Over 4,000 tons of sand has been donated by The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) from the temporary Beach Volleyball courts at the London 2012 Olympic Games to sports venues across London and the South East in a bid to increase interest and participation in volleyball. The project will be funded by Sport England with almost half a million pounds worth of funding being secured through local partnerships.
The six successful venues include Brentwood Leisure Centre in Essex, Samuel Montagu Youth Centre in Greenwich, Loxford Park in Redbridge, Verulamium Park in St Albans, Wimbledon Park in Merton and Barn Elms Sport Centre in Wandsworth.
The investment forms part of Volleyball England’s grassroots Go Spike campaign which is aimed at increasing participation in volleyball by creating more volleyball and beach volleyball facilities and running free ‘come and try’ taster sessions across the country.
GB were represented this summer by Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney in the women’s competition and Steve Grotowski and John Garcia-Thompson in the men’s event, with their efforts introducing a new fan base to the sport in England.
Debbie Jevans, LOCOG Director of Sport, says: “Legacy is a hugely important part of the London 2012 Games and was a major part of our bid. Being able to provide the sand – used at the iconic Horse Guards Parade Beach Volleyball venue and training courts in St James’ Park – to six venues is a fantastic way to demonstrate this and promote the sport to a new generation.”
Charles Johnston, Property Director at Sport England, says: “Thousands of Londoners will be able to discover the fun of playing beach volleyball in their local community thanks to this great project. The Olympics will put sports like volleyball in the spotlight as never before so it’s important we make the most of the opportunity to encourage more people to get involved. What could be better than using the actual sand from Horse Guards to connect people to the sport they’ve seen on TV. This is the result of a strong partnership between LOCOG, Sport England, and Volleyball England and we are delighted to support the scheme with National Lottery funding.”
Lisa Wainwright, Chief Executive of Volleyball England, adds: “We are hoping that the buzz around the London 2012 Olympic Games will inspire more people to try out beach volleyball as a fun and exciting new sport, so it’s important that we provide accessible facilities to encourage more regular spectators and players. This project will help to create a legacy for volleyball and encourage people to adopt healthier, more active lifestyles, creating a sporting habit for life.”
To find out more about Volleyball England’s Go Spike campaign, and volleyball opportunities in your area, please visit www.gospike.net.
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