22 Apr 2026
Cambridge Volleyball Club Building a New Era with Media, Creativity and Community Connection
How it all began:
Cambridge Volleyball Club has been a pillar of the region’s volleyball scene for many years, offering opportunities for juniors, adults, recreational players, and high‑level athletes alike.
Today, the club supports around 200 members and runs four National Volleyball League teams, six County League teams, local league squads, a thriving juniors programme, and a large recreational group.
The club is powered entirely by volunteers: 22 committee members, including a four‑person executive team who meet monthly and work closely with local partners such as Anglia Ruskin University, Hills Road Sixth Form College, and the University of Cambridge.
These partnerships provide coaching, competition pathways, and valuable experience for student athletes.
But in 2024, the club reached a turning point.
Rising costs were putting pressure on membership fees, and players voiced concerns at the AGM about long‑term affordability. The committee recognised the need to strengthen sponsorship and fundraising and saw media and digital engagement as the first step.
“If we wanted to attract sponsors, we needed to show our value. Building our social media presence became a key part of our long‑term plan.”
A new social media committee of five volunteers was formed, marking the start of a more strategic, creative approach to communication.
Reconnecting with traditional media:
One of the club’s most successful moves was rebuilding its relationship with the Cambridge Independent.
Years ago, the paper regularly featured CVC, but coverage faded as the club shifted towards social media.
Last summer, the club reached out again, initially to invite the paper to cover their annual summer tournament.
A reporter and photographer attended, and conversations on the day led to something even more valuable: the return of weekly match reports.
Now, thanks to a dedicated volunteer liaison, the club sends NVL results and photos every Sunday or Monday, and the paper publishes them both in print and online.
“The paper has been brilliant. As long as we send updates on time, they’re happy to run them.”
This renewed visibility has boosted the club’s credibility with potential sponsors and created a buzz among players, especially juniors who love seeing themselves in the newspaper.
A fresh approach to social media:
While traditional media helped widen local reach, social media became the club’s creative engine.
Instagram remains the club’s main platform for promoting matches, sharing updates, and connecting with new players and coaches.
This season, the club adopted a more light‑hearted tone, adding humour to captions and stories.
“People are much more likely to read posts with some humour. Natural, fun content works better than the classic serious match preview.”
The shift has paid off: engagement has risen, and the club has gained around 250 new followers, reaching 1,726.
High‑quality photography has also become a priority, with new equipment purchased and plans for annual media days.
TikTok has been another standout success.
The club’s goal was to build enough engagement to unlock monetisation and sponsorship opportunities, and they’ve now achieved this, with over two million views this year.
Their most successful posts are short, original comedy clips that feel relatable and shareable.
Facebook engagement is lower, but the club continues to cross‑post from Instagram for members who prefer the platform.
YouTube is used for live‑streaming matches, adding another layer of accessibility.
Managing roles and maintaining quality:
With five volunteers on the social media committee, the club initially tried a crowdsourced approach giving many people posting access.
But this led to issues, including posts that didn’t fully align with Volleyball England’s Code of Conduct.
The club quickly adapted.
Now, all content goes through the social media officer or the chair before posting.
They are still developing formal guidelines, but plan to create a clear policy at the end of the season to support future committees.
One ongoing challenge is ensuring that content represents the whole club, not just NVL teams.
TikTok, for example, is currently dominated by a small group of NVL women who enjoy creating content.
“We’re trying to find ways to get more people involved while still keeping oversight and consistency.”
The impact so far:
While the club hasn’t yet generated direct income from its digital efforts, the benefits are already clear:
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stronger engagement statistics to support sponsorship negotiations
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increased membership enquiries through social media
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improved visibility and club identity
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higher enjoyment and pride among players
“Most of all, people have been enjoying it. That’s been the biggest win.”
Looking to the future:
Cambridge Volleyball Club is committed to building on its momentum. Plans for the coming season include:
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developing TikTok monetisation
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expanding the social media committee to bring in fresh ideas
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formalising processes and policies for long‑term continuity
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continuing to grow the club’s digital presence to support sustainability
As the club looks ahead, its journey shows how creativity, community, and modern communication can work together to strengthen grassroots volleyball.
“We’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited to see where this takes us next.”
Social Channels:
Instagram: @cambridgevc1
Tik Tok: @cambridge.vc
Youtube: @CambridgeVolleyballClub
Cambridge Independent: https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/sport/other-sports/
