ANNUAL REPORT 2007/08
volleyballengland
volleyballengland
CONTENTS Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chief Executive Officer (Outgoing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chief Executive Officer (Incoming) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Marketing Director
..............................8
Development Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Playing Director
................................9
Referee Commission President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Performance Commission President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Competitions Commission President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Schools & Youth Commission President . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Beach Commission President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Coaches Commission President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Volleyball England would like to acknowledge the generous support and guidance provided by our Client Manager Julie Bunnage, Sport England, UK Sport, The Sports Aid Trust, TASS, Land Securities Trillium, all the volunteers who give so much of their time to volleyball, the paid staff of the organisation, the Board of Directors and the Commissions.
Regional Chairs Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
volleyballfacts Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Finance Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
All figures from the Active People Survey 2005/06, the ONS mid population 2005 estimates and the DCMS Taking Part Young People’s Survey 11-15 year olds 2006/07.
Annual Report 2007/08 Design and Print by Mercer Print 01254 395512
3
volleyballengland
FOREWORD - Gerry Sutcliffe MP Minister for Sport It’s an exciting time for sport in this country, and volleyball has certainly got in on the action in the past year. The 2007 UK School Games in Coventry was a huge success. Girls and boys from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland formed six teams and battled it out with real energy and enthusiasm for the game. The UKSG is a great way of attracting new players to the sport and will no doubt increase our talent pool ahead of London 2012. I know plans are going well in the South West region for the 2008 Bath and Bristol UKSG later this year and it will be interesting to see how many new faces have come to the sport. Games Ambassador and former UKSG medal winner Nathan French is a star to watch for the future and has gone on to represent his country at the European Championships. The British teams have been improving this year and we have some promising rising stars in Lucy Boulton and Ben Pipes. As we head towards 2012, I think there is potential for team GB to be competitive but to do this we need to uncover the best talent and attract more coaches. Initiatives like UK Sport’s nationwide scheme Sporting Giants (to find potential Olympians of the future) showed that there is an appetite out there for volleyball. The scheme had over 3800 applicants and as a result we now have 21 athletes who have shown potential. This was a first for volleyball and I hope it is the first of many schemes that find imaginative ways to attract new hopefuls.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have driven forward the outcomes of volleyball Whole Sport Plan, which has strengthened the sport at its grass roots. Volunteers make a huge difference to sport in this country and support over 100,000 affiliated sports clubs as well as launching new competitions for young people and the innovative Volleyball England Beach Tour. The year ahead provides further opportunities for the sport with a new Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Wainwright, who will drive the development of sport in the run up to 2012. Our Secretary of State Andy Burnham recently unveiled a new vision for sport, Playing to Win, which sets out the Government’s ambition to become a truly world leading sporting nation capitalising on the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It’s about opportunity, participation at all levels and having a playing to win mentality. I hope Volleyball England will play a key role in delivering our ambitious target of getting 1 million people playing more sport by 2012. A golden decade of sport for this country is on the horizon and we want to host as many world sporting events as possible in the run up to 2012 and beyond. We’re well on our way and it’s great news that England is hosting the Junior World Volleyball Championships in Brighton in September. I’m sure this will be the first of many in the coming years and volleyball will continue to go from strength to strength.
HONORARY LIFE PRESIDENT - Don Anthony It gives me great pleasure to contribute to the Volleyball England Annual Report and look forward to the exciting times which await us and British Volleyball. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing will be held on the 8th day of the 8th month, 2008, and will close two weeks later, when at the closing ceremony London's Mayor will receive the Olympic baton. 8 minutes have been allotted for that! Modern Chinese are not afraid to utilise ancient numerology and for them 8, the number of good fortune, is lucky. Volleyball came from the YMCA physical education stable and it was their influence which was predominant in taking the game to people globally.
4
An often forgotten fact is that the YMCA movement began in London and thus another potential link with the Games. We are on the road to London 2012 and if the letter and the spirit of the Olympic Rules, enshrined in the IOC Olympic Charter, are followed properly we will see six British Volleyball teams in the next London Olympic and Paralympic Games. It would be foolish to try to be "better" than Beijing; we should aim at being "different" - and that idea can be enriched by making new shapes with old bricks and being playful and irreverent. London 2012 - here we come.
volleyballengland
PRESIDENT - Richard Callicott This year has been a fascinating year for Volleyball in England with a much higher profile for the sport partly because of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and partly as a result of an amazing amount of work undertaken by both elected Officers and Professional staff. The UK School Games was a huge success with both the organisers and young players demonstrating what a great and exciting sport we have in Volleyball. Recently Jacques Rogge President of the IOC confirmed at the launch of the new HQ for the FIVB in Lausanne that Volleyball was now the biggest sport in the world with 220 National Federations. We have an enormous responsibility to ensure that our sport faces up to the challenges presented by the staging of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have tried to give leadership and this has meant reviewing many of the policies and strategies for the sport. Volleyball England has been driven by our Whole Sport Plan and to consolidate on recent successes we will need to work together in a concerted effort to establish a sound governance and direction to which we all sign up. We have the greatest chance we have ever had of capitalising on the popularity of the sport over the next 5 years, let’s not miss it. Much of this is to do with improving communication so that regions and clubs know what is happening and that their
voice is heard as well. I was delighted that Newbury VC and University of Birmingham VC have been recognised in national awards recently. After many years some of our leading players are becoming personalities in the national media and we will need to build on that over the next few years. I am encouraged by the number of schools who are affiliating and I am confident that our clubs will also grow. We have much to do in ensuring potential coaches and referees are given the opportunity to achieve in the same way as our players.To this end the UK Coaching Certificate is an essential part of our growth. I am encouraged that many more people are willing to stand for office at national level and I hope that will be mirrored at regional and club level.We need more volunteers to be involved in the administration of the sport.The clubs who have achieved Clubmark are to be congratulated on their achievement and it is to be hoped that many more will go through the process. I would like to pay tribute to Toomas Ojasso who has done so much for Volleyball England.His stewardship of the sport when it was faced with difficulties in the late 1990s has allowed us to face the future with much more confidence and a clarity of vision of the tasks in front of us. Thank you Tom.
VICE-PRESIDENT - Brian Stalker Another interesting and exciting year of challenge and change that has seen Volleyball England improve its performance and effectiveness and extend the range and standard of services provided to the membership. As the Director responsible for our central resource – staffing / personnel – it has been a year characterised by personnel development, retention and recruitment issues and incremental improvement all round. We have seen a steady turnover of staff during the period with some good people leaving and some encouraging appointments in their place, who have settled in well and added dimension to many of the roles. The continued implementation this year of the annual appraisal scheme for staff is proving to be an added opportunity for the staff and management to further develop peoples potential and identify and measure progress.
One of our most significant tasks during the year was to recruit a new CEO to replace Toomas Ojasoo, who announced his intention to retire in the autumn of 2008. This was successfully completed with the assistance of a specialist recruitment agency and we welcome Lisa Wainwright, formerly with Sport England, to Volleyball England, who I am sure will make a big impact in the coming months and years. Can I take this opportunity to thank all the staff for their efforts over the year and specifically pay tribute to Tom, who leaves us in September. He took over as CEO at a difficult time and through his efforts and dedication the Association survived and under his guidance has taken great strides forward – of that he should be rightly proud and I wish him a long and happy retirement.
