This case study highlights the work, links and development of Nunthorpe Eagles Volleyball Club, which is Clubmark accredited (Volley 1).

The club is supported by Nunthorpe Community School, and has developed very strong links with Kader, The Avenue and Acklam Whin Primary Schools, and Nunthorpe and Acklam Grange Secondary schools.

Information is shared with Redcar & Cleveland, and Middlesbrough Sports Development teams.

The club moved to Nunthorpe approximately 15 years ago, after finding other venues too expensive. The school negotiated a price that allowed us to develop. The club at this stage was filled with a group of older people that played at a very low level, in terms of skill, knowledge and qualified personnel. We decided that it needed to change if we wanted to develop as players, as a club, and still be in existence in 10 years time.There was already a link with Nunthorpe and Acklam Grange Schools with Martin Wain being a teacher at Acklam, and the staff at Nunthorpe who we had negotiated with. The club wrote a long term development plan in the early 1990's,
the aims were varied:

• To develop qualified coaches and referees.
• To win promotion through the local leagues, to have 1 team in the NE Premier league. (At that time we had two teams in the lowest local division). This was extended later with a view to developing National league sides.
• To start junior volleyball in local schools that would link into our club.
• Our development plan allowed us to access junior volleyballs from the North of England Association.

i. Club Links ‘project' focus
The club wrote a long term development plan in the early 1990's, the aims were varied but out of which was born the school-club links focus: to start junior volleyball in local schools, which would link into our club.Our development plan allowed us to access junior volleyballs from the North of England Association.

ii. What were/ are the objectives?
The main aim of the project was to develop volleyball in the schools. We felt that although we could develop a junior section at the club, volleyball as a sport in the area would never develop.
The schools/ club link would also then become so much stronger.

iii. What did you do?
One of the reasons schools do not have volleyball in their curriculum is because there is a lack of competition at any level. One of the first things we did was to organize and run an outdoor junior tournament. This has become an annual event, one which has been duplicated on a local beach, and we have 200+ juniors competing at each venue, each year. We also helped to run CSLA & teacher coaching courses for staff in our local schools & for local police who wanted to help coach in the schools. Another huge change was that the club arranged other separate training sessions specifically for juniors & gained funding to make the hall into more than a 1court venue.

iv. What partnerships have been key?
The club has developed many partnerships throughout the project. The longer we have worked with our partners, the more commitment we have had. Sports Development teams
(Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland) listened to our plans initially, but only really paid us lip service, as there was little if any junior volleyball around, and I think they expected us to just disappear as fast as we had started. After 2 years of our plan when they could see the number of participants increasing considerably they began to give us real exposure. We are now a body they recognize, help and promote, and they often ask our coaches to help at events they organize.

For more details about Nunthorpe Eagles Volleyball Club visit their website