This is an exciting time for hockey’s international heritage. Over the past five years, The Hockey Museum (THM) has established itself as the lead organisation to support hockey heritage in the UK. The museum is now working with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to expand this work worldwide. The aim is to draw together information and knowledge about existing collections; provide better support for those managing collections; and inform research into an authoritative history of hockey. Just to be clear, this is not a project to collect objects and archives, it is to find out more about what exists to tell the story of hockey’s worldwide heritage and how The Hockey Museum can better support this in future.

In support of these aims, The Hockey Museum is undertaking a research project to create a plan for developing hockey’s international heritage. In February, The Hockey Museum appointed Justine Reilly Consultancy to manage the development phase of the project. Research activity is now underway and will continue until October 2016 involving desk research; an online survey; discussions with key individuals; and face-to-face meetings. The online survey will be a key part of learning more about what exists internationally and THM is hoping that as many people and organisations as possible get involved and tell us what they know. The survey can be found at the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HockeysInternationalHeritage

This is the beginning of a very exciting programme created to understand and celebrate hockey’s worldwide heritage. Please feel free to share this information, and the survey link, with anyone you think may be able to support the project. At this stage we ask that all information about collections and hockey heritage knowledge be shared through the survey to support the integrity of the research.

THM plans to share the findings of the research, and future developmental activity, with all participants over the coming year. There is a section on the survey to add your details to the mailing list for future information. Even if you feel you have nothing to add to the survey, but would like to be kept informed, please visit the survey and complete this section.

If you would like to know more about the partnership between THM and the FIH and what the scoping study is looking to achieve please click here.

Katie Dodd, Chair THM Board of Trustees
19 April 2016