Following in the footsteps of City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club and NUVOC 
Volleyball Club in 2015, some of our clubs have been working hard to grow their clubs to the point where they are ready to embark on a similar club development projects that aim to support the sustainability of their club and our sport long term.
In the most recent submission of Direct Club Investment applications we are
delighted to announce that Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club (EBVC) have been successful in their project which looks to build on the success of their permanent hub at Portobello Beach. This is a fantastic boost for the sport of beach volleyball, not just in the East, but nationwide.
The club aspire to deliver services to people of all ages and abilities, building on existing partnerships with active schools and the local community, but in addition to this, new partnerships aim to contribute to government ambitions of getting more people active more often, whilst working in collaboration with the SVA to build a sustainable workforce to deliver this long term.
‘Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club are absolutely delighted to have been successful in our application for Direct Club Investment. The club’s mission has always been to present an inclusive and accessible environment for the local people to participate in our sport. Direct club investment will allow us to deliver this in a vibrant and sustainable way, by employing staff to coordinate and deliver services that bring people of all ages and abilities to the sand, creating a real community hub for everyone.’
Alongside EBVC, City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club have been successful with their phase two project to build on the success of their first DCI project which led to an inspiring junior club membership increase, now with over 180 junior members.
Their phase 2 project will recruit a Club Development Officer to support the
retention of girls at the club at the key points where research shows they drop out. City of Edinburgh Club Founder, Ian Brownlee told us more:
‘Over the last 4 years our youth academy membership has increased by over 300% and volleyball is now one of the biggest sports in our community for boys and girls with a great pathway through our junior programmes. But we are seeing a lot of girls dropping out of sport in their teenage years and we wanted to do something about that! The Direct Club Investment will allow us to employ a part time club development officer to put in place a holistic programme for girls to keep them active all year round with beach volleyball and indoor volleyball, give them study and lifestyle support, fit for girls sessions, opportunities to compete and social events. We really hope to see the results with more girls staying active and playing volleyball throughout their high school years and remaining involved in sport as athletes, coaches and leaders.’
The Scottish Volleyball Association are delighted that 2 of the 9 clubs who have been invested in from this round of applications are volleyball and beach volleyball clubs; both with a dynamic and exciting project which will see the sustainability of their clubs grow. These projects will have a tremendous impact on the strength and depth of our clubs both on the court and off, and will hopefully inspire other clubs across the country to follow in the same footsteps.
Scottish Volleyball is delighted with today’s announcement that two volleyball clubs are to receive Direct Club Investment from our partner sportscotland. This opportunity over the next four years for both clubs to engage in volleyball development programmes within their respective communities has demonstrated Scottish Volleyballs commitment to our members through the SVA Strategic Plan to deliver Bigger, Better and Stronger clubs. I congratulate both clubs for their vision, ambition and determination to lead both indoor and beach volleyball through their club players, officials, coaches, administrators and volunteers. It is a fantastic achievement and my personal thanks to sportscotland for their continued commitment to volleyball. – CEO Margaret Ann Fleming MBE
SVA Club & Participation Development Officer Ben Pipes commented ‘Continued sportscotland DCI funding will not only provide financial stability but most importantly cement the long term development plans of these clubs. The value of this investment aligns to the forward-thinking, proactive nature of the successful clubs. They serve as champions to our community as we all strive for a Bigger, Better and Stronger future for Scottish Volleyball.”
https://sportfirst.sportscotland.org.uk/articles/investing-in-clubs/
