Leeds Gorse Volleyball are the second club to receive a Volleyball England Foundation sitting volleyball award. The Foundation are looing forward to working with Leeds Gorse to develop sitting volleyball in their club and their local school cluster.

Leeds were excited to hear the news -

“We are so excited and grateful to receive this news! Before going into lockdown last March, we were planning to launch a new sitting volleyball programme across The Gorse Academies Trust and Leeds Gorse Volleyball Club as we had interest from many students and club members. This support will go a long way and is a great help to launch the programme! We believe everyone should have the chance to play and are happy to provide the opportunity for youngsters who otherwise might not be able to partake in sport.

Moving forward, sitting volleyball will be taught as part of the primary PE curriculum across the Trust, and will be supported by extra-curricular clubs along with a central Leeds Gorse sitting volleyball club which will be open to juniors and adults. “ said Coach Elaine Brown.

In addition to our fantastic coaching staff, two of our top senior players, Katie Beardsmore and James Pitt, are also competitive sitting players who will no doubt be excellent role models and provide the sitting programme with top insight and support.

Katie says, "Being awarded funding to help set up a sitting volleyball section within the club is incredibly exciting news.

Sitting volleyball is an entirely inclusive sport which not only provides for a fast-paced, exhilarating game (which I must admit is, amongst other things, a great ab work out!), it is an opportunity within sport to break down barriers between disabled and able-bodied athletes. As someone who has struggled with countless injuries in the last few years of my indoor career, sitting volleyball has provided me with an opportunity to continue playing the sport I love, which has helped me both physically and mentally in accepting the limitations of the human body.”

It is a known fact that participation in sport is directly linked to improved physical and mental health. But with the majority of sitting clubs currently based in the South of England, opportunities to play are currently limited.

Sitting Volleyball is coming north.

The funding will enable Leeds Gorse to provide opportunities for more individuals to try out a new sport, get active and make new friends. Within the volleyball community we are used to clubs being run by the good will of volunteers, and growing a club to include more players, more teams and more disciplines requires a lot of time, dedication and ultimately a lot of people!

Katie believes that “This funding will ease some of that pressure to ensure basic equipment and appropriate facilities are available, allowing the club to focus on training coaches in a new discipline to deliver high-quality and inclusive sessions to a greater number of individuals. Growing the sport of sitting volleyball is not an easy task, but with every additional club being set up, we are one step closer to creating a sustainable and thriving community."