A judo club on the edge of the world.

Horncastle Judo Club started life by taking shape in a Tea Shop in Horncastle’s market place, towards the end of 2010. Four founding members discussed forming this new Judo Club; and within a few weeks Horncastle Judo Club had a venue, enough mats to lay a good size area and become a member of the British Judo Association.

The early days saw them opening two nights a week between 6pm and 9pm.

During the next six to eight months their home, Stanhope Hall, underwent a full refurbishment, causing the club to remove all its equipment at the end of some evenings, but still they pushed forward and were rewarded with a Bronze Club Mark Award.

Head coach Trevor Jacklin assisted by his wife Lisa, worked hard to make the club work and even moved to house to be in Horncastle, Wendy Hicks a lady who was willing to part sponsor the Project as well as be Welfare Officer attended the necessary courses and even took HJC Coaches on a BJA Time to Listen course at Vale Judo Club.

The coaching staff then started forming links with local schools, which is the basis for the new grant from Sport England.

In light of this success, the club have been awarded a Sport England grant for £8,700 in order to carry on the hard work of linking with schools by giving the club funds to purchase mats and a trailer to transport them.

This gives the opportunity to put in place a wider outreach programme at schools in the locality, as well as getting involved in sporting events locally. The clubs development can move forward into and beyond this Olympic year, to carry on with an Olympic legacy. This is a fantastic opportunity but also a challenge for all at HJC

The club is part of a County Competition and has had great success in competitions, with both juniors and seniors, and has taken advantage of the Yorkshire and Humberside Excell sessions at Goole Judo Club.

Horncastle Judo Club is by definition a Community Club and is constantly looking at how it can move forward and develop opportunities for the community it serves.

This funding is both inspirational and a recognition of the work put in by HJC officers, Lead Coach TJ his wife Lisa, Committee Member and Wendy HJC’s Welfare Officer, and the rest of the HJC Committee, plus of course our new Coaching Staff members and of course the HJC membership young and old . 

East Midlands Regional Development Officer Laurence Kenyon said: “This grant will allow the club to form excellent links with their local schools and cement the club in the community as one that can deliver high quality, easily accessed sport. This will form a base for the club to really push forward with its ambitious development plans. I wish them great success.”