Thanks to everyone who came down to the Club on 7th August for our Club Fun Day and marking of the official opening of the Green Pitch following the project to improve this key club facility - and another milestone completing Phase 1b of Project 18. The new LED Lights have been installed the final major element of the Project.

It was great to see families of all ages from the youngest under 5's , parents, siblings, players to our Patron John Wood and President Nick Burnett all having a go at our cricket, football, hockey and lacrosse #4sportschallenge ! Nick and John definitely look like they are ready to make their Walking Hockey debuts having tested the speed gun challenge !

The Green Pitch Project has been one of the highlights since the start of the pandemic - and was possible due to the commitment of the Club and its members to have the confidence to continue to invest in our facilities during a period of great uncertainty.

The Pitch was officially opened by:
_ Nick Burnett, President and Director, Timperley Sports Club
- Chris Reece, Vice President of England Hockey and Chair of North West Hockey

Chris and Nick unveiled the new pitch side signs (attached) including funder and donor details. Take a look at the Photo Album with a few photo's capturing the afternoon's activities!

A few Green Pitch Project factoids!

- the Project is the latest big investment in our member owned community facilities as we continue to improve the club, our facilities and grow participation and keep people active

- the upgraded sand dressed Lano surface is used by all four sports, the local community and schools and most recently has become a base for Manchester Koftball Club too !

- The project cost c £242,000 and this was a brave and significant decision for the Club to make at the start of the 1st Lockdown in April 2020 and testimony to our commitment maintaining and improving our facilities for the community and the confidence of the support and work of our members and families to make it happen

- This is the third artificial pitch in this location, the first going down in 1991 where the old tennis courts used to be, it was re-surfaced in 2006 and in 2020

- Our Members raised over £18,000 in 2020 thorough the Auction and Buying Pitch Squares last Summer towards the cost and all donor's from £5 to £500 were thanks at the opening. Our £100+ donors are recognised on our new pitch side board unveiled at the opening.

- Only two pitch club based hockey facility in North West - great asset to the North West and Cheshire Hockey to have such a facility used for clubs hockey, schools, university and masters hockey

What the Project included:

- significant work to the drainage under and around the pitches
- a new shock pad (the first since 1991!)
- upgraded playing surface from sand filled to sand dressed
- extended and improved spectator area and pitch run off
- new fencing replacing the original 1991 chain-link fence !
- new hockey goals
- and completing the project replacement LED floodlights (installation now complete !)

Project Funding ....

Since TSC became a Community Benefit Society we've identified and been successful in accessing new sources of social investment funding

The project has been possible through £105k of Grant Funding from:
- The National Hockey Foundation (£50K)
- Power to Change (£25k)
- First Ark / Livv Investments (£20k) - Access to Growth Fund
- GMCVO (£10k) - Access to Growth Fund
- Club Fundraising (£18k)
- and social investment loans with First Ark and GMCVO through the Access to Growth Fund

Thanks to all who have supported this project and made it possible and the confidence shown by our grant and loan funders in the vision, plans and business case to replace, without their support the Project would have been deferred, and run the risk of the pitch continuing to flood, the surface degenerating and the being unavailable for use and impacting hire income.

Enjoy the pitch whichever of our sports your play, take a round of applause if you contributed to the project and here's to our next big project replacing the Blue Pitch as we go again !