Tobermore hockey goalkeeper Lola Henderson nets special Mary Peters Trust award

Tobermore hockey goalkeeper Lola Henderson has secured a £2000 Mary Peters Trust Make It Happen funding award to support her training and development programme with the Ireland U21s team and ultimately progress to Irish senior level hockey.

A past student and player for Magherafelt’s Rainey Endowed School, 18-year-old Lola this year obtained a place at elite sporting university Loughborough near Nottingham in England and has moved up to the Ireland Women’s U21s squad. Now competing for the university team Lola has also played club hockey for Owls and Ulster Elks.

“I’ve just completed my first term at Loughborough University, and it’s been brilliant both academically and on the sports field.

“My key goal for 2026 is to secure a place on the team which will hopefully qualify for the 2026 Women's EuroHockey U21 Championships hosted by Valencia, Spain next July.

“I became a Mary Peters Trust athlete in 2025 and am also thrilled to be given a special Make It Happen funding award to support travel and training costs. I train regularly in Dublin as well as travelling abroad and support from the Trust really means a lot.”

The Trust’s ‘Make It Happen’ awards have been presented annually since 2014 to outstanding athletes who are selected from a top-class field following a competitive interview process.

The winning applicants are those who are deemed to benefit most from accessing specialist cutting-edge training and development opportunities to help propel their sporting careers to the next level.

As well as competing for her school, Rainey Endowed, Lola has represented and won with Ulster at Interpros Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Lola also won a gold medal with the Irish U18s at the Euro Championship II in July 2025.

She was part of the Ireland U16 squad and progressed to the U18s for a two-year period before joining the Ireland U21s squad this year.

Congratulating Lola, Lady Mary Peters said, “Make it Happen funding awards are presented to the very best of our emerging young talent and are vital in making a difference to an athlete’s pathway to success.

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“Lola has taken the next step on her sporting journey as she’s now part of the Ireland Ladies U21 Squad. I’ll be looking out for Lola and watching her progress over the coming years.

“We at the Trust have supported many hockey players who have gone to achieve huge success including top Ireland hockey goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran who won a silver medal with Ireland at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup. Ayeisha is still a great friend of the Trust.”

Joining Lola as 2025 Make it Happen award winners are, elite boxer Louis Rooney and table tennis competitor Peadar Sheridan who collected a Power NI Make it Happen award.