Guidant Global partners with Hockey for Heroes for ‘Operation Last Post’

In support of Hockey for Heroes’ upcoming tour ‘Operation Last Post,’ Guidant Global joins as head tour sponsor to help raise vital funds for the community partner of Help for Heroes.

Global leader in total talent management Guidant Global - powered by the Impellam Group - becomes head tour sponsor for Hockey for Heroes’ upcoming tour ‘Operation Last Post’ - a nine-day hockey and endurance tour set to raise £100,000 for its community partner Help for Heroes.
 
Operation Last Post will see sports men and women playing 54 games of hockey and completing 457 kilometres of military and endurance challenges in eight locations from Friday, May 26 until Saturday, June 3. Challenges include rowing, swimming, running, as well as weighted and stretcher-carry marches.  
 
As a global organisation that empowers businesses to access the best talent, this new partnership reinforces Guidant Global and Impellam Group’s focus on people with passion, diversity and desire to develop a professional career. A valuable part of their commercial strategy is to support the military community by sourcing career opportunities for military veterans and supporting their career development. Supporting the military community further unites the synergy between Guidant Global and Hockey for Heroes, as both organisations strive to connect people from all backgrounds.
 
Joel Forrester, Client Solutions Director, UK & Europe at Guidant Global and Head at Hockey for Heroes, comments: “I am delighted to see these two organisations form a strong partnership that will accelerate the support needed for British military personnel and the families of those who have lost loved ones through conflict.
 
“With its strong network and caring, collaborative nature, Guidant Global is the perfect partner for Hockey for Heroes. The values these organisations share will help to drive diverse thinking, views, styles and approaches while ensuring we retain inclusion and diversity in our businesses.
 
“Our upcoming tour ‘Operation Last Post’ is set to be our biggest and boldest challenge yet; we’re combining both our male and female squads for the first time which further reinforces our position as a diverse, inclusive and well-connected group.” 
 
Simon Blockley CEO at Guidant Global, said: “Through the power of work, we build better businesses and help people lead more fulfilling lives. As part of our commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion, as well as supporting good causes and giving back to communities, we are delighted to be the lead sponsor of Hockey for Heroes’ upcoming tour, Operation Last Post. Guidant Global has a proud heritage of supporting the military and this partnership reinforces our shared values and commitment to serving our communities and to British military personnel.
 
”We look forward to building on this collaboration with Hockey for Heroes, and supporting its squad with this intense tour later this month which combines hockey and endurance challenges.” 
 
The associated hosts supporting ‘Operation Last Post’ include Ben Rhydding Hockey Club, Leeds Hockey Club, Timperley Hockey Club, Leicester Hockey Club, Worcester International Hockey Centre, Southgate Hockey Club, the British Army and Portsmouth Hockey Club. The full schedule for the tour can be found at: www.hockeyforheroes.co.uk
 
To donate, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/OpLastPost 
 
For the latest news and updates on ‘Operation Last Post’, follow Hockey for Heroes on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Hockey for Heroes x Y1 Hockey

Hockey for Heroes is delighted to announce a new partnership with Y1 Hockey as the official kit sponsor.

Y1 Hockey is a young and adventurous field hockey lifestyle brand that collaborates with international players, hockey clubs and charities to further drive hockey as a sport. Founded in 2012 by Chris Rea and Tom Carson from their university dorm, the brand has grown immensely in just over a decade to become one of the most recognised hockey clothing and stick brands globally.

Hockey for Heroes is raising vital funds for Help for Heroes - a charity that supports men and women in the British Armed Forces to live well after service. Hockey for Heroes has been active since 2012 and combines hockey with endurance challenges to fundraise for the charity. Since its inception in 2012, Hockey for Heroes has raised a total of more than £350,000 and has set out to raise a further £100,000 from its upcoming tour, ‘Operation Last Post.’ 

The partnership comes at a time where the sports men and women at Hockey for Heroes gear up for #OpLastPost – a nine-day tour from Friday, May 26 until Saturday, June 3 where the squads will play 54 games of hockey and complete 457 kilometres of military and endurance challenges in eight locations (Ben Rhydding, Leeds, Timperley, Leicester, Worcester, Southgate, Aldershot and Portsmouth).

By joining forces, Y1 Hockey and Hockey for Heroes lead the charge to bring diverse communities together through hockey and giving back to important causes.

Joel Forrester, Head of Hockey for Heroes, said: “At Hockey for Heroes, it is our pleasure to announce Y1 Hockey as our new kit sponsor. This well-known, enthusiastic brand has taken the hockey world by storm, and continues to raise the bar with innovative campaigns and sustainable products.

“Our ambition with Hockey for Heroes is to drive diversity and inclusion as we value togetherness and community, and Y1 Hockey represents exactly that. Through our collaboration, we hope to reach other communities and further elevate hockey as a sport that can bring together people from all backgrounds.  

