March Update: First Time on the Ice and What Comes Next...

March has been a big month for Hackney on Ice. One of those moments where everything we have been working towards finally became real.

On 17 March, we delivered our very first introductory ice session, kindly supported by Lee Valley Ice Centre, with Lee Valley Vampires players taking an active role on the day. It is hard to put into words how special that session was.

We were also very grateful to have Ferhat and Chrissy from the IHUK Foundation join us on the day to see the session in action. Their presence and support meant a lot and reinforced that we are moving in the right direction.

The children loved it. The school loved it. And for us, it was incredibly rewarding to see those smiles, the excitement, and that moment when fear turns into confidence. For many of the children, this was their first time ever on the ice. That matters. Those are the moments that stay with them.

We are deeply grateful to Lee Valley for making this possible and to the Vampires players who gave their time, energy and presence. They were brilliant role models and made the experience even more meaningful for the children.

On 26 March, the Vampires visited Gainsborough Primary School, continuing that connection beyond the rink. They spoke to the children about ice hockey, showed them the kit, let them try it on, answered questions, and invited them to come and watch upcoming home games.

That is exactly what grassroots development should look like. It brings the sport to life and shows children that hockey is not something distant — it is something they can be part of.

Go Vampires.

We are also incredibly pleased to share that, thanks to funding from Sport England and the National Lottery, we are now able to schedule funded Skate and Learn sessions for 10 children. This is a huge step forward for the programme.

There have been moments along the way where it felt like an uphill struggle. But this month has shown us that persistence pays off. The support from the ice hockey community around Lee Valley has been incredible, and we are genuinely grateful to everyone who has supported us, believed in the vision, and helped make this happen.

As we move forward, we want to be clear and intentional about what comes next.

Once we complete this first pilot, we will take the time to properly digest the lessons learned and refine the model. For that reason, we will not be launching another pilot immediately. Getting this right matters more than moving fast.

During that period, we will continue building the wider foundations — strengthening partnerships, developing our Adopt a School offer, progressing the coaching pathway, and continuing to raise awareness of the programme and the sport.

This has always been about building an ecosystem, not just delivering sessions.

We want to reassure everyone who has supported us so far that we are fully committed to continuing this programme for as long as we can — until grassroots ice hockey is truly developed in Hackney and beyond. That is the goal, and we are in this for the long term.

This is just the beginning.

Thank you to every partner, supporter, player, school and individual who has been part of this journey so far. We are building this together.

#HackneyOnIce #BreakingTheIce #GrassrootsHockey #HackneySport #CommunitySport #InclusiveSport #LeeValley #LeeValleyVampires #SportEngland #NationalLottery #IHUK #IceHockeyUK #YouthDevelopment #BeTheChange #HackneyOnIceCIC

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