Pass It Forward: Giving Old Sticks New Stories

Richie Owen
3 days ago
2 min read

When you’ve spent years playing a sport, in this case Hockey, it’s easy to forget how it all started. The exciting buzz to Saturday mornings, new kit or the first goal that made you fall in love with the game.

Now, Hockey Fever, a Gloucestershire-based grassroots hockey hub, is launching a campaign to help the next generation experience that same magic.

It’s called Pass It Forward, and it’s all about giving your old hockey stick a new story.

A simple idea with a big impact...

Across Gloucestershire, hundreds of players, families and clubs have old sticks gathering dust in garages and cupboards. Instead of leaving them unused, Pass It Forward invites the community to donate their pre-loved sticks so they can be passed on to young players who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford new equipment.

Every stick donated helps a child join their first session, build confidence on and off the pitch and join a sport we all know brings so much more to people’s life than exercise.

“We want to remove the barriers that stop kids from trying hockey,” explains Richie Owen-Henderson, Director at Hockey Fever. “Something as simple as not having a stick can be the difference between joining a team and sitting on the side-lines. Pass It Forward turns that around, it’s about community, sustainability and giving others the same start we once had.”

How to get involved...

Local clubs, schools and sports shops across Gloucestershire are signing up as official drop-off points, making it easy for anyone to donate. You can:

Drop off your old stick at your next Hockey Fever training session, Hockey Fever camp, Hockey Fever tournament or a participating venue.

Donate any time of year, collections are ongoing.

Email admin@hockeyfever.co.uk to become an official drop-off point.

Each junior stick will be cleaned, checked and re-distributed to a young player ready to start their own hockey journey.

A story of community and sustainability...

The campaign not only supports accessibility in sport but also promotes sustainability, it’s recycling for a cause. By breathing new life into old equipment, Pass It Forward reminds us that small gestures can make a big difference.

We’re encouraging all local players and parents who wish to join in, to share photos and videos of their donations using the hashtag #PassItForwardHockey on Instagram to help spread the word.

About Hockey Fever...

Founded to nurture grassroots hockey and celebrate the sport at all levels across Gloucestershire. Hockey Fever runs weekly community sessions, holiday camps and events across Gloucestershire. Its mission is simple to grow the game by making it fun, inclusive and accessible to everyone.

So, if you’ve got an old stick collecting dust, it might just have one more story left in it.

Let’s pass it forward.