Plan to make South Queensferry the home of Scottish beach volleyball

SOUTH Queensferry could become the Scottish home of beach volleyball if their bid for funding to build a permanent facility is successful.

Logan Darling, Amy Rankin, Emma Waldie and Harris Ritchie who represented Edinburgh at beach volleyball at the 2015 International Children's Games in Alkmaar, Holland.

The City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club is booming, with membership doubling to 200 in the last five years.

Now, the club has applied to the Aviva Community Fund in the hopes of scoring £25,000 that would be used to build dedicated beach volleyball training facilities.

At the moment, players and coaches have to travel to Portobello or St Andrews to train when weather conditions mean that using the beach is not an option.

Club secretary and mum-of-twom, promising junior players Yvonne Kennedy, said: “It’s becoming a logistical nightmare. From September to March we are struggling to get anyone on the sand, the weather is a major problem.”

As one of the country’s biggest beach volleyball clubs, City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club aim to widen access to the sport to the whole volleyball community, not just Edinburgh and its surrounds.

Yvonne said: “The idea is that in order for the sport to grow we are trying to get something on our doorstep so we can feed players into the beach programme and establish a coaching network to help develop junior athletes.”

After making the initial application to the community fund, it is now open to public voting until November 20 when judges will choose from the finalists with the most votes.

There have been discussions with the Queensferry Sports and Community Hub to incorporate the covered grounds but talks are in the very early stages.

It is hoped that the addition of a beach volleyball training ground will add to the provision of sports in the area.

Yvonne said: “Sports facilities here are a nightmare. They are very limited. The club has provided a great environment for youngsters from age of five.

“To compete at the highest level we need to provide a year round indoor facility. We have indoor programmes and leagues but it’s different for beach volleyball because it’s difficult to offer that when there are no facilities.

“New facilities would add to our offering and would encourage more children into the sport.”

Margaret Ann Fleming, chief executive officer for Scottish Volleyball, said: “City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club is one of Scottish volleyball’s, biggest, most visionary and dynamic clubs.

“This application to build an accessible beach court facility in South Queensferry by the club, its parents and volunteers through the Aviva Community fund, drives forward the strategic aims of the governing body and can fulfil the club’s ambitions to offer to all their players, coaches and athletes, personal opportunities and development within the sport.

“I hope the application shall gather the ground swell of support needed to achieve the dreams of all involved.”

For more information go to www.facebook.com/cityofedinburghvolleyball.