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BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE RGS is building the Worcester International Hockey Centre at Perdiswell (WR3 7SW). The facility is favourably located at just over one mile from RGS Worcester and RGS Springfield, and half a mile from RGS The Grange. It is less than a 15 minute drive from RGS Dodderhill. The facility will comprise: • • • • •
Two International standard water-based Hockey pitches Floodlighting for the Hockey pitches Two grass Football pitches A pavilion with eight changing rooms Car parking facilities
This development will regenerate neglected land, provide a permanent home for Worcester Hockey Club and will be accessible to the local community. The site design has incorporated features to minimise environmental impact, to protect biodiversity and to ensure sustainability. The facility will be accessible to the community with the University and local schools able to hire it for training, fixtures and coaching camps. RGS will provide Hockey coaching sessions to primary schools as part of its extensive Outreach and Partnership programme. It is expected that more than 1,000 sports enthusiasts will benefit from the facility each week.
Construction is on schedule for the Centre to be fully open in September 2021.
OUR VISION There is a long history of Hockey being played at RGS and the Alice Ottley School. The pitch installed at RGS The Grange in 2006 widened the opportunity for pupils to participate and signalled the intent to develop the sport within the School. In recent years the focus has been on Girls’ Hockey with increasingly successful performances culminating in representation at different age groups in the National Finals. RGS teams are now competing as one of the top Hockey schools in the country. We wish to replicate this opportunity with Hockey for boys at RGS. This new Centre will provide our pupils and staff with the facilities needed to progress rapidly. While we strive for honours and success, our core principal at RGS remains ‘Sport for All’. Put simply, this means that we wish for every child to have the opportunity to find their level across a wide range of sports, including Hockey, with expert coaches to guide them. The mental well-being derived from regular physical exercise and from positive shared experiences with teammates in a supportive environment, is integral to an RGS education and supports academic endeavours in the classroom. This £2.9m development is being funded innovatively by working closely with Worcester City Council and Worcester Hockey Club. To help offset the cost, we are asking parents, staff, alumni and the local community to consider ‘buying a brick’ and/or to sponsor aspects of the facility. Your visible support at the Centre for the School and for Hockey will be greatly appreciated by everyone in the local community who will benefit from the facility. I look forward to meeting pupils, their families and our alumni at the Centre when it opens in September 2021. Most of all, I look forward to our pupils enjoying this amazing opportunity to develop their Hockey. John Pitt - RGS Worcester Headmaster
REASONS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT The new pitches will ensure we have the space to provide additional high quality games lessons for boys and girls of all abilities, across all age groups from the four RGS schools. When taken alongside the pitch at RGS The Grange, our fixture programme can be expanded and RGS Hockey teams will have the space to prepare thoroughly for competitive games and major tournaments. Having regular access to a playing surface that is normally the preserve of elite Hockey teams is an exceptional opportunity for RGS pupils. It will raise our profile as a top Hockey school and will make Worcester International Hockey Centre a sporting venue of national significance. Partnering with Worcester Hockey Club at the Centre offers a pathway for our pupils to make further use of the facility and for RGS Hockey players to continue playing after they have left the School. Leanne Bennett - RGS Head of Hockey The addition of a top class facility, alongside the high level of coaching support each Hockey player receives at RGS, will significantly strengthen our provision across girls and boys sport. Contact time and space will allow each player to improve their technical skills, tactical knowledge and understanding of the game. The water-based playing surface is state-of-the-art and will enable pupils to develop the skills needed to manoeuvre the ball more quickly and more effectively. This will build individuals’ confidence within a familiar, yet professional environment. Having this facility will really help develop Hockey at grass-roots level and encourage more people to participate in the Worcestershire area. I am really excited about this development and look forward to realising its potential. Sally Walton - RGS Head Hockey Coach and Team GB Olympic Medallist
The Foundation is raising funds to contribute to the cost of the Centre. Grants have been applied for through the Foundation Office and the ‘buy-a-brick’ opportunity launched in conjunction with Worcester Hockey Club has proven to be popular. We would like as many RGS parents and alumni as possible to purchase a brick or paving stone which will be installed at the Centre. This prominent display will reflect the support given to the Worcester community. The bricks are priced with options ranging from £25-£348. There are also larger sponsorship items available which offer highprofile opportunities to promote businesses at the new Centre. A list of options is included and staff in the Foundation Office will be pleased to discuss these in more detail. Thank you for whatever level of support you can offer. Tim Curtis - RGSW and AOS Foundation Chair of Trustees
HOW TO SUPPORT Buy-a-Brick www.rgswandaos.foundation/pages/buy-a-brick Bricks and stones can be purchased on the above website and all funds raised by the Foundation will be applied against the costs incurred constructing the facility. A Certificate of Thanks will be issued for every purchase. We are grateful to those who have already purchased. The deadline to order is 30 June 2021.
SPONSORSHIP Sponsorship Companies or individuals can sponsor various aspects of the Centre. If you would like to discuss the sponsorship opportunities then please contact Scott MacDonald, Foundation Director at the School on 01905 613391 or foundation@rgsw.org.uk Price Timeframe
Tree Sponsorship
£500 £5,000
3 Years
£30,000
5 Years
Changing Room Sponsorship x 8
The changing room wil be sponsored and the name of the company / logos featured on the door and on the boards inside.
Pitch Sponsorship x 2
The company name becoming the name of the hockey pitch, with agreed signage located at the pitch.
Hockey Centre Sponsorship
POA 10 Years
Sponsorship of the whole facility which the sponsor will name. The facility and company logos will be displayed at agreed locations around the facility.
Please note that sponsorship agreements will be with Worcester International Hockey Limited (WIHL), of which RGS Worcester is a joint partner. The Foundation is acting as an unpaid agent on behalf of the WIHL in promoting this opportunity.