00:00The Maidstone Roller Hockey Club has been offering excitement, competition and friendship for over 50 years.
00:09But they have three months to raise £25,000 to refurbish their floor here at the YMCA
00:19and have set up a GoFundMe page in hopes of reaching this goal.
00:24Organisers of the club say the sport is vital for keeping children off the streets, building teamwork skills and promoting an active lifestyle.
00:37Yes, it's absolutely vital for the children to have somewhere to come and practice and to learn how to play a fantastic sport.
00:44The opportunities it presents to them are phenomenal.
00:47You get to play in different countries, you get to play in World Championships if you're successful enough
00:51and to not have that in Maidstone, which has been around now for at least 30 years, if not 40 I think, would be a real travesty.
01:00I've been training here for about seven years and because of coming here and training weekly, I've been able to play for England and play for the region.
01:13They've helped me develop much as a personal, all my emotional, they've really supported me, they've helped me push through tougher times and I've felt down.
01:24It has been a great enjoyment, I have socialised with my friends, I've made much more friends.
01:33The hockey club is amazing because I get to play with my friends and it keeps me fit and I just really like it.
01:40The YMCA have said the lifespan of the floor has greatly reduced due to the intense activity of roller hockey
01:50and the charity has limited funds and no government or local council support, which means they need to balance their resources.
02:00However, the YMCA have proposed a small rent increase of £5.58 per hour once the refurbishment is complete in January next year,
02:15which will allow them to tackle any maintenance in the future.
02:19But there was one more thing I wanted to ask myself.
02:22Now let's see if I've got what it takes to become a rink hockey legend.
02:28It was admittedly my first time on skates like this, but thanks to the club's help, I was at least able to stand upright and even earned a certificate for my efforts.
02:42They and the YMCA are determined to make sure the wheels keep on spinning for this sport for everyone in the years to come.
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