5
volleyballengland
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Outgoing) - Toomas Ojasoo This is my last report after 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of Volleyball England. My successor, Lisa Wainwright, took the reins in April 2008. I wish her well in this new environment inhabited by some old stagers! Times move on and a more youthful generation is bursting on the scene to take Volleyball, Beach Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball forward. Last year I alluded to the improved governance since 1998 when the Association was virtually insolvent, declared by Sport England as being not fit for purpose, and riven with discord. I am confident that my successor will not allow any misplaced exuberance to endanger the current strong foundations, will not deviate from the business plan and will control finances, not allowing for any profligacy. The sporting landscape changed in mid year with the departure of the Chairman of Sport England, who espoused a regionalisation agenda. Under a new Secretary of State the axiom of ‘sport for sport’s sake’ has been revived. Volleyball England engaged with the Youth Sport Trust, in connection with expanding opportunities in school sport and facilitating change in the schools competition framework; with Sport England in relation to increasing adult participation, club accreditation, and increased numbers of coaches and volunteers; and with UK Sport. Thanks to YST a highlight was the inclusion of Volleyball in the UK School Games, which greatly enhanced the profile of Volleyball and provided a welcome outlet for young players. As a development sport our progress would have been severely or totally reduced without Sport England’s continued support. Whole Sport Plan targets were met or exceeded. Coaching benefited from grant aid to develop and roll out the UK Coaching Certificate. Though taking time to bring to fruition the Club and Coach Scheme was formulated. 32 clubs were accredited, and Newbury Volleyball Club achieved runners-up place in the CCPR Club of the Year. High Performance sits with the British Volleyball Federation, funded by UK Sport, and Volleyball England was not distracted by this agenda. International Representation grant helped delegates attend the CEV Congress and Jeff Brehaut to attend CEV Commission meetings. Major Event funding was secured for the SWATCH FIVB U21 Beach Championships in Brighton. At domestic level engagement with regional, county and area associations started to be addressed at the Big Bash 2007. The work of volunteers for their dedication, expertise
6
and input of valuable time was recognised at the Awards dinner. The efforts of hundreds of dedicated volunteers have underpinned the variety of programmes and events on offer – ranging from Let’s Play Volleyball to the Volleyball England Beach Tour and the Regional Grass Series, the multitude of Leagues and talent development for youth. Thanks to clubs and volunteers more outlets were made available for participation. This represents a major constituency of players who enjoy the sport, compete fiercely in their leagues, participate at outdoor tournaments and on the beach, but do not aspire to represent their country in 2012. Those who did were provided with opportunities, though without sufficient specific funding at National level to assist. These are reported in the Performance Commission report. A range of national competitive outlets was maintained. The Cup Finals found a new venue at the University of Bath and thanks to the efforts of the South West Volleyball Association a full house for both days was achieved. The profile of Volleyball increased thanks to a flow of stories and articles, from across the breadth of volleyball, which were published on the website, in e-newsletters and in 3 Touch, the latter having been successfully revamped. Other media took up these stories and gave volleyball even more visibility. The volleyball product on offer improved, but still requires more work to become a resource from which commercial gain can be made. The Board met regularly. Whilst presiding over a deficit budget for the year, advice was given by John Boughton and co-opted member, Alison Coote, from Land Securities. Reserves were maintained as a result of astute financial management, strong controls and careful risk assessment, often linked with staging of events. Volleyball England achieved the Preliminary Equality Standard and the Intermediate level for Child Protection. The throughput of CRB checks was sufficiently high for Volleyball England to remain as a registered body. The complement of staff, based in Loughborough, grew to provide the coordination necessary for the delivery of the Whole Sport Plan and other initiatives. My thanks go to the young, dedicated, willing and talented staff who have provided quality services for the benefit of the Association. I wish my successor the best for the future and am confident that she will address the issues including building on the profile, widening the affiliation base, and maximising the legacy for our youth arising from London 2012.
volleyballengland
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Incoming) – Lisa Wainwright It is only fitting that Toomas report on the fantastic outcomes from last year. It is clear that the combined work of the hundreds of volunteers and increasing number of staff have enabled volleyball to lay solid foundations from which we can now expand. The objectives for this year see Volleyball England looking to modernise, energise and flourish! The five key objectives for 2008/09 are to:• Publish the new Volleyball England Strategic Plan 2009 - 2013 • Establish a platform to raise commercial revenue • Review the governance structure to provide effective and coordinated two way communication • Raise the profile of Volleyball in England, with members and key stakeholders • Review member services The Government has just released it’s new strategy, Sport England Strategy 2008 – 2011 with a new focus on the creation of a world leading community sports system which will ensure that;-
• talented people from all backgrounds are identified early, nurtured and have the opportunity to progress to the elite level; and • everyone who plays sport has a quality experience and is able to fulfil their sporting potential. Volleyball England can play a significant role in supporting the delivery of this strategy and we welcome the greater autonomy that Government is providing to NGBs. Our proven track record on delivery through the Whole Sport Plan and the strong governance of the sport puts us in a good position to move ahead. It is without a doubt that Toomas Ojasoo has left a true legacy for the sport after his 10 year tenure. He has managed to navigate the changing tides of Government, the relentless pressures of wanting to do more but also ensuring prudent financial controls are in place, and latterly he has provided me with a thorough induction into the new role. I am sure Toomas will continue to be involved in volleyball and I sincerely hope so! Thank you Toomas for all your commitment, dedication and endless passion for the sport, long may it continue!
• a substantial – and growing – number of people from across the community play sport;
volleyballfacts • 69,000 participants • 42,000 male participants and 27,000 female participants • 12,000 participants from BME (black and minority ethnic) communities • 4,000 participants with limiting disability or illness • 82,000 young people aged 11-15 participating in volleyball regularly • 18% volleyball participants are from BME communities compared to 9% all sports participants • 31% Volleyball participants are aged 16-19 compared to 12% all sports participants
7
volleyballengland
MARKETING DIRECTOR - John Biddiscombe The year was one of both consolidation and progress, with some exciting changes along the way. Rebecca Lee, Communications & Promotions Officer, moved to the English Institute of Sport. The revamp of 3Touch continued under her guidance and is a publication of which we can be proud and which will assist us in raising our profile with external partners. Though the redesigned 3Touch has been well received and has seen an increase in advertising revenue, it still did not get into the hands of enough volleyballers. With a current circulation of around 3,000, it still needs to reach the parts that other magazines reach – namely the totality of the membership – nearer 20,000. This will be a key piece of work for the forthcoming year. Events in 2007-08 benefited from greatly improved presentation, indoors and especially on the beach. Both the Cup Finals and the Volleyball England Beach Tour were subject to commercial enquiries, which though not coming to fruition in 2007-8 have sown the seeds for the future. Event organisation is important and contributes to the
overall profile of the sport and the VEBT finals weekend in Brighton set the standard for others to follow. The visible media is a key area for most sports and ours is no different. TV coverage of the UK School Games on Channel 4 captured the excitement of the event in a prime time slot. Other TV coverage included the Urban Beach tour on Channel 4, the Volleyball England National Finals and the FIVB Exhibition Beach event in Blackpool, both on Sky Sports. Visibility in the printed media increased with several national newspapers carrying in-depth features on the sport. The high standard of entries for the Promotional Award at the Big Bash showed that volleyball could also be well represented in local media, with some effort and dedication. Over the year we engaged with commercial partners, admittedly in a small way. Long Tall Sally, Human Kinetics and Towergate tlc were evident at the National Finals by sponsoring the most Valuable Player Awards, by having courtside boards. Our partners also gained visibility through the website, which served Volleyball England well as an important news and information outlet.
