Volleyball England Foundation AGM
Yesterday the Volleyball England Foundation Board came together for the first time in over 2 years to hold the 2022 Foundation AGM.
Most of the Board members attended with a few joining us remotely via the internet. we were pleased to say we weren’t alone with some members of the Volleyball England Board, staff and volunteers joining us both in the room and online.
Members of the Volleyball England Foundation Board.
From the left to right Dave Reeve, Simone Turner (Chair), Ian Wall, Steve Williams (Treasurer, Janet Inman (Company Secretary).
The meeting opened with a welcome from the chair, Simone Turner. She expressed her thanks to the members of the Board and the individuals that had supported the Foundation during the 2021/22 financial year. Some of that period had been during COVID but the Foundation found a place where they could support our volleyball community through the Sport England ‘Return to Play” funding.
The chair then presented the Annual Report, which will be available on our website later this week. The Annual Report reflects that the Foundation is now half way through their 5 year plan and is focused on Embedding the Foundation as an integral part of the Volleyball infrastructure with campaigns that add value and reflect the needs of the community.
The Foundation will continue to support and develop the Sitting Volleyball Campaign and another round of funding for clubs will be announced at the end of the summer.
Teams using infection control equipment sourced by the Foundation during the Sitting Grand Prix, also being used are the COVID compliant nets.
Richard Osborne - Lead for Sitting Volleyball said “The unexpected arrival and prolonged existence of the Covid-19 pandemic left many sitting volleyball clubs unprepared for their return to training. The Volleyball England Foundation was instrumental in, first, arranging bespoke nets to be manufactured and which prevented transmission of the virus through an impermeable net, and then by securing funding that enabled sanitisation packs to be purchased and delivered to every sitting volleyball club. ensuring when the time was right to return to training every club could do so safely.”
The Foundation secured an award to support Officials development. This award for £9,900 was to support the Officials Working Group to deliver training to run more indoor and beach referring courses and work to upgrade referees.
Nick Heckford - Officials Working Group Lead said “The support of the Foundation in securing a Return to Play grant from Sport England for officiating has allowed us to implement a wider plan of referee courses. It has helped support new officials on courses, support the development of our NTOs for the Commonwealth Games and also our observers to watch, support and upgrade those officials starting out on their journeys with the whistle. It has made a tremendous difference and I cannot be more appreciative of the help that Janet and the Foundation have given officials over the last year. Many new officials are now joining our wonderful sport thanks to the Foundation.”
Steve Williams the Foundation Treasurer then presented the accounts for the 2021/22 period. Income from a variety of sources- £12,849 and expenditure £14,148. The majority of the expenditure was the delivery of the actions from grants we had received. Closing Balance of the Foundation £38,867. Some of this is restricted funding allocated to projects and programmes.
In closing the chair looked forward to an exciting 2022/23 period with 2 new major projects being developed, a partnership with Aston Villa Football Foundation and a project to support LGBTQ+ individuals taking part in sport, particularly volleyball.
Simone closed the meeting by thanking everyone that attended.