Charity Hockey tournament raises money for Restart Africa

The Restart Africa Hockey 7s Festival at Shrewsbury School was a vibrant celebration of sport, community and charity.  

The morning session saw a fantastic turnout with youth teams from U8, U10 and U12 categories, totalling over 100 players and coaches, alongside 50–70 enthusiastic spectators.  

The pitches were alive with energy as young players from Shrewsbury School and local clubs showcased their skills and sportsmanship in a fun and supportive environment. 

The afternoon brought even more excitement with U14 teams and a strong adult competition featuring 12 teams and around 120 players and coaches. With another wave of spectators joining in, the total attendance for the day reached over 370 people. The atmosphere was electric, with families, friends and hockey fans cheering on players of all ages, creating a true festival spirit across the school grounds. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mr. Turford, Miss Ralphs, Shrewsbury School staff and parents, and all the participating clubs — Telford & Wrekin, Newport, Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury Hockey Club and Old Wulfrunians. Your support and enthusiasm made the day a resounding success.  

Through match fees alone, we expect to raise over £3,000 for Restart Africa, helping to support vulnerable children and youth in Kenya.  Each £365 unit of this money is enough to provide a transformative educational opportunity covering the full fees for one year in a high quality local primary or secondary school. 

The School has now raised over £24,000 for Restart Africa this current academic year with whole-school, house-based and individual fundraising initiatives. 

You can learn more about Restart Africa and its work here.

Liam Hennessy

Assistant Director of Sport