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR - Janet Inman As we enter the final year of the Whole Sport Plan, I look back at how far Volleyball England has progressed in the last 4 years and with great anticipation to the next 4 years, as National Governing Bodies take their rightful place as the major driving force for sport in England. The achievement of every WSP target set has placed us in a position of strength. The number of coaches, officials and volunteers has risen, and in addition to getting more people involved, we have ensured they have been provided with the opportunities to be up-skilled. We have a range of products and resources that are the envy of many other sports. At one national conference the work of Volleyball England stood out, not just because of the quality of the products, but also the focus on what we believe in, the development of our game, the players and volunteers, something other sports may have forgotten in their pursuit of high profile events and big money sponsorship.
8
accredited with two clubs, Birmingham and Newbury, at level 3. The strength of this process and the value it brings to clubs is seen at all levels, including the highest accolades at National level winning CCPR awards. The involvement of other organisations in the development of our sport is key, and the inclusion of volleyball by the Youth Sport Trust, as the first team sport, in the UK School Games, is an area to celebrate. This event showed volleyball in its best light in a multi sport environment; it showcased the wealth of young talent; and was a triumph to the commitment and professionalism of the volunteers and paid staff. Plans were put in to place for this year’s event in August, in Bath.
Though welcome this must not be at the cost of our core focus, our members, players and volunteers who have devoted years to the sport.
The UKSG gave volleyball the opportunity to be seen by those outside the sport, and volleyball images are now more prevalent in more locations. The increased profile will bring more people to our door and volleyball is now ready to meet this challenge. This ‘overnight success’ for volleyball is really the culmination of years and years of hard work from the dedicated team that are volleyball volunteers.
In developing the Volley123 club accreditation scheme the object was to highlight the benefits and allay fears that this was another ‘hassle’ imposed upon clubs. The focus on strong club development has paid off and 32 clubs are
It has been an honour to be part of the team in the last year and I look forward to the next 4 year plan period and the opportunities that will come as we head to 2012 and beyond.
volleyballengland
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - Freda Bussey Only four years to go to London 2012 and our technical progress continues to focus both on our progress towards the event and the legacy it will leave for volleyball.
retraining the volleyball tutor workforce has been a prime focus. The newly trained tutors are now preparing to lead the way with the support of scUK and will be tutoring the revamped courses in the near future.
Referees Commission have done an excellent job in maintaining numbers across all areas and levels despite surmounting difficulties and obstacles. With older, experienced officials retiring, a whole generation of new, younger and as yet inexperienced officials need to be recruited and supported to take on these roles. Developing a good working relationship with the British Volleyball Federation has been a focus for the commission and will be essential in the years ahead.
As a coach educator myself I can thoroughly endorse the work that has been completed with our new and existing tutors and will watch with interest to see how our coach education will develop in the near future.
Sports Coach UK has again been the driving force behind much of the work for the Coaching Commission and
Coaches and referees commissions have made great strides this year looking at all areas, Indoor, Beach and Sitting Volleyball in their drive to improve at all levels. With the support of our professional staff, working at Volleyball England, we will do our best to meet the future needs and demands of this wonderful sport.
PLAYING DIRECTOR - Richard Dobell I will start this years report off with thanking and praising the excellent work and many hours of volunteering that everyone has put in to this year across the Performance, Competitions and the Beach Commissions. A tremendous amount of effort and time is given to deliver the programmes within each Commission and you cannot highlight the importance of such commitment enough. Domestic competitions and tournaments are being delivered ever more efficiently and the planning and delivery of the GB home games has required considerable input from Volleyball England staff and volunteers. The success of these events, together with the spectator support we should all be very proud of what we have achieved and especially proud of our athletes that have committed so much to their dreams of Olympic representation in 2012.
Granted we have a very long journey still to come but I am extremely confident that if we can keep ‘up-ing’ our game we will succeed in expanding the game in England, which will enable us to find the talent and start to show the worldwide Volleyball and Beach Volleyball communities that England is a true Volleyballing nation! Finally, 2008-09 is our challenge with a new funding cycle on a horizon that is changing frequently. I am confident that Lisa and the staff can produce and deliver a robust business plan that will take us to a very exciting stage of development over the next 4 years. This as ever, cannot be delivered without the memberships contribution and support so it is, as ever, down to everyone to do their bit.
9
volleyballengland
REFEREE COMMISSION PRESIDENT - Bernard Kilkenny The number of award courses, registered referees and new Grade 3 Referees all improved last year; the latter is cause for optimism since these form the nucleus of our future refereeing base.
The shortage of enthusiastic volunteers persists. Refereeing continues to be the poor relation of volleyball but there is now a recognition that some adjustments in the level of professional support for referees is needed.
Raw data on higher-grade referees appears stable, but this masks the trend over recent seasons in which many senior referees are being replaced by less experienced and, increasingly, foreign-qualified officials. Good work continues on Junior referees but we are still failing to attract the experienced ex-players that we need; there has never been a better time to make rapid progress through the grading system, for motivated career referees. The provision of trained observers to guide referees through the NVL remains inadequate.
Progress has been made towards a unified BVF approach in refereeing. We are becoming stretched in trying to meet international commitments, though the good progress in sitting volleyball and beach volleyball continues; we need rapid progress by some of our better, younger referees, to fill this gap. The coming year must also see the start of a major programme to train an army of scorers, line judges and other court personnel to be available at the highest level of world volleyball, in just four years time.
AWARD COURSES, REFEREES AND REGISTRATIONS 2003-2008 2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
Grade 4 Award Courses
18
10
9
11
2007-08 12
New Grade 3 Referees
21
34
27
14
21
New Grade 4 referees
236
115
135
149
147
Registered Referees
295
284
283
282
297 2
International Referees
3
2
2
2
National Referees
11
11
10
10
8
Grade 1 Referees
9
13
14
16
16
Grade 2 Referees
19
16
19
17
18
PERFORMANCE COMMISSION PRESIDENT - Steve Williams In the past year efforts have focused on maintaining the player pathway leading ultimately to high performance volleyball at senior international level, whether indoors or on the beach. In terms of talent development one of the highlights of the year was the positioning of Volleyball at the UK School Games. Not only was the profile of Volleyball greatly enhanced but also the outlet for young players was welcomed by them. Notwithstanding the lack of resources junior and age group squads continued to operate. In the second year of their cycle England Cadet Boys’ activity continued with around 70 aspiring players being seen. During the year training was severely disrupted due to the conditions at Heyford, despite Tom Middleton’s best efforts. The end of 2007 saw the BOA withdraw their support for Heyford.
10
In spite of this the cadets had a very successful year, winning the Sparkassen Rondo Cup in Austria and taking awards for the best setter (Aaron Robertson) and best hitter (John Chapman). Financial constraints were a concern and the assistance given by parents was much appreciated, as was the voluntary input of all coaches and team managers. The England Junior Men squad trained for 46 days in the year and played six international matches, at the NEVZA (North European Volleyball Zonal Association) and European Championships. At NEVZA, Sweden were taken to the fifth set, and Denmark to 4. The Europeans were rescheduled to January, from Easter, and thus the squad struggled due to lack of previous match practice and budget stringency leading to a training trip to Italy having to be cancelled.
volleyballengland
PERFORMANCE COMMISSION (Cont.) The squad, however, gave hosts Denmark a tough 5 set match and took a set off the strong Montenegrans. This represented an outstanding achievement, considering that most continental countries run nearly full-time junior programmes. Four players, Nathan French, Dan Hunter, Jim Miller and Peter Bakare, caught the eye of GB coaches as future potential.
