The University of Birmingham Volleyball Club has been tagged as a ‘beacon of excellence’ when they picked up second prize at the CCPR* ‘Sports Club of the Year’ awards on Tuesday.
In association with the Foundation for Sport and the Arts (FSA) and runningsports the CCPR awards recognised sports clubs which have made an outstanding contribution within their community.
Following their nomination in March, the £3000 prize money was presented to the Birmingham club by sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe MP and world cup winner Jason Leonard.
In the view of the judges the club has developed extensive and far reaching community links and serves as a major volleyball hub within the local area.
Committed to encouraging participation through working extensively in schools, the club ensures a high-quality experience where coaches have opportunities for mentoring and continual development. It has also established a sitting volleyball session for athletes with a disability and now provides free sessions for six to 16 year olds in several locations across the city of Birmingham.
Club coach, Graham Fowler said: "This is a fantastic achievement for all those involved. We’ve worked hard to develop a student based club in to a true community sports club. We now have links to a wide range of community organisations and schools across the city but still have students involved at the very core of the delivery. It is great for this effort to be recognised by receiving this award."
Tim Lamb, CCPR chief executive, said: “Birmingham Volleyball Club provides a wealth of opportunities for participation and is an example to clubs right across the country. The people of Birmingham are very fortunate to have such a beacon of excellence in the area.”
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Notes to Editors:
Further information:
Lucy Hood - PR, Media and Promotions Officer, University Sport Birmingham
tel: 0121 414 2262 / email: l.hood@bham.ac.uk
*CCPR is the new name for the Central Council of Recreative Physical Training