Octopush is looking to raise money for new kit, a massive step that would raise accessibility and improve the experience for new players. Also, we have international ambitions at the Shamrock Cup in Dublin, as well as a European Tour. As the fastest growing sport in the university, our ambitions are high and we’re determined to reach them!

Our Story

Octopush is a fast-paced, team underwater sport, where players wear masks and snorkels to push a puck into a goal at the other end of the pool - all while holding their breath!

The sport is very accessible, with over 50 people of all backgrounds attending our Give it a Go sessions at the start of the year. Membership has grown 500% this academic year and we have developed from nothing into a thriving and very competitive club. Our team were crowned plate champions at BOA Student Nationals, with a team consisting of existing players and complete beginners who have been trained in just 5 months to success on a national level. Our club was founded 35 years ago, boasting a rich history that is still being written - Octopush is fun, welcoming and full of passion you can’t find anywhere else.

However, it is undeniable that our club is small, and we have ambitions that have quickly outgrown our station - funding is limited and we need your help to bring Octopush to even more people, and learn more from our partner clubs all over the world. We are a textbook underdog story, but the job’s not done yet! Any donation you are able to make to help us achieve this would be brilliant, and we would be very grateful.

Where will the money go?

Your valuable donations will contribute towards new kit, more pool and gym sessions to guarantee competitive success, and international fixtures. Furthermore, we are looking to host more alumni events, and an outreach programme to seed clubs in local schools.

For instance, we are looking to fundraise £1000 for the Shamrock Cup - a tournament hosted in Dublin, Northern Ireland, which would be invaluable experience to learn the skills necessary to win on a national level.

Also, we are seeking a further £1500 for a European Tour - region makes a massive difference to the way the game is played, UOY Octopush is spearheading efforts to bring international teams together, so this would be a huge step forward for us.

On a more local level, we would like to have more pool time, enabling us to dedicate certain pool hours to new players, boosting engagement. Also, gym sessions would help make streamlined routines to help our team grow stronger. Our players love what they do, and are eager for more - your donations would help make this happen!

Why is this so important?

This money would help players across the spectrum, from improved marketing to help seek out new players, more 1:1 training for newcomers, all the way to a new suite of training for our top players to become even more competitive.

We feel very strongly that sport should be accessible to everyone - your donations will enable us to supply better kit and reimburse more journeys, making the sport even cheaper for students in the current cost of living. Any way we can bring this brilliant all-gender sport to more people would be amazing.

The Challenges

OCTOPUSH: WILDLANDS:

A team of intrepid Octopush players will be driven to a mystery location in the Yorkshire wilderness - Their challenge? To return to civilisation with only a map and compass. They’ll need to stay determined and brave the elements as a team to succeed!

OCTOPUSH: DISTANCE CHALLENGE

We will be bringing together our club community, along with our alumni to tackle a huge distance challenge - covering the distance from York to Dublin (423km) as a club, on bikes, running, and even in the water!

Find us here

Check out our social media to stay up to date with the team and our fundraising efforts, we’re aiming for 2000 followers on Instagram by Roses, please consider helping out and following us!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uoyoctopush/

Website: www.uoyoctopush.blogitania.com

YUSU: https://yusu.org/activities/view/octopush

Help us succeed!

We would love you to donate as much or as little as you are able and any donations are hugely appreciated. Your donation could also help us unlock fundraising challenges which will help us reach our goal even faster (you can see these on the challenges page).

If you are looking to support an individual athlete or challenge please put a message with your donation saying who!

Alternatively, if you are unable to donate then please do spread the word by signing up as a Challenge Week ambassador for our club, and sharing our social media posts to your own socials so as many people as possible can read about our efforts!