November 7 - A new £700,000 National Volleyball Centre has today been opened in Kettering, which will serve as an additional training facility for all the British volleyball sides in the build-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

 

With the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield currently serving as the base for the Great Britain indoor sides, the new facility at Kettering Conference Centre will provide a base for England squads of all ages and disciplines, as well as the British sitting squad.

 

Lisa Wainwright, the chief executive of Volleyball England, said: "I know the centre will provide a fantastic base for our England squads and also the GB Sitting Programme and I particularly look forward to seeing our major events being hosted in Kettering."

 

The East Midlands Development Agency (EDMA), Kettering Council, and Northampton Enterprise Limited all provided funding to help create four volleyball courts, new seating areas and a social and educational area.

 

Kettering Council Leader Jim Hakewill said: "A lot of work has gone in to make it possible for this to happen and I would like to thank Volleyball England, Kettering Conference Centre and our officer colleagues for the hard work involved in achieving this.

 

"Kettering is an excellent location for any national organisation, being at the very centre of England with superb communication links.

 

"I am looking forward to seeing Volleyball England prosper in their new headquarters."

 

Wainwright said: "All the partners involved with this project have worked together to enable us to open the centre here in Kettering."

 

The chief executive of EDMA, Jeff Moore, said: "The centre will make a significant impact on the Northamptonshire economy through visitor stays."