YOU will have read or heard about Sport England’s decision on funding allocation leading up to the Rio Olympics in 2016.

The sports that achieved their targets in London 2012 are to receive their funding while the less successful have lost out.

Sport England says it’s nothing to do with success, the key is grassroots participation.

That got us thinking about how the Giants’ Supporters Association would fare.

HGSA meetings have featured some fantastic speakers, who have given an incredible insight into the game, its passion, toughness, heartbreak and joy.

Other events have included an Olympic race night, the fantastic Junior Disco and our renowned Reindeer race night.

They are all enjoyable events, though some were less well attended than we’d have liked.

This is disheartening when time and effort are put in.

But on a brighter note, we have developed and strengthened our links with the Giants.

This is a hugely positive step forward to enable the HGSA to run more matchday events for fans.

The balance to this happy news is the fact some fans seem to have the impression the HGSA is a closed organisation, one in which everybody knows everybody else and what the committee says goes. Not at all!

The HGSA welcomes all Giants supporters to HGSA events.

The committee wants to hear your views on the best ways to develop HGSA’s support of the Giants, on how to bring club and supporters closer together.

The HGSA is about raising funds to support youth development at the Giants, to help bring on our great players of the future while having a good time.

To do this we need you onboard. So why not come to the next meeting, listen to the speaker and give us your views and ideas on how to muster Giants fans.

You don’t have to be a member, though we welcome a donation of £1 if you’re not. Membership is a bargain at £5.

You can join at any of our meetings or online at www.giantssupporters.co.uk

So, how would HGSA do with Sport England?

We’d like to think that it would hang onto its funding though the report may say ‘should do better’.

Come and help us grow those grassroots better.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013, is the date of our next meeting. It starts at 7.30pm at Turnbridge WMC, St Andrew’s Road, where there is plenty of free parking. The speaker is Danny Lockwood, publisher and driving force behind League Weekly, a man with plenty of tales to tell.