Housebuilder sponsors ice hockey club in Oxford for second year running

The company, which is building new homes at Didcot Grove in Didcot, has given £1,500 to Oxford Rising Stars as part of its commitment to supporting the local community in Oxfordshire.

The latest sponsorship follows a £1,500 donation made last season to the team, which is based at Oxford Ice Rink and plays in Division 2 of the National Ice Hockey League. The team was formed by Paul Lynch and Russell Shrives in 2021 to provide a pathway for young players into the senior game.

Paul said: “We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from Linden Homes over the last two seasons.

“Our teams are a mix of male and female players, and often we have around twenty players per game. The cost of running games and training sessions is very expensive, and we rely on sponsorships such as this one from Linden Homes to keep allowing our players to play.

“We decided to form the Oxford Rising Stars team as a development pathway for players. There was already an under-18s team and a senior team in Division 1, but the Division 1 team is a big commitment and can feel like being thrown in at the deep end. Playing in Division 2 is less intense and acts as a stepping stone to get players used to the system.”

The sponsorship from Linden Homes has contributed towards new jersey shirts and equipment for the team, as well as time on the ice for training and games.

Alix Laflin, marketing manager for Linden Homes, said: “As part of our development at Didcot Grove in Didcot, we are committed to supporting the local community in Oxfordshire.

“This is the second year in a row we will be sponsoring Oxford Rising Stars and we are looking forward to following the team’s progress throughout the rest of the ice hockey season.”

Linden Homes, which is part of Vistry Group, is building 76 new homes at its Didcot Grove location, off Didcot Road in Didcot.

For more information, visit lindenhomes.co.uk.