Several talented younger players received benefit from SportsAid and the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.
Keith Trenam, coach to England Juniors, also continued to progress the Men’s National Development Squad at Sheffield and in December a developmental Women’s team, and a slightly more experienced Men’s squad, took part in the Glasgow invitational.
During the year there were no positive UK Sport AntiDoping tests to report, a testament to the vigilance of the players and coaches.
Competing under the banner of GBR the English Beach Volleyball pairing of Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns played on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour. Other women’s and men’s pairings found opposition on the various tours too hot to handle.
COMPETITIONS COMMISSION PRESIDENT - Ian Loke My thanks go to all members of this commission who have had a challenging year but have produced the highest standard of leadership. The National League saw a slight increase in team entries for the 2007-08 season. London Malory lifted the Men’s Division 1 title and Wessex-TeamBath took the Women’s. The National Cup saw record entries with some 15 nonNVL teams. Semi finals were held in conjunction with the age group finals at Keele University. There was a good crowd of spectators for all the semi final games. Many of whom appreciated the opportunity to watch both senior and age group volleyball. The National Cup finals were hosted by the South West region, at the Sports Training Village, University of Bath. A high class venue saw record numbers with 800 enthused spectators, and had successful coverage with Sky Sports. The men’s event was won by Sheffield and the women’s Cup saw the first non-NVL team to win in the history of the competition, the University of London Union. The Men’s Shield was captured by Plymouth and the Women’s Shield by Ashcombe Dorking. The Sunday saw the junior competition with again some 500 noisy spectators and cheerleaders. At the Cup Finals the junior titles were shared between 4 different schools/clubs which shows the strength of junior volleyball at present: Under 16 girls Ashcombe, Under 16 boys Ernest Bevin College, Under 18 women Tameside and Under 18 men Boswells School. The Student Cup saw over 60 entries this season with the finals staged in Leeds in February. University College Dublin won the women’s competition; Sheffield Hallam won the Men’s.
BUSA competition organizers changed the dates of their championships which continues to cause challenges. Stronger communication between BUSA and Volleyball England has been established to rectify this. The Regional Champions Trophy is a new competition aimed to help develop regional competition structurally and administratively. It proved a great success, teams from all 9 regions were represented at the tournament held in conjunction with the Annual Dinner and Big Bash at Kettering Conference Centre. Marjons beat London Spikers in the men’s final and Tameside beat Plymouth in the women’s final. Entries continue to be consistent in the Under 15 competition. The University of Birmingham played host to the finals for the first time with great success. Madeley Newcastle Staffs won both the boys and girls competitions. The Under 14 3v3 competition was a new competition to complete the player pathway. With over 100 entries nationwide through regional level competition junior volleyball is strong. The finals were hosted by Ernest Bevin College with Wessex and Madeley Newcastle Staffs winning the boys and girls competitions respectively. Junior Pontins continues to offer a more relaxed family orientated competition in Southport. Entry numbers are consistent and there are talks to expand the event into the south in future years. There are currently no commissioners for a number of the competitions and events, in their absence the office has carried out the duties of organizing these competitions.
11
volleyballengland
SCHOOLS & YOUTH COMMISSION PRESIDENT - Gillian Harrison This year saw the departure of Will Roberts to the Youth Sport Trust. The commission would like to thank Will for his support and guidance in his role as Partnerships Officer. In September Laura Brown took over the liaison. To increase participation in junior volleyball the Commission has devised 5 main areas of work: Let’s Play Volleyball Toolkit, Education, Clubs, Competition and Talent Development. Through regular meetings the commission has progressed this work and notably for 2007 ensured a beach dimension to all aspects. Thanks to Julie Garrard for her expertise and guidance in this area. Lets Play Volleyball Toolkit There are three new developments to the toolkit this year. Super Mini Volley Cards will complete the series of volleyball resource cards for coaches and teachers. Thanks to Steve Betts for his work in developing this. For young people, the Volleyball Leaders Award steered by Nick Shaffery is complete and ready to launch, as is the Junior Referees Award under the guidance of Denis le Breuilly. Education Work with School Sport Partnerships (SSP) has continued this year and VE again offered a block affiliation opportunity to 766 schools through their SSPs. The Volleyball Competition Framework was updated and sets out the game formats, court sizes and rules appropriate for the age and ability of players. Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation including Leo Trench and Martin Wain for their work in shaping the framework. This will be a central reference as we begin working with a new network of Competition Managers around the country. Volleyball has also been working closely with the Youth Sport Trust to develop an Intra School resource called yoUR Sport. This is a great opportunity with volleyball only one of the 6 sports to be part of the scheme. This scheme will be launched from September 2008. Clubs There are now 32 accredited clubs and this year saw two clubs achieve Volley 3 status; University of Birmingham and Newbury Volleyball Club. Community Sports Coaches have continued to play a vital role in the delivery of volleyball to young people and linking them to local clubs. Two Community Sports Coaches have moved on to new challenges and we thank both Julie Francis and Navaz Sutton for their hard work in this area and wish them luck in their new roles.
12
Competition The Lets Play Volleyball Festivals were launched for the first time in the summer 2007 with 6 events taking place across the country aimed at grass roots mass participation. For the forthcoming 2008 Festivals a comprehensive guide to organising LPV Festivals has been produced and the commission would like to thank Tony Pennock for his work in developing this resource. Talent Development The Regional Talent Development programme has been extended to include beach. Three Beach Technical Advisers have been appointed to work across the regions to establish programmes, provide advice and guidance on the technical and tactical beach content for the regional coaches. The Inter Regional Championships again took place in May 2007. The top three placings for each age group are below: Under 14 Girls:
Under 15 Boys:
1 North East
1 London
2 South West
2 East
3 West Midlands
3 North West
Under 16 Girls:
Under 17 Boys:
1 South West
1 East
2 North West
2 West Midlands
3 South East
3 South West
UK School Games The first UK School Games for volleyball took place in Coventry on the 23rd-26th of August 2007 and provides a much-needed bridge between regional talent and national programmes. Cadet aged Teams from North, Central and South competed against Northern Ireland and Scotland. FINAL PLACINGS Boys Under 17:
Girls Under 16:
1 England Central
1 England South
2 England South
2 England North
3 England North
3 Scotland West/North
4 Scotland East/South
4 England Central
5 Scotland West/North
5 Scotland East/South
6 Northern Ireland
6 Northern Ireland
volleyballengland
BEACH COMMISSION PRESIDENT - Mark Kontopoulous The Beach Commission has once again had a very active and productive year since the last Volleyball England AGM.
Wahoo, a Manchester-based manufacturer of leisure and sports clothing, is now providing all clothing for players, officials, staff and volunteers at all VEBT events.
The Volleyball England Beach Tour has continued its rapid growth and development, with key highlights including:
The 2008 VEBT has so far been a huge success, with entries exceeding those of last year and the quality of tournaments being unprecedented in recent years.
