What is Saffron Walden Hockey Club?

Updated

Saffron Walden Hockey Club (saffronwaldenhockey.co.uk) is a field hockey club in Saffron Walden that describes itself as welcoming, friendly and inclusive, with hockey for players of all ages and abilities. It combines a family-oriented club atmosphere with competitive teams, and offers adult men's and women's sides, a junior section, training, social hockey and facility hire. It is the right starting point if you are new to hockey, returning to the game, an experienced player looking for competitive hockey, or a parent seeking a junior club.

What the club offers

The club's own welcome page sets out its range of activity:

  • Adult hockey — separate men's and women's sections, each with multiple teams (the site lists Men's M1–M8 and Women's W1–W6), plus adult training.
  • Junior hockey — a juniors section with its own coaching framework and a dedicated "Join our Juniors" route.
  • Social hockey — listed as an activity alongside competitive teams.
  • Training — adult training is listed as a distinct offering, separate from team fixtures.
  • Facilities — the club provides a "Book our facilities" option.
  • Umpiring — umpiring is listed under the club's structure, suggesting a pathway for those who want to officiate.

The site also carries news, fixtures and results, so you can follow teams and see recent match reports (for example, Men's 5th XI fixtures against local sides).

Who it is for

The club explicitly frames itself around three audiences:

  1. Newcomers to hockey — no prior experience is implied as a requirement.
  2. Returning players — people coming back to the game after a break.
  3. Experienced players — those seeking competitive hockey, with teams "striving to perform at their best."

Parents looking for a junior club are a fourth clear audience, given the separate junior join path and coaching framework.

Club identity and values

The club highlights a "strong club spirit and family atmosphere" alongside a competitive edge. It also references England Hockey programmes: it states it is a ClubMark club, runs the RESPECT Campaign, and is "now a full England Hockey Talent Centre." These are signals of formal affiliation and recognised standards rather than just marketing language, and are worth checking directly on the site if accreditation matters to you.

How to get involved

The homepage presents two direct join routes:

  • Join our Juniors — for young players.
  • Join the Club — the general membership path.

Before committing, the site's navigation points to pages on Membership Fees, About the SW Hockey Club, Committee and contacts, and Club policies and information. Fees are not stated on the homepage, so check the Membership Fees page for current costs rather than assuming any pricing.

Practical next steps

If you want to… Start here
Enrol a child "Join our Juniors"
Join as an adult "Join the Club" or "JOIN US"
Check costs first Membership Fees page
Ask a question Committee and contacts
Hire the facilities "Book our facilities"
Follow results News / team pages (M1–M8, W1–W6)

A sensible approach: read the Membership Fees and About pages, then use the contact page to ask about training times and which team level suits you before registering. The site lists training as a section but does not publish schedules on the homepage, so confirming times directly avoids turning up to the wrong session.