A MAJOR housebuilder has shown its commitment to a local city hockey club by extending its sponsorship for the thirteenth year.
Edinburgh Hockey Club, known locally as “CALA Hockey”, has welcomed the news that CALA Homes (East) will continue its sponsorship for another year.
The announcement comes at a time of excitement and hope for the sport, with outdoor contact sports for 12–17-year-olds resuming in April. CALA’s financial commitment will support the club as it continues to navigate its return to training and matches over the coming months.
Club President Colin Fraser, said: “CALA’s sponsorship will be integral in our post-Covid return to normality. While we were unable to train for the majority of last year, we’re looking to be back training full time by early summer.
“CALA’s sponsorship allows us to buy new equipment, provide match opportunities for all ages and levels, and increase participation. One thing that’s come to the fore in the past year is the huge benefit of fitness and sport for physical and mental health, so it’s great to see businesses like CALA supporting teams and clubs in local communities.
“At Edinburgh Hockey we believe we’re kindred spirits with CALA in the sense that we strive to be the best. CALA has a reputation for excellence and we are proud to have the name emblazoned on our shirts.
“Around Edinburgh we’re probably more commonly known as “CALA Hockey.”
The club is a merger of Edinburgh Gymnasts founded in 1922 and Edinburgh Civil Service founded in 1958, becoming Edinburgh Hockey Club in 2005. It has stayed close to its home roots and built its reputation, not only playing top-flight hockey but also actively encouraging young people to take up the sport. The club currently holds the title of Under-16 Scottish Champions.
Colin added: “Since our relationship with CALA started back in 2009, we’ve had more than 20 young players represent Scotland from U16s to full international, including Great Britain defender Amy Costello, who will be competing at Tokyo this summer.
“But it’s not just about the top players – It’s about participation. We want to be a role model for other clubs by being as inclusive as possible. We have everyone from under eights to over 80s playing with us and are considering how to facilitate disabled hockey once restrictions allow.
“At the moment we have more than 650 players, with 400 parent supporters – all of us are grateful to CALA for helping us continue to nurture Scotland’s future hockey stars.”
Through an outreach programme, the club engages with more than 250 high school students from Edinburgh and the surrounding area, including Boroughmuir High School, Firrhill High School and Holyrood High School.
Throughout lockdown, the club has continued supporting its members’ wellbeing by coordinating a series of online challenges and fitness sessions. The most recent challenge saw more than 200 members covering a total of 25,000 km by walking, running, or cycling, to ‘visit’ other hockey clubs around the world.
Phillip Hogg, Sales and Marketing Director with CALA Homes (East), said: “Edinburgh Hockey Club is a huge part of the city’s sporting community and a great asset to players of all ages, and we’re delighted to continue our support.
“We look forward to seeing players return safely to both training and competitive fixtures over the coming weeks and months.”