“We hope the hockey and wider communities will support Operation Last Post that commences from Friday, May 26 until Saturday, June 3, to help us raise vital funds a charity close to my heart, Help for Heroes.”

Chris Rea, Co-Founder at Y1 Sport, also commented: "I'm delighted for Y1 Sport to be partnering with Hockey for Heroes. We've been big admirers of the organisation for many years and what they are doing for the sport we love. We're lucky to now play a role with this - it's a great cause and we're excited to be creating their sustainable kit."

We look forward to collaborating with Y1 in this long-term partnership!  

Follow our partnership story on H4H social media channels:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

 To learn more about Y1 Hockey, please visit: https://www.y1sport.com/

Witney x Canterbury match - This is what hockey is all about

On Saturday, February 25, we saw some of our heroes gather to play and spectate together as a H4H family.

Division One South teams Witney Hockey Club and Canterbury Hockey came together after their 1-1 draw, all representing H4H and our values, even as competitors.

Commenting on Hockey for Heroes, Mel Clewlow - Team GB double olympian and current Canterbury HC player - said: “I’ve met Emily and Chloe for the first time today because I decided not to go to the beasting in February that was one of the pre-tour meets!

“Hockey for Heroes is a very different group with many different objectives. But what I like about it is you get to play with people you wouldn’t play against, get to meet people you wouldn’t normally meet, and it just adds a different dimension to hockey with raising for a very, very good cause that is Help for Heroes.”

We are incredibly proud of our heroes for representing our values of togetherness and passion for hockey.

Huge applause to players Aurora Mears (Canterbury), Mel Clewlow (Canterbury), Emily Dove (Witney), Chloe Williams (Witney) and spectator Katharine Pike.

L-R: Aurora Mears (Canterbury), Emily Dove (Witney), Mel Clewlow (Canterbury) and Chloe Williams (Witney)

Hockey for Heroes COMMENCES OPERATION LAST POST

The Help for Heroes community partner sets its greatest endurance challenge yet, using hockey as its sport to raise funds for British Armed Forces personnel and their families.

Hockey for Heroes today announces its upcoming tour, ‘Operation Last Post’, that will see sportsmen and women playing 54 games of hockey and undergoing 457 kilometres of endurance challenges in nine days, between May 26 and June 3, 2023, to raise £100,000 for Help for Heroes. 

The nine-day tour will see Hockey for Heroes men's and women's squads compete against hockey clubs in eight locations, starting in Ben Rhydding, Yorkshire and finishing in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The squads will also take on various endurance and military challenges over 457 kilometres, which will include rowing, swimming, running a half marathon, a weighted speed march and a stretcher-carry march. 

The 457 figure has been chosen to recognise the 457 British service personnel killed during the war in Afghanistan, in acknowledgement of their ultimate sacrifice. The objective is to allocate each kilometre to every individual fallen hero from this conflict in remembrance.

Hockey for Heroes has set this challenge to raise vital funds and awareness of Help for Heroes, the charity that supports British military personnel and their families to live well after service.  

Joel Forrester, Head of Hockey for Heroes, commented: “We are excited to embark on our next challenge, which is set to be bigger and bolder than ever before. This is the first time in our history that our two squads will combine for a tour, and it will be a special moment to see the whole organisation involved in such an occasion.

“The physical aspect of this event will test our squads capacity, and the meaning of this tour is of even greater importance. Each day we will make a roll call of those we are remembering throughout that day, and this will be a truly humbling experience for many of our members and I am sure they can draw on this emotion and enable it to fuel them to success. 

“We hope the hockey and wider community  will support  this event and help us to shed light on the true and rarely spoken of sacrifice made by many to ensure our freedom today.”

Help for Heroes’ Area Fundraising Manager, John Carpenter, added: “The support and fundraising that Hockey for Heroes has done since 2011 has been truly inspirational, and we are immensely grateful for their efforts.

“Hockey for Heroes has raised more than £120,000 between 2017-2019 in three events through a range of exceptional endurance challenges, combined with endless hockey matches and inspiring fundraising activities at clubs around the country. This is an amazing achievement and demonstrates the sheer dedication of everyone in the team.” 

Founded in 2011, Hockey for Heroes combines physical endurance exertion with field hockey, creating a community that cares and gives back to an important charity in the UK while playing sport. Since its founding year, Hockey for Heroes has raised a total of more than £350,000.

Together with Lincoln Minster School, Hockey for Heroes gained a Guinness World Record in 2019 for playing the highest game of field hockey at 5,019 meters above sea level in Nepal.

A previous tour has seen the Hockey for Heroes team come together for 10 days to play 30 games of hockey and carry an injured marine on a stretcher for 200 miles.  

Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them, and their families, live well after service. It has already supported more than 27,000 people and will continue to ensure every veteran receives the support they deserve. 

To donate, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/OpLastPost  

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Joel.Forrester@hockeyforheroes.co.uk 

For the latest news and updates on Operation Last Post, follow Hockey for Heroes on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or follow the hashtag #OpLastPost.