• increased number of events; • increased levels of participants; • constantly improving quality and level of presentation of events. The Beach Commission has developed very close working relationships with a number of promoters and local authorities, with the aim of building long-term and mutually beneficial relationships. Prior to the 2008 VEBT, the Beach Commission secured an important sponsorship agreement under which Blue
On the development side, the Beach Commission has also held a number of well attended beach volleyball referees’ courses, which aim to increase the number of qualified beach volleyball referees in England and to help meet the demands of the national and international events being hosted in the country. In addition, the Beach Commission remains very active in the areas of junior development and is making important contributions to Volleyball England’s long term strategic plan for volleyball and beach volleyball.
COACHES COMMISSION PRESIDENT - Richard Harrison Over the past year the scale of work related to growing and improving the volleyball coaching workforce has increased dramatically Coaches Commission has been working closely with Schools & Youth Commission on a number of projects related to young people. All coaches who have been identified as working with under 18’s have been asked to fulfill our/Home Office requirements in relation to CRB checks. Our 16 Community Sports Coaches have had a significant impact in increasing the numbers of young people experiencing volleyball and the links between schools and junior clubs with increasing numbers of Volleysport and Mini-Volley courses organised for them. Staff Tutors have been contributing to a number of new resource developments with the completion of the Junior Leaders and Super-Minivolley Awards in addition to an online coaching resource for coaches produced together with partners Sheffield Hallam University and Sportplan. The National Coaching Conference was resurrected in 2007 after a significant absence and presentations by Keith Trenam and Jefferson Williams received excellent feedback from the 29 coaches in attendance. The new Level 1 UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) has required a review of the content of the existing Level 1 courses in England and Scotland. We have set-up a National Source Group and technical teams with representatives from England and Scotland to implement the UKCC and manage the programme of transition to the new qualification. Thanks to Steve Jones (Volleyball England Coaching Officer) and
Thomas Dowens (Technical Director of the SVA) we have finalised the technical aspects and shaping the structure of the new course and have made significant progress in retraining our tutor workforce. 45 Staff Tutors and Candidate Staff Tutors have completed the first stage of three days training and will undergo further assessment to meet the requirements of external accreditation through the Certificate in Tutoring Sport qualification. The commitment to the UKCC has resulted in Steve Jones spending most of his time on UKCC matters. His diligence in working through the administrative requirements and key milestones has been a significant aspect of our rapid progress. Courses Number of Coach Award Scheme Courses organised during the year compared with last year: 06/07 07/08 VolleySport Card VolleySport Card (Coaching for Teachers) Mini Volley Mini Volley (Coaching for Teachers) CSLA L1 (inc. Coaching for Teachers L1s) L2 Beach Coach L3 Leaders Award Total
8 4 3 5 22 48 6 0 1 97
10 4 9 3 15 56 7 0 0 2 106
Thanks also to the CEO and the staff at the National Office for providing enthusiastic support to the work of the Commission involving course administration, coach database, Coach of the Year and coaching events.
13
volleyballengland
REGIONAL CHAIRS FORUM - Janet Inman For the last two years there have been few meetings where regions have got together to consider the strategic development of volleyball. From early in 2008 this situation began to change with regional chairs meeting on several occasions in order to develop a new effective system of engagement from the highest levels to the individuals playing in local league clubs. As we approach the last year of our first ‘Whole Sport Plan’ it is imperative that the membership have a chance to voice their thoughts on the direction of volleyball through their county and regional associations. Our thoughts in 2007-08 were already on the planning for the next four year period 2009-2013 in the knowledge that Sport England were reviewing their strategy. Subsequently, in June 2008, this was launched with a change of focus by putting the development of sport back in the hands of the National Governing Bodies. The Sport England plan will give direction to all sports and will direct volleyball to focus
on ensuring the development of volleyball through improving services and links to clubs at all levels. Over the last 4 years, supported by the professional staff, VE has developed in preparation for the big challenge; that of moving volleyball from its current position to one as a real sporting force in England. The sport now has a professional infrastructure, good corporate governance, opportunities for new resources, a club structure and a player pathway that is the envy of many other sports. Our record in the past year to rise to the challenges and opportunities presented by Sport England, the Youth Sport Trust, the Child Protection in Sport Unit, the Equity Alliance and other agencies has been good. As we plan for the next four years, we must take advantage of the new sporting wind blowing across England; if we don’t we will only have ourselves to blame. The ‘we’ includes all our membership and I would ask that you ‘have your say’ in the consultation process.
REGIONS NORTH OF ENGLAND - Phil Dodd, Chairman The North of England Volleyball Association continues to promote volleyball in two area associations: Tees Valley and Tyneside. Tees Valley An active committee has continued to build the infrastructure of the sport, encouraging clubs to apply for Volley 1 and arranging coaching, refereeing and child protection courses. Two clubs are now working towards Volley 2 and two more are working towards Volley 1. A very healthy local league structure is well managed and the standard of organisation is improving. A proposal to develop a well-structured schools league is being proposed. Tyneside Two Leagues and a Ladies League continue to cater for a growing number of clubs. The Committee is working hard to restructure their organisation along portfolio lines (Club Development; Schools/Junior Development; Competitions) and this has resulted in five Tyneside clubs now working towards Volley 1. A Community Sports Coach working within the Tynedale area has encouraged younger players and new adult players through schools development and the new Tynedale Volleyball Partnership which also runs the Regional Grass Series event for the Northern Region. Developments and successes The continued success of the Regional NEVA Ladies League has brought together female teams from across the North in four linked tournaments. This has had a huge impact on female volleyball in the region and this is reflected in the continued success of the under 14 girls in the Inter-Regionals and the Northern Division Team for the UK School Games. A small base of very active volunteers provides for a strong junior development programme, with results at the Inter Regionals, representation with England Cadets and in UKSG, starting to reflect their hard work. In the NVL, good performances from both Middlesbrough men’s teams (1st and 2nd in the league) resulted in promotion for one of the teams back into Division 2, as with the Middlesbrough Ladies team from Division 3N. The Tees Valley team finished a credible 7th place giving confidence for further progression in the future. Other highlights included Nunthorpe Volleyball Club being short-listed in the Volleyball England Club of the Year Awards at the Big Bash; the annual Ian Berry Tournament being successful yet again; and two beach competitions at Tynemouth in July – an open competition for adult teams; and a smaller tournament at Redcar primarily aimed at junior players.
