersley is going from strength to strength, and that hockey in Wolverhampton continues to increase in popularity."

For more information about the Back to Hockey sessions or Wolverhampton and Tettenhall Hockey Club log on to Type=links;Linkid=7470;Title=Wolverhampton and Tettenhall Hockey Club;Target=_blank; or call Tim Lorimer on 07971 899084.

WV Active Aldersley is run by the City of Wolverhampton Council and is on Hugh Porter Way, Aldersley.

It offers a fitness gym and exercise studio, athletics track, velodrome, outdoor tennis and netball courts, sports pitches and indoor arena for badminton, tennis, indoor bowls, five-a-side football and more.

More information about WV Active is available by logging on to Type=links;Linkid=4852;Title=WV Active;Target=_blank; or by calling 01902 551010.

  • released: Wednesday 7 September, 2016