The official Launch Party for the long awaited first hockey museum in the world, The Hockey Museum, took place at Woking in England today. A large gathering of leading hockey officials, local dignitaries and archive enthusiasts attended the opening held at the Museum which is at Butts Road in the Surrey town of Woking.

The Museum’s trustees were able to announce that the Museum has been granted charitable status. They also received their first donation, a cheque for £3000 from the family of the late Barbara and Nevill Miroy. The Miroys have made the biggest contribution to the Museum so far, a huge collection of archives.

Most aspects of the Museum’s already extensive collection of archives were on display today. Pride of place was given to the biggest ever collection of medals won by British players at the Olympics. It included gold medals from 1908 and 1988 and the bronze medal won by Britain’s Helen Richardson at the 2012 Games.

Thanks to the many generous gifts received, the collection includes archives representing every aspect of hockey. Today’s visitors were able to watch hockey videos, and saw specialist displays relating to the Miroy collection, the 2012 Olympic Games, the Wembley internationals and, uniquely, a display on the early days of mixed hockey. The Museum already contains the world’s biggest collection of hockey books and magazine, some dating back to 1893. Every aspect of our great sport was also featured, including sticks of all ages, balls, uniforms, equipment, photographs, pictures and prints – some illustrations over 100 years old – trophies, programmes, brochures, club histories, stamps, postcards, pins and pennants.

The six Trustees and founders of the Museum are Katie Dodd (Chair), Dil Bahra, Patrick Rowley, Mike Smith, David Wareham and Ian Wilson. Katie Dodd is a non-Executive Director of the England Hockey Board and a former England indoor and outdoor international; Dil Bahra, a former Secretary of the Hockey Writers Club and webmaster; Patrick Rowley a hockey author, broadcaster and journalist; Mike Smith, the Founder of the well-known sports goods firm Mercian; David Wareham a chartered surveyor and former hockey umpire; and Ian Wilson, the Treasurer of the England Hockey Board.

The Museum is open only by appointment at the moment.