The St Asaph Shadows Inline Hockey Club have scooped just over £900 from the Sports Council for Wales’ Community Chest scheme to buy the massive array of protective gear needed for a goalkeeper.

Facing down a speeding puck is a dangerous job, so it’s little wonder that the club was grateful for the Sports Council’s help to purchase throat, chest and shin protectors as well as specialised goalie gloves, stick, helmet and protective shorts.

Club Chairman, Shaun Underwood said: "We desperately needed a full goalkeeper kit for a youngster that has volunteered to take on the position. Obviously without them, the team cannot compete! The cost of the kit is very prohibitive and can put parents off.

"We are planning to concentrate a lot of our efforts on the new younger age group that has been formed this season. We want to give them the training required to establish themselves as a competitive team because we have found that the earlier players start, the better."

Local youngster, Jonah Armstrong is the brave volunteer who will stand in goal for the Under 10s side, following in the footsteps of big brother Ethan who plays for the Under 12s. Ethan has been selected to play for Great Britain in a tournament in Hong Kong later in the year. Last year, the Chairman’s son, Andrew Underwood, played in the same tournament having been spotted by a North West talent scout.

Community Chest, which is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year, is a National Lottery grant managed by the Sports Council for Wales and supported locally by Denbighshire County Council. It is designed to encourage more people to become more physically active, more often.

After a decade’s worth of investment totalling over £9million, the Sports Council for Wales and the National Lottery are celebrating the successes of community groups and sports clubs that have flourished through unlocking Community Chest funding.

Since its inception in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical activity projects.

Organisations keen to develop sport and physical activity in Wales can receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"Community Chest has been and continues to be a huge success and is very popular throughout Denbighshire. Over the last ten years, it has made a big difference to small community projects right across Wales and now embraces all sorts of community groups such as the Women’s Institute, not just your local football club."

"Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects. We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Denbighshire more active, more often."

The Shadows train every Wednesday from 7-9pm at St Asaph Leisure Centre. Anyone interested in taking part should contact Shaun Underwood on 07771 604464.