South West's Richards honoured with British Empire Medal

Ron Richards, who helps to run the South West Volleyball Association (SWVA), has been recognised for his “services to volleyball and the community in the South West of England.” 

The 73-year-old first took up volleyball when he lived in Swansea and his youth club received a newsletter asking if anyone would like to try their hand at the sport. 

He subsequently joined the Townhill Tigers Club in the city and played there until attending Exeter University, with whom he was a Universities Athletic Union (UAU) Championships winner in 1972. 

Ron became SWVA secretary in 1970 and has continued in that role to this day, being presented with an award for his half-century of service in November 2021. 

“It was a great moment to open that letter and find out about the BEM,” said Ron, who lives in Bristol. “It’s just really nice to be acknowledged in this way. I would say it is for the length of service as much as for the things I have done during that time. 

“This is as much about all the people who have helped and volunteered down the years, many who have passed on knowledge to me, and I dedicate it to all those people. 

“I would like to think this would help inspire other people to volunteer themselves. The game is only made possible by those people who administer, coach and referee.” 

Alongside his role as secretary, Ron has continued to play an active role as both a volunteer coach and administrator. 

He set up the Whitefield Volleyball Club in 1972 (now part of the City of Bristol Volleyball Club) and a year later the Whitefield Volleyball Tournament - which is now the biggest of its type in the country and attracts 100-plus entries. 

In 1977, Ron took up a teaching post at Priory Community School in Weston super Mare and established the Priory Volleyball Club and the Priory Volleyball Tournament. 

He eventually retired after working his way up to the headteacher role and continued to coach the school’s junior teams throughout that period. 

Until January of this year, he had also been Chair of the Bristol and District Volleyball Association, remaining in post for a decade. 

Ron added: “I think the biggest thing I am proud of is that the South West is a well-respected region within the volleyball community, which is not just a reflection on me, but other people’s efforts too. 

“In particular, our Chair, Dave Reece, is fantastic, spending a lot of hours helping to run the association, bringing people together from across the region, and also getting involved with a lot of the regional junior squads. 

“Geographically it is a huge area... from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire in the North, to Swindon, Wiltshire in the East, to Bournemouth and Poole, Dorset on the South Coast right down to Land’s End in Cornwall. 

“But we have always managed to get good collaboration between the different areas and the 69 registered clubs, with some of the clubs in South Wales travelling across the border to take part in our competitions. 

“Even during the Covid-19 Pandemic we managed to keep the meetings going and hopefully the region will continue to provide a valued service to the clubs in our area.” 

Ron received his notification letter from the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, with a date for the presentation of his medal still to be confirmed. 

Volleyball England’s Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Ford, has praised Ron’s “incredible” achievement and added: “I wanted to pass on our congratulations and thank Ron for his continued hard work, passion, and commitment to the sport. 

“The devotion he has shown to his region and volleyball down the years is fantastic and the contribution he has made is hard to measure. He is a shining example to everyone as to how a volunteer can make a huge difference.”