15 Sep 2025
How you can get involved in National Inclusion Week
In January, the organisation launched a new Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) - as part of the wider People Plan - which highlighted strengths in terms of diversity and inclusivity, and, importantly, where improvements are still needed.
The document also details actions to be taken to take those positive next steps.
At a time when National Inclusion Week is pushing diversity and inclusion into the spotlight, Volleyball England hopes to showcase the DIAP and its goals to a wider audience – as well as demonstrate some of the progress that has been made since its launch (see below).
The fact it is Volleyball England’s 70th anniversary year also brings with it extra meaning, since the father of British volleyball - Amateur Volleyball Association of Great Britain and Ireland founder Dr Don Anthony MBE – was a champion of inclusivity himself.
He strongly believed that volleyball was a game for all to play and where everyone should feel comfortable and involved, which, still today, is how Volleyball England wants players, coaches, officials, administrators, volunteers, spectators and Hub staff to feel.
It is why Volleyball England is increasingly using the hashtag #inclusivebydesign on its social media posts as a way of underlining that sport has always strived to be welcoming to all.
Progress around inclusion
Volleyball England has made progress in several against its goals and actions, as outlined in the DIAP.
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A new Volleyball England Inclusion Advocacy Group has been set up, drawing members from a cross section of volleyball communities with representation across gender, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, age. The group has been meeting every quarter and is making positive progress through DIAP.
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The Her Call female-only online referees’ network is going from strength to strength, creating a vibrant and empowering community for women in refereeing. It’s a space where female referees can connect, share their journeys, and inspire one another while building confidence and skills. With a clear mission to support every female referee in England, Her Call is all about helping women grow, thrive, and elevate their refereeing to the next level.
“There have been times when I have had a bad refereeing experience, but then I remember a lot of other referees go through that and I have learnt to be confident.”
"All of this has happened through the help of Her Call which I’m very grateful to be a part of.”
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Last year, we proudly welcomed four new female members to our Board of Directors, increasing female representation to 42%. This marks a significant step forward in strengthening gender balance and ensuring greater parity at the leadership level within Volleyball England.
Volleyball England still has much work to do to make the sport truly inclusive, but will continue to push this agenda in the remaining first year of the DIAP.
The celebration of National Inclusion Week
As part of the National Inclusion week celebration, Volleyball England will be sharing stories from across the volleyball community to drive awareness around inclusion in the form of case studies and podcasts, along with the resources to support itsd member clubs.
Here is what is planned, so be sure to keep abreast of what is happening by following across Instagram and Facebook.
Monday 15th September – introduction to NIW and Volleyball England DIAP.
Tuesday 16th September – Launch of the New Inclusion section on the Club Hub section of the Volleyball england website
Wednesday 17th September – "What inclusion means to me” video.
Thursday 18th September – New Digging Deeper podcast featuring GNG Bedford Volleyball’s Rajinder Singh.
Friday 19th September – Case studies on how clubs have made themselves more inclusive.
Saturday 20th September – Women in Volleyball: England’s Interim Senior Head Coach Carol Gordon speaks.
Sunday 21st September – Higher Education Volleyball Officers on inclusion as part of their roles.
How you can get involved
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Please like and share Volleyball England’s National Inclusion Week social media posts.
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Check out the National Inclusion Week content that may help you as an individual, or your club, better understand inclusion and share it with your club members and in your community.
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If creating any club content, use the hashtags #inclusivebydesign and #nowisthetime
If you need support with diversity and inclusion initiatives at club level, please reach out to our inclusion lead via h.choudhary@volleyballengland.org