14
The NEVA Executive is still looking at restructuring within the next few months to follow the example of taking on portfolio representatives, coming together to form a Regional Association Directorate. NORTH WEST – Alan Bell, Chairman The Region concentrated on youth and junior activities associated with the Regional Talent Development Programme. 2007-08 was a good year for junior development in the North West. We were able to increase the number of RTDP supported regional training sessions for under 14 and under 16 girls and under 15/under 17 boys. The sessions were run at a central venue in Warrington and were very well attended, initially attracting between 20 and 30 youngsters in each age group before we cut down the numbers for regional squad selection. The youngsters came from a wide range of feeder schools / clubs across the region and, as an added bonus, were often accompanied by their parents or teachers many of whom were drawn in to helping with coaching and organisation. There were also impressive developments in some of the feeder schools, notably St. Edmund Arrowsmith at Wigan where Jim Keating made full use of his School Sports Coordinator role to promote volleyball development in 5 secondary schools and many primaries. This is a model we hope to follow up in other parts of the region next year. Junior Inter-Regionals We entered four teams in the Inter-Regional Championships held this year at Sheffield. The girls did very well, the boys less so but we know that in the parental support, coaching and regional training structure we have a sound base to build on for next season. National Competition success North West Teams also did well in National Competitions. Tameside’s Young Women’s Team was relegated from NVL Division 1 but Tameside teams were strong enough to win the National Women’s under 18 Cup competition and also the new Regional Champions Trophy against strong opposition. Area Leagues Elsewhere in the region, three area leagues continue to provide opportunities for adult competition and all areas are being bolstered by an influx of new, largely eastern European, talent. YORKSHIRE – Mike Turner, Chairman It has been a great year for volleyball in Yorkshire. With the arrival of the GB Squads to Sheffield we have been given great opportunities to see top level coaches and players in training and international matches. Ben Pipes, Kieran O'Malley, Andy Sinclair and Rachel Laybourne all have roots in Yorkshire. Sheffield Men had an outstanding season - winning the
volleyballengland
REGIONS (Cont.) National KO Cup and finishing second in NVL Division 1, with a squad of players all under 25 years old! The Sheffield 2 team also excelled, winning promotion to Division 1. This remarkable achievement was largely masterminded by coach, Keith Trenam, recipient of the Volleyball England Coach of the Year Award. Leeds Carnegie is one of four new teams entering the NVL, along with Barnsley, Leeds 2 and York Volleyball Club, and its rise to prominence has been due to the appointment of a specific volleyball coach, Simon Loftus, by Leeds Metropolitan University. The regional leagues have been very competitive, with the men's title decided on the last two games. Hawks VC retained the Men's Yorkshire Premier League, while York Volleyball Club won the women's title. Leeds Met University won the cup competition, with East Midlands neighbours, Worksop, winning the ‘end of season’ tournament. Credit goes to volunteer league secretaries, Doug Lawson and Glenn Wraith, for their hard work. As a pilot trial we benefited from the Volleyball England online league table engine, ensuring that league tables were always up to date. Development work continued with the under 14 regional qualification taking place in January 2008. Three teams from Stokesley School and one from Danby School qualified for the national finals. The Yorkshire under 14 Girls finished 6th at the Inter-Regional Championships. VolleySport and MiniVolley courses were run, with increasing interest from several School Sports Partnerships. The Hull and East Yorkshire League was won by City of Hull Rockets. Volleyball doesn't stop in the summer. Bridlington hosted its annual 4-aside Beach Tournament which was a great success, under indefatigable organiser, Dave Speers, and also a Volleyball England Beach Tour event. Following a successful Yorkshire AGM we are looking forward to the year ahead. EASTERN – Ken Edwards, Chairman After some musical chairs at our AGM, where the Chair and Secretary swapped roles, all but one of the Executive positions have been filled. With the significant workload pressures on the volunteer Executive the EVF continues in a “Region-lite” capacity, whereby the programme is limited to reflect the voluntary status and time limitations. The EVF is guided by its annually updated development plan and some of the Counties are beginning to produce similar documents. The committed executive team kept the region functioning and they considered the meetings of Chairs and Commissioners very positively. An increased role for the Regions could be considered to be a double edged sword – balancing the recognition and responsibility with the capacity implications. Club affiliations continue to rise and there are more coaches. The number of referees, however, is reducing. There was regional representation in the under 15 boys’, under 17 boys’ and under 14 girls’ inter-regional championships in 2007. The regional men and women’s competition run at UEA Norwich continued successfully with an increase in the standard of entries. Other highlights included the regional sign-off for the Club and Coach Fund; Volley 1 club accreditation by Brentwood Volleyball Club, thus joining Ipswich, Chelmsford and Tendring; Boswells and Tendring continuing to have success at the highest levels in national junior volleyball; the JUVO junior outdoor tournament was again successful in 2007 and is now a recognised Volleyball England model; and the development of sitting volleyball, with sessions held in Ipswich, Ely, Cambridge, and Essex. For the second time Great Yarmouth hosted successfully a round of the 2007 Volleyball England Beach Tour. Close ties were maintained with Sport England East, East NGB Forum and Federation of Eastern Sport. There is a need to resolve an anticipated increased role for regions whilst recognising the region-lite capacity approach; a need to influence schools in effectively utilising our coaches in delivering the additional 5 hours strategy; a need to forge effective relationships between Community Sports Partnerships/Networks and clubs and counties; and a need to produce more referees and the continuing challenge of finding able and willing volunteers to advance the region.
WEST MIDLANDS – Bryan Youlden, Chairman The year was one of intense activity and significant success as shown by the numerous awards won. These included University of Birmingham VC as runner-up in the CCPR Sports Club of the Year, Newcastle Staffs as winners of the Volleyball England Club of the Year; and three Volleyball England volunteer awards - Kieron Bradley, UoB (Young Volunteer of the Year), Colin Roberts, Newcastle Staffs (Volunteer of the Year) and Ian Wall, Tamworth (Long Time Service Award). Referee representation from the region has been visible at many events. Twelve teams from the region featured in the NVL, with City of Wolverhampton, including three Tettenhall girls, being runner’s up in Women’s Division 1, Warwick Riga 3rd in both Men’s Division 1 and Women’s Division 2 and Newcastle Staffs Ladies 3rd in Division 3 North. The region was a dominant force in national junior competitions with successes at various age groups, thanks to the hard work of a dedicated band of coaches. At regional level there was a substantial improvement in the quality of play in the West Midlands League matching that of NVL Division 2. At the Regional Champions Trophy, Telford Men and Tamworth Ladies fought well despite facing very tough opposition, some fielding several NVL players. A number of clubs have achieved or are working towards the various levels of club accreditation, with University of Birmingham being one of the first to achieve Volley 3 accreditation. WMVA has accepted an invitation to pilot a new National Award for Young Volunteers in the coming season. Communication with Volleyball England hierarchy improved immeasurably with Regional Chairs meetings proving extremely useful. The WMVA committee has been preparing a new Development Plan. As one of the few regions with an up to date plan we should be well placed to take advantage of any increased resources from Sport England. The Club and Coach fund will be, when fully operational, a valuable asset for volunteers, clubs and venues to deliver the junior regional programme and hopefully this will be an incentive for others to develop more young players. The scheme is wholeheartedly supported by the region. Exciting plans are evident in areas such as Nuneaton and Tamworth. WMVA is fortunate to have a number of dedicated long serving individuals who consistently deliver the goods. A further highlight was the additional people who have helped us. Most of us still want to play the game we love, but it takes exceptional dedication to attend meetings, to organise coaching and refereeing courses, to circulate information, and do many more tasks. My thanks to each and every one of the team, both old and new. WMVA has a strong foundation on which to grow and looks forward to more success in developing volleyball in the coming year. EAST MIDLANDS – Janet Inman, Chairperson The work of the EMVA has been dominated by junior development for another year. The Regional Talent Development Programme (RTDP) included players from 3 of the 5 counties attending weekly training in a club and / or county structure and then into the regional monthly training camps. For the first time the East Midlands had teams in all 4 age groups at the Inter Regional Competition in Nottingham. The number of players and the standard of volleyball goes from strength to strength. This is due to the great efforts of volunteers, coaches and team managers with Steve Jones and Paul Lamb overseeing the programme and Anne Brennan providing administrative support, not forgetting the role of all clubs which support and encourage young players into the programme and onto the player pathway. Special mention of Emma Surma and Jonathon Pennock who have supported the programme over the last two years but will be leaving to work abroad. The regional league has been strengthened with several new men’s teams joining, and has been dominated by Loughborough Lions who, at this moment, have not lost a game. During the year great interest was shown to establish a ladies league for the forthcoming season.
