1.Why did you join the Foundation Board?

When I took over as CEO at Volleyball England, I was aware that we had a charitable arm but never really knew what it did. I quickly realised that there was certainly a place for the foundation and that with the right support it could be an amazing asset to our sport. When I decided to leave the CEO role I felt that, now with time to dedicate, I could start to support the foundation to be more than something that ticks over in the background. With some time and effort the foundation can and will help the sport to develop and flourish.

2. What is your background in Volleyball?

I am so fortunate to have been part of the Volleyball Family for many, many, many years!

I started playing at school and loved the comradery of the game, the teamwork, the technical and tactical aspects of the game. After leaving teacher training college I joined a local Volleyball club and before long I had qualified as a coach and referee and was elected to be the club chair. Representing my club at the county association I soon found myself as chair of that and as county rep soon found myself as chair for the East Midlands Association. Yes, I am just a girl that can’t say NO!

One evening I had a phone call from a Dan Dingle, said he had heard about me and wondered if I would take up the role of President of the Schools and Youth Commission? Of course Dan was the President of what was the EVA (English Volleyball Association). Loved my time working with some amazing people – Tony Pennock and Bob Matthews to name but 2. During my time at the Y&SC we developed in partnership with Coaches Commission, the Volleyball Sport Cards and Course and worked our way through the Child Protection in Sport Standards. Looking back I think the way safeguarding is embedded in our sport will be something I see as a legacy and something I am really proud of.

The natural progress from the Commission was to join the VE Board, which I did and became the Development Director for 8 years. During all this time I was also still coaching in our club, refereeing local league, coaching in schools and running the County and Regional Associations, nearly forgot my time as team manager of central cadets, a wonderful time working alongside Dave Willoughby- gone but not forgotten.

During 2012 I was so lucky to be part of the team that delivered the Beach Volleyball event at Horse Guards Parade, it didn’t feel like going to work each day as I was surrounded by like-minded friends and family, an amazing time.

I don’t thing there are many roles in Volleyball that at some point I haven’t done, I remember putting down and picking up the Taraflex floor in Sheffield, being the welfare lead at several National School Games, pumping up balls, washing kit, picking up people taking them to matches, handing out bananas at an international match at Loughborough. A varied and interesting insight into the sport we all love.

3. What do you want the Foundation to achieve?

I think the Foundation has a level of freedom that allows it to pursue funding that isn’t available to Volleyball England but will complement the work and strategic direction Volleyball England is taking us. Ultimately, we are all working to the same goal, to ensure the sustainability and longevity of a sport we are all passionate about. I hope that in the long term, the Foundation will secure funding to enable us to support areas that we, as the Volleyball Family, want to see develop but are not part of the funding and strategic objectives determined by our key funder Sport England.

4. How are you helping the Foundation to do this?

As Company Secretary it is my responsibility to ensure that the charity abide by the rules and regulation that govern all charities.

In addition to that, now I have time, since retiring, I am supporting clubs to find additional funding by posting opportunities on the Foundation website, maintaining our social media,  applying for funding on behalf of the foundation, that we can then share with the rest of the volleyball community.

5. What can others do to support the Foundation and our Volleyball Family?

The Foundation can only function if it is servicing a need of our sport. We know that Volleyball has been through a difficult period and is now starting a new phase, with a new CEO and by the start of next year, a new strategy. The role of the Foundation and our Volleyball Community will be to support, develop and deliver that strategy, working as one team, one family.

The Foundation will dedicate its time to finding additional resources to support clubs, players, coaches and officials. This might be through supporting you to bid for funding, pointing you in the right direction, helping you with the right wording. Please ask for help, we are happy to give.

To you all we would ask you to look favourably at the Foundation and the work it is doing and is planning to do, when we are at an event put a few pence in the bucket collection, go online and donate through the website, when it’s your birthday set up a donation to the Foundation on Facebook, if you are taking part in an event be sponsored on behalf of the Foundation. It’s difficult for a charity such as us to compete with Macmillan, Cancer Research and the other big hitters, but this is your sport, your family and anything you can do to support us would be gratefully received.

Congratulation if you got the end of this, sorry for rambling on!

Stay safe we'll be back on courts soon!