On 14 July, Caradon Hockey Club in Cornwall hosted the Hockey World Cup Festival as part of England Hockey’s Your World Cup campaign. The event served to bring the region’s Hockey Family together, while also raising significant funds for several charities. 

The Festival included a 7-a-side tournament and the 15 teams who entered all adopted a country competing at the Women’s World Cup. Fancy dress, face paint and flags relating to their nations were very much encouraged! 

The event concluded a wider fundraising scheme that Caradon had thought up to celebrate their tenth anniversary this year. In a scheme called ’10-4-10’, the club organised ten events over the course of the season with proceeds going to ten select charities, voted for by club members, which were either local causes or charities they, or their families, had had direct involvement with. 

Helen Manley, Caradon’s Communications Officer, said: “A brilliant amount was raised for charity and with the sun shining it all added up to a fantastic event – all helping build the excitement for the World Cup.”

The invite went out to Caradon members and those from other local clubs. As such, the Festival brought the hockey community together. It was fitting that the winning team, ‘South Africa’, was made up of family members from across Caradon, Bodmin and Bude Hockey Clubs.

Caradon were also mindful of being inclusive of all ability levels. Participants ranged from regular players to people returning to the game and those who had never held a stick before. What everyone had in common, though, were the smiles they wore throughout the day. 

Marcus Alleyne, who had taken a break from hockey for several years before re-joining Caradon, really enjoyed the day. He said: “The World Cup tournament was a perfect example of team work, a brilliant demonstration of club organisation and above all everyone had fun.”

The morning was taken up with a juniors tournament with prizes up for grabs. It was then the turn of the seniors, who played in matches kept to ten-minutes long, owing to the heat! Off pitch, refreshments were made available at a barbeque, tuck shop and ice cream van, and Caradon arranged plenty of fun side-activities such as a HockeyFest shooting net, mini assault-course and tug-of-war competition. 

The tournament winners were awarded a hamper of beers from each of the World Cup countries, with bubbly for the runners-up.  

The event was a fantastic success, so much so that there is talk of making it an annual fixture. Caradon aim to build on it by running their second HockeyFest before the start of the winter season, integrating even more people into the hockey community.  

By Adam Haines