15
volleyballengland
REGIONS (Cont.) For the first time the Volleyball England Beach Tour came to the East Midlands with a tournament in Skegness. The event was supported by East Lindsey District Council, Lincolnshire Volleyball and the Beach Commission. The day, although very cold, was a great success and looks like becoming a regular part of the Beach Tour. The other main regional event to take place in 2007 was the Nottingham Tournament for both adult and junior players at Widmerpool. The event has grown from year to year and the addition of the junior event gave the tournament a real family atmosphere. On a glorious summer’s day everyone had a great time. Thanks to Adam and the organising committee. SOUTH WEST – Ron Richards, Secretary I believe that this has been a positive year for our association. The National Finals at Bath saw this major national event return to the region for the first time in 17 years. The finals took place at the excellent Team Bath venue and were well organised by the local committee and national officers and were well attended, with about 800 there on the Saturday. In the NVL Wessex-TeamBath were crowned as champions of the Women’s National League Division 1, while Plymouth Activate won Men’s Division 3 West. In National Cup Finals there were victories for Plymouth Activate in the Men’s Shield and for Wessex in the Under14 Boys. Wessex were also runners up in the Under18 Men. Adding to the honours list, Marjons took the inaugural Regional Champions Men’s Trophy, while Plymouth Women narrowly lost in their Final. At the Awards Dinner Lynn Allen was awarded the Female Coach of the Year Award, and David Richards (ex Priory) received the Development Coach of the Year Award. The SW Regional Leagues, though smaller, were competitive and well organised, providing valuable competition between local volleyball and the NVL. We need to continue to provide an incentive for local league clubs to move onwards and upwards. Junior development remained buoyant with competition successes in the region spread across a wide range of clubs and schools. At the Inter-Regional Junior Championships we again saw very good results for the regional teams and for this we must compliment our many junior coaches, Ros Sutherland, our Junior Development Officer and the SW Squad personnel. Club affiliations to VE held up, but without any significant growth in membership anywhere in the region. The region now boasts four Volleyball Community Sports Coaches employed by County Sports Partnerships, two in the (former) Avon area, one in North Devon and one in Dorset. It is, however, frustrating to attend NGB meetings where other sports are represented by professional Development Officers, but we must build on the foundations that have been established in recent years. We need to mobilise our efforts into contacting and engaging the many professionals who could help us develop volleyball - in the County Sports Partnerships and other organisations. As always, the strength of the region and its areas come from the quality and dedication of its volunteers. I would like to thank all those who have given so willingly of their time to ensure that we have strong area and regional activities. SOUTH EAST – President, Freda Bussey Competitive leagues continue to thrive in Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Berkshire with many active clubs elsewhere taking part in friendly and local competition. Summer outdoor tournaments are very popular with the main competitions held by Guildford, Ashcombe, Epsom. The county league champions participated in the SEVA tournament in Portsmouth, with victory ensuring representation in the inaugural Regional Champions Trophy. The NVL included eleven teams from the South East. Reading VC and Reading Aces were promoted to Division 1 at the expense of Guildford International and Ashcombe Dorking. Ashcombe, however, entered all age group cup competitions and became Under16 National Champions, with the Under18 Women and Under18 Men reaching the semi finals. The
16
Volleyball Centre at Ashcombe continued to be used by national and area representative squads for weekend training. After regular training sessions all age groups were entered at the Inter-regionals with best placing from the U16 girls finishing third. Four boys and seven girls were subsequently invited to performance camps. In 2007 the Ashcombe tournament was also part of the Regional Grass Series and also hosted a Lets Play Volleyball event. Unfortunately the weather was a dampener. Two other junior tournaments were held in the autumn with good uptake to identify talent. Newbury VC became the first club in the country to be awarded Clubmark 3, Ashcombe VC achieved Clubmark 2, with Team Southampton, Portsmouth, Oxford University and Epsom Volleyball Clubs also becoming accredited. The attraction of Beach Volleyball was enhanced by the Yellowave Beach Centre in Brighton which hosted the VEBT Finals at the end of August. The centre acted as a magnet for both competitive and recreational volleyball, with adult and junior training sessions well attended, and regular leagues. It is hoped that the interest generated will carry over into the indoor game in the league season. The fire at Yellowave was a blow, but one from which it recovered well. Disability Volleyball was also not forgotten in the South East, thanks to the unstinting efforts of Tom Middleton and others in Kent. LONDON – Charlie Orton, Chairman What a year this has been! Summer 2007 saw the first Voleyball England Beach Event in Regents Park, with up to 2000 people watching top class Beach Volleyball; the O2 Centre provided a beach in the summer; and Sport England London started consideration of a Beach Sports Centre. Working with Visit London a feasibility study for hosting FIVB World Tour events in London was progressed. NVL Although hit by the development of GB Squads, our top National League sides still performed well, Malory taking the Men's Title and Dulwich Tuskers gaining promotion back to Women’s Division 1. The star award, though, goes to University of London Ladies, who defeated four NVL Division 1 sides to take the National KO Cup at Bath University. Another great performance came from Ernest Bevin boys, who beat Boswells School in great style in the u16 Cup. Richmond Men and Ealing Ladies have entered the NVL for next season. London League With new administrators joining, this league worked well. With real initiative, Douglas Barr-Hamilton, raised the standard of Men’s Division 2, even obtaining sponsorship from Epidote Projects. The champions were University of London Ladies and London Spikers in the Men's Division. Recreational Volleyball The Whitechapel project continued under Naveed Ahmed, and the Westminster Academy Sports opened, with Mustafa Ibrihim soon having vibrant Saturday evening sessions running. Junior Volleyball Ernest Bevin College hosted the first ever u14 finals. London teams reaching the last 8s were Richmond (under 18 men), St. Edwards School (under 18 women) and Chadwell Heath (under 16 boys). Developments A submission, formulated in very quick time by Luke Thomas, to the Thames Gateway London Partnership for a 2 year project to develop volleyball in five boroughs was accepted. This could provide employment to up to 10 coaches. Club and Coach Fund This scheme was slow to develop, but with work behind the scenes it has reached the stage where it can be rolled out. It will enable development of selected coaches and clubs to guide talented younger players along the pathway and help deliver a solid base to the future of Volleyball in London. Development Officers From an initial proposal in 2007 for a London Development Officer progress was made towards the end of the year, subsequently resulting in two part-time Officers starting in June 2008. In London we look forward to a lot more initiatives being taken forward in the coming years.
volleyballengland
FINANCE REPORT - John Boughton The Association once more reports a loss for the year just ended as expenditure on the constituent programmes of the Whole Sport Plan continues to gather pace in achievement of our Sport England targets. However, the loss incurred is less than that budgeted (£43,879 versus £87,980), due to a combination of matching shortfalls in income and expense, together with new grant revenue streams obtained in support of existing activities. Sport England funding remains our major source of income and is subject to external influences that can have major repercussions for the Association. Whilst there are no indications that with our current performance against the Key Performance Indicators, this income stream is in jeopardy, it remains a challenge for the Association to develop additional sources of revenue to reduce our dependency on it.
With the coming of 2012, sport in Great Britain, and in particular volleyball, has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stamp itself indelibly on the nation’s consciousness. To make the most of this, the Association needs the ability to exploit initiatives without reference to external funding bodies. The creation of this development fund is a key priority of the Board. The composition of the Balance Sheet remains largely unchanged. Current Assets continue to exceed Current Liabilities by a healthy margin and liquidity is not an issue. With its substantial reserves, the Association is in a strong financial position – a position from which it can support volleyball into a long and successful future, provided it maintains its robust financial controls and processes. Finally, I am pleased to inform you that our auditors have approved our accounts for the year ended 31st March 2008, and they can be seen in full starting overleaf.
volleyballfacts • Participation is higher for 16-19 year olds • Participation is higher for students • Yorkshire and Humber has the highest participation rate
• 44,000 adults would like to play volleyball more often!
