Fund-raising requirement for Avoca Hockey Club.

Dear members,

We’re writing to you today to highlight the need for funding around the resurfacing of our pitch as we move forward in our relationship with Newpark Comprehensive. The Newpark Pitch was last updated nearly 20 years ago now and is in urgent need of a resurface, it had been scheduled to be resurfaced in the last two years but of course COVID had an impact with this plan. The club has carried out several maintenance jobs in the meantime to keep the pitch playable recently ordering an extensive cleaning job over the Christmas period just gone. You can see quite clearly how much debris has been collected in the surface from the photos below.

Avoca in conjunction with Newpark Comprehensive have succeeded in securing generous sports capital grants and we now need to work together to raise the funding not covered by grants.

The club is asking you the members for your support in this resurfacing effort and has several avenues for you to help –

• Regular or one-off donations: No amount is too small! The club can offer tax credits in return for personal donations toward the resurfacing of the pitch.
• Hoarding Sponsorship:  You may have observed the removing of our Newpark Pitch advertisement boards (known as hoardings) over the last couple of months as we look for new hoarding sponsors. The club would love to speak to any business owners or members whose companies would consider sponsoring a hoarding.
• Jersey Sponsorship: The club has numerous teams across multiple age levels, and we would welcome partnership opportunities with you or your company.

The club has established a fund-raising subcommittee to help with the club’s impending funding requirements and would welcome the time and help of any members with fund raising experience.

If you can help Avoca Hockey Club with any of the above, please reach out the club’s development officer Leo Sex at: Leopoldsex@gmail.com or PH: 0871130938

The deadline for registering for our EGM is on Friday 7th January with the EGM being held on Monday 10th January at 7.45pm.

The Board of Avoca Hockey Club CLG made a decision at a Board meeting held on 22nd November 2021 to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Company (Club) on 10th January 2022 at 7.45 pm. The EGM will be held by zoom. Please email the Club Secretary to register to attend. Registration will close on 7th January at midnight. All members are entitled to attend but only those with voting rights may vote.

The EGM is being held to ask members to vote to replace the current operative Memorandum & Articles of Association (M&A’s) of the Club (Exhibit A) with a proposed M&A’s (Exhibit B). 75% of voting members present must approve this change for it to come into effect. The background to this proposed change and a summary of the changes proposed and their effect is set out in the attached briefing note (Exhibit C).

Should the members vote to adopt the proposed M&A’s then the members will be asked at the EGM to elect two Foundation Directors and to elect a Club Chairperson. Any adult member may be elected to these roles. The names of nominees for Foundation Directors and Chairperson that have been received by the Club Secretary by midnight on 7th January will be circulated to prior to EGM. Nominees must be proposed and seconded by Club members eligible to vote and in attendance at the EGM for their names to put to Club members for election.

Following the Annual General Meeting the Club sought advice on the voting of rights of current members under the operative M&A’s. The Club’s Solicitors, Mason Hays Curran, advise that Full, Student (over 18), Vet, Life, Social and Non-Playing members are eligible to vote if they have paid their subscription as set by the Board inc if its zero as in the case of Life members.

Here’s a summary:

GK training with – thanks to Brian, SoftCo & Ayeisha 

COVID support funding secured – support Sports Ireland and HI

Family Fun day – super success – more to come

Congratulations to Boys and Girls U16 & U18 Leinster representatives – best of luck re Irish trials

Great participation and results across all teams in the club – special call out for Women’s U18’s 

St Andrew’s pitches being used with great feedback

Hockey Ireland EGM – aligned to our vote in support of HI

Our DOH – moving to a new role outside Avoca, more details in the new year

Coming up…

Pitch cleaning – before return in January

Equipment grant update – start to be delivered in January – benefits across all sites

Avoca EGM – planned for early January – opportunity to set us up for more future success

Finally – on behalf of your committee and board, love to wish you all Happy and Safe festive break and see you all in the new year.

As we all count down the days till the new league season commences, here’s a word from your President Ben Geoghegan. Read here.

Phyllis Taylor sadly passed away on the 6^th September 2021. She will be fondly remembered by the older cohort of Avoca Hockey Club as she was married to Brian (BHT) Taylor (decd) who was a devoted member of the club for many years. She is survived by her two children Jenny (O’Halloran) and Simon.

Her two grandsons Oisin and Shane have also played in the Avoca Colours and we take this opportunity to convey our deepest sympathies to them and their family

May she rest in Peace