Mendip Hockey Club held their annual End of Season Awards Dinner recently at Farrington Park Golf Club.
Chair, Andy Baird, began by thanking the committee for their hard work, before each team Captain shared a summary of their season and named their Players of the Year.
Notable award winners were youngsters, Megan Carey and Ben Elkington, who have both made great strides into the realms of Senior hockey this year, and who won the Under-18 Female and Under-18 Male awards, respectively, and Ladies’ Third Team striker, Sharon Watts, who walked away with the Golden Stick award after a phenomenal season in front of goal.
Fixtures Secretary, Karen Inns, was recognised for her efforts in coordinating pitch bookings during a particularly challenging set of weather conditions, and parent and supporter, Juliet Bodman, received the Alan Hall Award for her remarkable enthusiasm this term.
Meanwhile, following the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership’s calamitous decision earlier this year to convert the astroturf at Norton Hill School into a football-friendly 3G pitch, the Mendip Hockey community is continuing to strive to keep hockey available to scores of children and adults in the local area.
Downside School has kindly agreed to host some of the Mendip Ladies’ Summer League games, but their lack of floodlights makes Winter League hockey and training difficult.
Both Chew Valley and Saint Gregory’s Schools have enabled the club to try their pitches with a view to hosting games in the forthcoming season, and the committee is continuing to work to find a solution that recognises the needs and wishes of all of the club’s members.
Carrie Tiley