17
volleyballengland
DIRECTORS' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008 The directors present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2008. Principal activities The principal activity of the company during the year was to promote and encourage in every way the game of volleyball and to act as the governing body for the sport in England. Directors The directors who served during the year were: Dr D Anthony Mr B E Stalker Mr R S Smith (resigned 30/6/07) Mrs F K Bussey Mrs J M A Inman Mr R Callicott Mr R E Dobell Mr J Biddiscombe Provision of information to auditors Each of the persons who are directors at the time when this Directors' report is approved has confirmed that: •
so far as that director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company's auditors are unaware, and
•
each director has taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a director in order to be aware of any information needed by the company's auditors in connection with preparing their report and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information.
Auditors The auditors, PKF (UK) LLP, will be proposed for reappointment in accordance with section 485 to 488 of the Companies Act 2006. The report of the directors has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small companies. This report was approved by the board on 30 June 2008 and signed on its behalf.
Mr T Ojasoo Secretary
18
volleyballengland
STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008
The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law).The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to: •
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
•
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
•
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements and other information included in annual reports may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
19
volleyballengland
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ENGLISH VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION We have audited the financial statements of English Volleyball Association for the year ended 31 March 2008 which comprise the profit and loss account, the balance sheet and the related notes. The financial statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set out therein. This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with section 235 of the Companies Act 1985. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors The directors' responsibilities for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom accounting standards ('United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice') are set out in the statement of directors' responsibilities. Our responsibility is to audit the financial statements in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). We report to you our opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair view and have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985. We also report to you whether in our opinion the information given in the directors' report is consistent with the financial statements. In addition we report to you if, in our opinion, the company has not kept proper accounting records, if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit, or if information specified by law regarding directors' remuneration and other transactions is not disclosed. We read the directors' report and consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements within it. Basis of audit opinion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgments made by the directors in the preparation of the financial statements, and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the company's circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed. We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the financial statements.
20
volleyballengland
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ENGLISH VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION Opinion In our opinion: • the financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 March 2008 and of its loss for the year then ended; • the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985; and • the information given in the directors' report is consistent with the financial statements.
PKF (UK) LLP Registered auditors Nottingham, UK 1 July 2008
21
volleyballengland
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008
Note TURNOVER
1,2
Administrative expenses OPERATING LOSS
3
Interest receivable LOSS ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION
2007 £
792,120
641,207
(860,573)
(725,230)
(68,453)
(84,023)
30,739
32,602
(37,714)
(51,421)
Tax on loss on ordinary activities
4
(6,165)
(6,361)
LOSS ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES AFTER TAXATION
9
(43,879)
(57,782)
The notes on pages 7 to 10 form part of these financial statements.
22
2008 £
volleyballengland
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2008
Note
£
2008 £
£
2007 £
FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets
5
43,793
44,517
CURRENT ASSETS Stocks Debtors
6
Cash at bank and in hand
CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year
7
14,581
12,931
128,526
42,615
556,281
634,978
699,388
690,524
(326,230)
(274,211)
NET CURRENT ASSETS
373,158
416,313
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
416,951
460,830
416,951
460,830
416,951
460,830
CAPITAL AND RESERVES Profit and loss account
9
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small companies and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2007). The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the board and were signed on its behalf on 30 June 2008.
Mr R Callicott Director The notes on pages 7 to 10 form part of these financial statements.
23
volleyballengland
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008 1.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES 1.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2007). 1.2 Turnover Turnover comprises the invoiced value of goods and services supplied by the company, net of value added tax and trade discounts, together with grants received from Sport England and subscriptions from members. 1.3 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following bases: Motor vehicles Office equipment
-
25% straight line 12.5% - 33% straight line
1.4 Operating leases Rentals under operating leases are charged on a straight line basis over the lease term. Benefits received and receivable as an incentive to sign an operating lease are recognised on a straight line basis over the period until the date the rent is expected to be adjusted to the prevailing market rate. 1.5 Stocks Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 1.6 Government grants Government grants relating to tangible fixed assets are treated as deferred income and released to the profit and loss account over the expected useful lives of the assets concerned. Other grants are credited to the profit and loss account as the related expenditure is incurred.
2.
TURNOVER All turnover arose within the United Kingdom, including grant income from Sport England of £467,458 (2007: £425,000).
24
volleyballengland
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008 3.
OPERATING LOSS The operating loss is stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets: - owned by the company Auditors' remuneration Sport England grant (included in turnover) Operating lease charges - Rental Operating lease charges - Plant and equipment
2008 £
2007 £
15,820 3,323 (467,458) 18,200 3,539
10,413 3,448 (425,000) 19,535 3,034
2008 £
2007 £
6,165
6,361
During the year, no director received any emoluments (2007 - £NIL).
4.
TAXATION
UK corporation tax charge for the year
5.
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Office equipment and motor vehicles £ Cost At 1 April 2007 Additions Disposals
107,113 15,096 (20,049)
At 31 March 2008
102,160
Depreciation At 1 April 2007 Charge for the year On disposals At 31 March 2008
62,596 15,820 (20,049) 58,367
Net book value At 31 March 2008
43,793
At 31 March 2007
44,517
25
volleyballengland
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008 6.
DEBTORS
Trade debtors Other debtors
7.
2007 £
40,334 88,192
11,425 31,190
128,526
42,615
2008 £
2007 £
31,513 6,167 12,285 276,265
75,177 6,361 8,694 183,979
326,230
274,211
CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors Corporation tax Social security and other taxes Other creditors
8.
2008 £
COMPANY STATUS The company is a private company limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the members is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the company in the event of liquidation.
9.
RESERVES Profit and loss account £
10.
At 1 April 2007 Loss for the year
460,830 (43,879)
At 31 March 2008
416,951
OPERATING LEASE COMMITMENTS At 31 March 2008 the company had annual commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows: 2008 £
2007 £
3,539 18,200
1,768 18,417
Expiry date: Within 1 year Between 2 and 5 years
26
volleyballengland
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008 11.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Mr C Inman, husband of director Mrs J M A Inman, is employed as a part time finance manager under normal terms. Relationship with British Volleyball Federation The British Volleyball Federation (BVF) is the organising body for the Great Britain national teams leading up to the 2012 Olympics. The EVA provides administrative, marketing and IT services for BVF. Grants received on behalf of BVF from UK Sport were £Nil (2007 - £431,300) and expenses paid were £20,076 (2007 - £392,515). The BVF is now established as a separate entity and as at the year end EVA no longer receives grants on BVF's behalf. The company is to recharge BVF £12,000 (2007 - £12,000) for the provision of administrative, marketing and IT services. Amounts owed by BVF at the year end and included in debtors due within one year were £44,076 (2007 - £20,297 owed by the company to BVF included in creditors).
27
English Volleyball Association Suite B • Loughborough Technology Centre • Epinal Way • Loughborough • LE11 3GE Telephone: 01509 631699 • Fax: 01509 631689 • Email:
[email protected] www.volleyballengland.org
